Applying unit for applying a lid onto a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10351286-B2
Application number	US-201615755132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2016
Priority date	Oct 5, 2015
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

An applying unit for applying lids to necks of containers may be provided. The applying unit may include a conveying device configured to advance the containers along a path in an advancement direction; a group of applying heads, each applying head configured to screw a lid onto a corresponding neck; and a movement device configured to move the group of applying heads along the advancement direction, so that each applying head may be coupled to a corresponding neck along a portion of the path. The movement device may be configured to act on a common support element configured to support the applying heads of the group, so as to synchronously move the applying heads along the advancement direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An applying unit for applying lids to necks of containers, the applying unit comprising:
a conveying device configured to advance the containers along a path in an advancement direction;
a group of applying heads, each applying head configured to screw a lid onto a corresponding neck, wherein the applying heads are supported by a common support element;
a movement device configured to move the common support element along the advancement direction so that each applying head is engaged with a corresponding neck along a portion of the path, wherein the movement of the common support element by the movement device synchronously advances the applying heads along the advancement direction; and
a distribution unit configured to feed the lids to the necks, wherein the distribution unit includes:
a slide inclined with respect to the conveying device; and
a dispensing opening situated at an end of the slide, the dispensing opening configured to retain at least one lid therein,
wherein the dispensing opening is configured to be stripped of the at least one lid retained therein by the neck of an underlying container;

wherein each applying head further comprises:
an elongated stem configured to extend at least partially within the common support element;
at least two gripping elements situated at an end of the elongated stem and configured to contact the lid and to screw the lid onto the corresponding neck; and
a driving device configured to displace the elongated stem along a longitudinal axis relative to the common support element, so that the gripping elements are moved relative to the lid, wherein the driving device is further configured to screw the lid onto the corresponding neck by rotating the elongated stem around the longitudinal axis while the gripping elements contact the lid to thereby screw the lid onto the corresponding neck,
wherein the gripping elements are drivable between an engagement position, in which the gripping elements engage with the lid and are configured to rotate the lid around an axis thereof, and a disengagement position, in which the gripping elements disengage the lid.

2. The applying unit of claim 1 , wherein the movement device comprises:
a driving motor configured to rotate a shaft and a linearly movable element fixed relative to the support element, wherein a transmission device is interposed between the driving motor and the linearly movable element so as to transform a rotation motion of the shaft into a linear motion of the linearly movable element.

3. The applying unit of claim 2 , wherein the driving motor is configured to rotate the shaft in two opposite rotation directions, the rotation directions causing the linearly movable element to respectively move forward and backward along the advancement direction.

4. The applying unit of claim 2 , further comprising:
at least two guiding bars extending in a direction parallel to the advancement direction, the at least two guiding bars configured to guide the support element as the support element moves along the advancement direction.

5. The applying unit of claim 1 , wherein the support element is included in a supporting arrangement that is configured to adjust an angular position of the applying heads by tilting around a fulcrum relative to a frame of the applying unit, such that the applying heads are configured to apply lids onto necks when projecting from differently inclined top walls of the containers.

6. The applying unit of claim 5 , wherein the support element is coupled to the supporting arrangement at an adjustable height above the conveying device.

7. The applying unit of claim 1 , wherein the support element has a plate portion and has a plurality of projecting walls that extend from the plate portion and that define a plurality of recesses in which a respective one of the elongated stems is at least partially housed.

8. The applying unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of welding heads arranged downstream of the group of applying heads, each welding head of the plurality being configured to weld an end wall of a lid onto a protruding portion located inside the neck,
wherein the protruding portion projects from a closing element that closes a pouring opening of a container.

9. The applying unit of claim 8 , wherein the welding heads are supported by a common support member that is fixed relative to the support element, so that the movement device is configured to move the welding heads together with the applying heads along the advancement direction.

10. The applying unit of claim 8 , wherein the number of the applying heads is equal to the number of the welding heads.

11. The applying unit of claim 8 , wherein each welding head comprises:
an electric induction generating element configured to induce an electric current in a conductive layer of a welding promoting element attached to the end wall, so as to heat a heat-sealable layer of the welding promoting element and weld the end wall to the protruding portion.

12. The applying unit of claim 1 , wherein the movement device is configured to move the common support element in a direction opposite to the advancement direction.

13. The applying unit of claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the applying heads is configured such that the gripping elements of the at least one applying head are spaced apart from a cylindrical side wall of the lid when the gripping elements are in the engagement position.

14. An applying unit for applying lids to necks of containers, the applying unit comprising:
a conveying device configured to advance the containers along a path in an advancement direction;
a group of applying heads, each applying head configured to screw a lid onto a corresponding neck, wherein the applying heads are supported by a common support element;
a movement device configured to move the common support element along the advancement direction so that each applying head is engaged with a corresponding neck along a portion of the path, wherein the movement of the common support element by the movement device synchronously advances the applying heads along the advancement direction; and
a distribution unit configured to feed the lids to the necks;
wherein each applying head further comprises:
an elongated stem configured to extend at least partially within the common support element;
an abutment surface situated at an end of the elongated stem and configured to contact a planar end wall of the lid;
at least two gripping elements projecting from the abutment surface, wherein the gripping elements are configured to contact the lid and to screw the lid onto the corresponding neck; and
a driving device configured to displace the elongated stem along a longitudinal axis relative to the common support element, so that the abutment surface and gripping elements are moved relative to the lid, wherein the driving device is further configured to screw the lid onto the corresponding neck by rotating the elongated stem around the longitudinal axis while the abutment surface contacts the planar end wall of the lid and while the gripping elements contact the lid to thereby screw the lid onto the corresponding neck,
wherein the gripping elements are drivable between an engagement position, in which the gripping elements engage with the lid and are configured to rotate the lid around an axis thereof, and a disengagement position, in which the gripping elements disengage the lid.

15. The applying unit of claim 14 , wherein the movement device comprises:
a driving motor configured to rotate a shaft and a linearly movable

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Canalini Pierluigi
• Zuccotti Alessandro
• Montorsi Maurizio
• Zanichelli Federico

Classifications

• B65B59/003

  Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the packaging material · CPC title

• B65B7/2835

  applying and rotating preformed threaded caps (for bottles or jars B67B3/20) · CPC title

• B67B3/2053

  comprising capping heads · CPC title

• B65D5/749

  a major part of the container wall or membrane being removed from the container after the opening · CPC title

• B65B61/186

  by applying or incorporating rigid fittings, e.g. discharge spouts · CPC title