Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B61/00—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages
  • B65B61/20—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B63/00—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged
  • B65B63/04—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for folding or winding articles, e.g. gloves or stockings
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
  • B65B35/30—Arranging and feeding articles in groups
  • B65B35/36—Arranging and feeding articles in groups by grippers
  • B65B35/38—Arranging and feeding articles in groups by grippers by suction-operated grippers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
  • B65B5/08—Packaging groups of articles, the articles being individually gripped or guided for transfer to the containers or receptacles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B57/00—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices
  • B65B57/10—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged
  • B65B57/14—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged

Definitions

• This description refers to the techniques for filling containers of the type that can be used, for example, for inserting so-called “surprises” in food products such as chocolate eggs and the like.
• Shell containers including a first and a second vat-like half-shell to be coupled to each other in a front coupling relationship of the respective mouth portions are known in numerous embodiments, as documented by an extensive patent literature, including, for example, documents WO-A-2005/044677, WO- A-2005/110880 and WO-A-2007/074355.
• containers of this type are known both in versions in which the first and the second half-shell constitute pieces separate from each other and in versions in which the first and the second half-shell are hinged to each other so as to form a single piece.
• EP-A-0 631 932, EP-A-0 631-933 and EP-A- 0 631 934 prove development in this direction.
• the present invention aims at providing a response to the previously outlined needs.
• FIGS 1 to 3 illustrate the operation of picking up sheet-like elements
• FIGS. 12 to 16 illustrate the insertion of such elements in respective containers.
• the body CI exhibits a casing surface (the term casing surface is used herein to indicate the lateral surface, adjacent to the contour of the mouth of the body CI) with a greater extension with respect to the casing surface of the lid C2.
• the dimensional ratios in question can indeed be overturned differently (for example with the two casing surfaces identical to each other) .
• the container C can be shaped differently from the shape illustrated herein, such as for example an oval (or spindle-like) shape, a spherical shape, a prismatic shape, a cylindrical shape, etc.
• the body CI and the lid C2 are connected to each other by a flexible formation C3 serving as a hinge.
• the hinge C3 is also suitable to be produced according to different methods as represented in various documents already mentioned in the introduction of the present description .
• hinge part C3 though conceivable, however does not represent a compulsory element as regards the implementation of the embodiments .
• the illustrated examples refer to sheet-like elements generally having an elongated shape, in which there can be distinguished a greater or maximum dimension.
• the representations attached herein refer to sheets deriving from a first folding of the sheet on its self and by subsequent folding or, as represented separately on the left of the figure 1, from the zig-zag folding (i.e. concertina or bellow-like) of a strip on which there can be indicated, for example, information or instructions regarding an object (for example a "surprise” intended to be inserted, assembled or to be assembled, in the container C) .
• the sheet-like elements or "sheets” F have a sheet-like structure, given that they can be constituted by one or more sheets in a flat condition, being for example (the list below shall not be considered exhaustive) in form of:
• - elements made of a sheet with several layers, for example a decalcomania applied on a respective support sheet made of low adherence material,
• FIG. 13 Various embodiments show the capacity of indistinctively handling all these different types of elements F, ensuring achieving the desired final result, i.e. the insertion in a container C in folded condition (see figure 13) .
• Figures 1 to 3 show the fact that the elements F can be provided (operating according to known criteria, for example arranging them in distribution drawers to be periodically refilled by an operator or automatically) in form of an array of successive rows of elements F lined up one after the other (for example in relative lying conditions between the subsequent elements F in the same row so as to avoid unwanted unfolding thereof) .
• the arrangement side by side by rows can be provided (as illustrated in figures 1 to 3) in the minimum overall dimension condition, i.e. arranging the rows of elements F side by side in the direction corresponding to the smaller or minimum dimension thereof.
• the elements F be generally rectangular-like and that the same be ordered in the picking up configuration allowing the adjacent rows to include elements F arranged "vertical", so as to minimize the overall dimension.
• reference 10 is used to indicate a pick-up device such as a "hand" of an anthropomorphic robot - not entirely visible in the representation, but of the known type - provided with a plurality of vacuum pick-up elements 12 (in brief “suckers") arranged side by side and actuatable by a number corresponding to N number of elements F intended to be picked-up one at a time.
• a pick-up device such as a "hand" of an anthropomorphic robot - not entirely visible in the representation, but of the known type - provided with a plurality of vacuum pick-up elements 12 (in brief “suckers”) arranged side by side and actuatable by a number corresponding to N number of elements F intended to be picked-up one at a time.
• Vacuum pick-up "hand" devices of the type considered herein are known in the art, as documented, for example, from EP-A-0 239 547, EP-A-0 989 080, EP-A- 0 968 940, EP-A-0 768 254 or US-A-4 932 180.
