Product wrapping unit for a packaging line

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10106280-B2
Application number	US-201615552391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2016
Priority date	Mar 2, 2015
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A wrapping unit ( 1 ) for a packaging line ( 2 ) comprises a conveyor ( 6 ) for feeding a succession of products ( 3 ) in a first direction ( 7 ) and a wrapping station ( 9 ) arranged along the conveyor ( 6 ) for wrapping a film ( 5 ) of wrapping material around said products ( 3 ), said wrapping station ( 9 ) comprising a wrapping device ( 13 ) provided with a plurality of wrapping members ( 15 ), each of said wrapping members ( 15 ) extending in a second direction ( 11 ) perpendicular to said first direction ( 7 ), said wrapping unit ( 1 ) further comprising a stability control group ( 12 ) for preventing said products ( 3 ) from tipping along said conveyor ( 6 ), said stability control group ( 12 ) comprising a plurality of anti-tip devices ( 33 ), each of said anti-tip devices ( 33 ) being associated, during operation, with a respective product ( 3 ) to move together with said respective product ( 3 ) through said wrapping station ( 9 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wrapping unit for a packaging line, comprising: a conveyor for feeding a succession of products in a first direction; a wrapping station arranged along the conveyor for wrapping a film of wrapping material around said products, said wrapping station comprising: a wrapping device provided with a plurality of wrapping members, each of said wrapping members extending in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, and a stability control group for preventing said products from tipping along said conveyor, said stability control group comprising: a plurality of anti-tip devices, each of said anti-tip devices being associated, during operation, with a respective one of said products to move together with said respective product through said wrapping station;
wherein each of said anti-tip devices comprises at least one stop member, which extends in said second direction and is operable to assume a close position, in which said stop member is arranged close to and facing a front face or rear face of said product, and a spaced apart position, in which said stop member is arranged at a determined distance from said product and defines, with said product, a passage for a wrapping member;
wherein each anti-tip device comprises a pair of said stop members, which are adapted to be disposed on opposite sides of said respective product;
wherein each pair of stop members comprises a rear stop member and a front stop member, according to said first direction, said rear stop member being adapted to move from said close position to said spaced-apart position at an inlet of the wrapping station and to remain in said spaced-apart position sufficient to allow the wrapping member to move, together with said film, through a corresponding passage to above said rear stop member, and said front stop member being configured to move from said close position to said spaced-apart position at an outlet of said wrapping station and to remain in said spaced apart position for sufficient time to allow the wrapping member to move, together with said film, through a corresponding passage to below said front stop member.

2. The wrapping unit according to claim 1 , wherein said stability control group comprises a frame and a conveying device carried by said frame to advance said anti-tip devices along a predetermined path, said pair of stop members of each anti-tip device being operable independently from each other so that, when one of said stop members moves from said close position to said spaced apart position and vice versa, the other of said stop members remains in said close position.

3. The wrapping unit according to claim 2 , wherein said path is an annular path comprising a substantially straight work stretch extending parallel to said conveyor, said anti-tip devices being movable along said work stretch at the same speed as said conveyor.

4. The wrapping unit according to claim 2 wherein said stability control group comprises a cam device carried by said frame and coupled to each stop member to move said stop member from said close position to said spaced apart position and vice versa.

5. The wrapping unit according to claim 4 , wherein said cam device comprises a pair of first cams coupled to said rear stop members and a pair of second cams coupled to said front stop members.

6. The wrapping unit according to claim 1 wherein each stop member comprises a rod that extends in said second direction and is mounted to the conveying device to move along said path and oscillate between said close position and said spaced apart position around an axis parallel to said second direction.

7. The wrapping unit according to claim 6 , and further comprising, for each stop member, two rocker arms, each of which is fitted with a respective end of the relative rod to couple said rod with said conveying device and said cam device, each rocker arm being hinged to said conveying device about said axis and comprising a first arm rigidly connected to said rod and a second arm that carries a follower engaged with said cam device.

8. The wrapping unit according to claim 7 , wherein each follower of each rear stop member slidably engages a track of a respective first cam, and each follower of each front stop member slidably engages a track of a respective second cam.

9. The wrapping unit according to claim 1 , wherein each wrapping member is arranged to move, at an input of said wrapping station and/or at an output of said wrapping station, in a third direction transverse to said first direction and to said second direction.

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Morselli Alessandro
• Ferrari Fabio
• Kinas Tony
• Coulomb Mathias N

Classifications

• B65B11/10 Primary

  to fold the wrappers in tubular form about contents · CPC title

• B65B41/10

  by rollers · CPC title

• B65B61/02

  for perforating, scoring {, slitting,} or applying code or date marks on material prior to packaging {(scoring ampoules B65B3/006)} · CPC title

• B65B35/405

  linked to endless conveyors · CPC title

• B65B35/205

  linked to endless conveyors · CPC title