• the operation of the robot carrying the hand 10 (included in the operation of the hand) can be actuated by a processing unit K such as a personal computer for industrial purposes which also supervises (according to per se known criteria) the operation of other various moveable and/or manipulation /processing elements described hereinafter.
• the sequence of figures 2 and 3 shows that the robot provided with the hand 10 can be actuated (also in this case according to known criteria, also illustrated in the mentioned document) so as to advance the "hand" 10 towards the array of elements F (figure 2) allowing each vacuum pick-up element 12 to exert on a respective element F a "vacuum” pick-up action (i.e. "vacuum cleaner effect”) , so that, when the robot recedes the hand 10, each pick-up element 12 carries an element F therewith, in a flat condition, so as to move it to further treatment operations with a general displacement movement represented by the arrow B of figure 3.
• the pick-up hand 10 When performing such movement, the pick-up hand 10 can be conducted in such a manner to pass it in front a viewing unit such as for example a camera 14.
• the camera frames the array of elements F transported by the pick-up hand 10 and detects possible malfunctions such as, for example, the lack of one or more elements F of the picked-up array i.e. the incorrect positioning of one or more of the elements F.
• the operation of detecting possible malfunctions is performed on output signals of the unit 14 (typically a camera) by the processing unit K.
• the unit K can send - towards the robot - a comand such to allow the detection unit 12 of the hand 10 to be disabled so as to drop the previously picked-up elements F - detected to be incorrect - in an underlying collection container preventing them from advancing towards further manipulation operations.
• the robot is capable of returning in the condition of operation to proceed to detect a new array of elements F.
• each pick-up member 12 When the robot recedes the hand 10, each pick-up member 12 carries an element F thereof, in a flat condition, so as to be able to move it to further treatment operations with a general displacement movement represented by the arrow B of figure 3.
• a reception element 16 (figure 4) including, in the embodiment illustrated herein, a support block 160 in which there is mounted a plurality of reception formations 162 which, in the embodiment illustrated in the figures, are generally fork-like (U-shaped) with a concave cavity 164.
• the formations 162 are arranged in a linear array including an N number of members.
• N 5
• N 5
• the reception formations 162 are arranged with the concave portions 164 thereof aligned so as to jointly define a groove or channel.
• the robot then lowers the hand 10 towards the element 16 so that the elements F carried by the pick-up members 12 are inserted into the concave portions 164 of the reception formations 162 and take a corresponding U-shape, thus leading to a (first) operation for folding the elements F.
• the unit K may intervene on the robot which had taken over the elements up to that moment F, determining:
• reception cavities 164 could, for example, be in form of open bottom cylindrical cavities.
• the cavities 164 there end up openings 163 adapted to be selectively connected, as a result of a command emitted by the unit K, with a source of subatmospheric pressure (such as the one to which pick-up elements 12 can be connected) so as to exert a vacuum pick-up action on the elements F inserted in the cavities 164.
• a source of subatmospheric pressure such as the one to which pick-up elements 12 can be connected
• the unit K may intervene on the robot which had take over the elements F up to that time, determining the coordinated:
• the unit K may actuate the lifting of the hand 10 which may thus be returned by the robot to the initial pick-up condition referred to by figure 2.
• figure 2 shows that, besides the (first) array of pick-up members 12, the hand 10 can carry at least one second array of pick-up members 120.
• each pick-up member 120 (it can be a vacuum pick-up member once again) can be mounted at the distal end of an arm 122 which is extended from the body of the hand 10. All this in a manner such that the two arrays of pick-up members 12 and 120 (including for example the same number of elements, whereby to each member 12 there corresponds a member 120) are arranged at the ends of the two branches of an ideal L-shaped configuration.
• Figure 2 shows that, in this manner, it is possible to provide for, for example, one or more reels B each of which is automatically unwound, and cut (in 124) to form flat-shaped strips F' adapted to constitute for example a "surprise” piece or a decorative part possibly on a self-adhesive support.
• Such flat elements F' can be picked-up by the pick-up members 120 and inserted into the formations 162 according to the methods described previously with reference to figures 1 to 6 regarding the flat elements F and the pick-up members 12.
• the unit K can for example be programmed (according to per se known criteria) so as to allow, according to needs that vary over time, the hand 10 to pick up, alternatively, inserting them into the reception formations 162:
• the unit K can for example be programmed (still according to per se known criteria) so as to allow:
• the operating method may occur according to substantially identical criteria.
• the reception formations 162 are mounted on the body 160 with 90° rotation capacity with respect to the main axis X162 thereof.
• Such rotation can be actuated by the unit K which intervenes on respective drives 166 (only one of these is schematically indicated with a dashed line in figure 7) so as to allow the concave portions 164, initially with respect to each other so as to define a general channel structure - figures 4 to 6 - to be, following the 90° rotation imparted to the formations 162 around the respective main axes X162, oriented in a position accurately orthogonal to the one they had taken previously.
• Figure 8 shows the fact that the rotatable assembly of the reception formations 162 on the support block 160 of the reception element 16 is not a compulsory characteristic.
• the reception element 16 can actually also be made in form of a comb body (see figure 8) having, stably, a "crenellated” or comb configuration similar to the one illustrated in figure 7, attained after the rotation of the formations 162.
• the elements F (and/or F' ) received in the cavities 164 of the reception formations 162 and folded according to a general U-configuration can be taken over by the "hand" 20 of a further pick-up element (it can be an antropomorphic robot of the known type once again, not entirely visible in the figures) controlled by the unit K.
• the hand 20 exhibits a plurality of pick-up elements 200 in form of straight fingers arranged side by side which extend from the body of the hand 20, arranged adjacent to each other according to a fork configuration.
• the hand 20 can be actuated (by the unit K) in such a manner that the pick-up fingers 200 penetrate moving in the transverse direction with respect to the length thereof - in the cavities 164 of the reception formations 162 each ending up inserted in the loop part of a respective element F.
• the pick-up fingers 200 may have, at the distal ends thereof, pick-up members intended to "grip" the U-folded elements F (and/or F' ) which are located in the cavities 164.
• figure 9 illustrates the fact that, in various embodiments, the fingers 200 can have openings 204 also intended to be connected analogously to what occurs for the vacuum pick-up members 12 (and 120) of the hand 10 described previously - with a sub-atmospheric source of pressure (not shown in the drawings) , so as to provide - once again - a vacuum pick-up/retention action.
• gripper formations 204' (one of these is schematically illustrated with a dashed line in figure 12) capable of fastening and "gripping" a pair of U-folded elements F and F' located in the cavities 164 operating on the margins thereof slightly projecting from the cavities 164 can be provided at the distal ends of the fingers 200.
• the unit K operates in such a manner that, once the fingers 200 are inserted into the cavities of the formations 162 (see the sequence of figures 9 and 10), the pick-up members 204 or 204' are activated in such a manner to grip the elements F (and/or F' ) .
• the unit K can intervene on the actuation of the robot carrying the hand 20 so as to raise the hand 20 moving away from the element 16 (see figure 11), whereby the pick-up fingers 200 of the hand 20 carry the elements F (and/or F' ) therewith.
• the transfer element 16 is available (if necessary after rotating the reception formations 162 to return them to the initial condition represented in figure 4) so as to be able to receive further elements F (and/or F' ) in the meanwhile picked up by the hand 10 from the supply array according to the methods illustrated previously with reference to figures 1 to 3.
• the fingers 200 of the hand 20 which carry, at the distal ends thereof, the elements F can thus penetrate into the cavities of the bodies CI of the containers C inserting into each one of them a respective element F in folded condition.
• the block 1200 in which the bodies CI are inserted can be tilted forward (by an angle ⁇ - see figure 12) towards the hand 20 carrying the fingers 200.
• This forward tilting which can possibly also be an tilting in horizontal conditions, facilitates the movement of introducing the fingers 200 into the containers C.
• the elements F may have a given degree of elastic memory whereby, once released by the fingers 200 within the cavity of the containers C, they tend to at least partly "widen” i.e. diverge with respect to the U- configuration conferred thereto as a result of being inserted into the cavities 164 of the reception formations 162.
• the elements F diverging within the containers C, the elements F leave - therein - most space available for the insertion, for example, of the surprise or components of the surprise intended to be inserted into the container C.
• the latter are inserted in the containers C with subsequent manipulation operations performed in the known manner and not representing a specific object of the present description.
• a further treatment station 300 (figures 15 and 16) including an assembly 302 suitable to be selectively lowered (under the action of drives, not shown in the drawings, but of the known type) towards the containers C so as to penetrate buffers 304 carried at the lower part by the assembly 302 thereinto.
• the buffers 304 are connected to one of more pressure lines 306 and thus they are inflatable.
• the unit K By actuating the lowering movement of the assembly 302 (see the sequence of figures 15 and 16), the unit K also actuates the supply of the buffers 304, which are inflated and - upon insertion in the cavities of the single containers C - widen, pushing the elements F (and/or F' ) towards the peripheral wall of the container C.
• buffers 304 which descend into the containers C, with the elements F (and/or F' ) can have the effect of further pushing the elements F (and/or F' ) into the containers C, preventing such elements from excessively projecting upwards beyond the mouth edge of the containers, which could hinder the insertion of further elements (for example "surprises", possibly made of several pieces) in the containers C.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
• Container Filling Or Packaging Operations (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
• Toys (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
• Manipulator (AREA)

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Citations (14)

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• 2010
  • 2010-06-30 IT ITTO2010A000561A patent/IT1402166B1/it active
• 2011
  • 2011-06-21 MD MDA20120132A patent/MD4529C1/ro not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2011-06-21 CN CN201180029954.XA patent/CN102958809B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2011-06-21 EP EP11738485.9A patent/EP2588378B1/en not_active Not-in-force
  • 2011-06-21 RU RU2013103771/13A patent/RU2557606C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2011-06-21 PL PL11738485T patent/PL2588378T3/pl unknown
  • 2011-06-21 WO PCT/IB2011/052718 patent/WO2012001582A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2011-06-21 MX MX2012014143A patent/MX2012014143A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2011-06-21 ES ES11738485.9T patent/ES2540857T3/es active Active

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