Device and machine for making filter bags of tetrahedral shape

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10889398-B2
Application number	US-201716095248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2017
Priority date	May 11, 2016
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A forming tube for making filter bags of tetrahedral shape for infusion products including a forming element, which is elongate and hollow, which defines a longitudinal axis and which has a first opening through which the product enters in the forming element, a second opening through which the product leaves from the forming element to be dosed inside a filter bag being formed, and an inner through cavity which connects the first opening to the second opening and inside of which flows the infusion product. The forming element includes a main body substantially tubular including the first opening and a forming end including the second opening and mobile in rotation with respect to the main body about the longitudinal axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine for forming filter bags of tetrahedral shape containing infusion product, the machine comprising:
a forming and joining station to form a continuous strip of filter material and create a continuous tube of filter material, the forming and joining station comprising:
i) a forming tube configured to be wound by the continuous strip of filter material moving along a feed direction, the forming tube comprising a hollow forming element extended along a longitudinal axis parallel to the feed direction and having a first opening and a second opening communicating by means of an inner through cavity through which the infusion product entering from the first opening flows to exit from the second opening so as to be dosed inside a filter bag in formation, the forming element comprising a main cylindrical body and a forming member, the forming member having a connecting portion proximal to the main cylindrical body and a forming portion distal from the main cylindrical body, the forming portion being provided with the second opening and having a maximum transversal dimension greater than the maximum transversal dimension of the connecting portion;
ii) a longitudinal sealing element configured to form a continuous longitudinal seal at a free longitudinal edges of the continuous strip of filter material, in order to form the continuous tube of filter material;

a feeding station for feeding the infusion product inside the inner through cavity;
a sealing station comprising transversal sealing elements configured to make transversal seals on the continuous tube of filter material, the transversal seals being alternately rotated by 90° on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis,
wherein the forming member is rotatable joined to the main cylindrical body to rotate about the longitudinal axis, and wherein the connecting portion of the forming member has a transversal cross section which is circular relative to a plane transversal to the longitudinal axis and the forming portion of the forming member has a transversal cross section which is elongate relative to a plane transversal to the longitudinal axis.

2. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the forming member comprises a hollow cylindrical body provided with the inner through cavity.

3. The machine according to claim 2 , wherein the hollow cylindrical body of the forming member is positioned inside the main cylindrical body.

4. The machine according to claim 3 , wherein the hollow cylindrical body of the forming member is in contact with an internal surface of the main cylindrical body.

5. The machine according to claim 2 , wherein the connecting portion is between the hollow cylindrical body and the forming portion.

6. The machine according to claim 2 , wherein the hollow cylindrical body, the connecting portion and the forming portion are made in a single piece.

7. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the forming portion of the forming member has a tapered shape along the longitudinal axis relative to a first direction and a flared shape along the longitudinal axis relative to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

8. The machine according to claim 1 , comprising a transmission device connected to the forming member and coupled with a drive device to rotate the forming member about the longitudinal axis.

9. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding station comprises:
a feed hopper configured to contain the infusion products and connected to the forming tube at the first opening; and
a dosing piston, linearly movable inside the through inner cavity and along the longitudinal axis, between a first operating position wherein it leaves open the second opening and allows the infusion product to exit from the forming element and fall inside a filter bag in formation, and a second operating position wherein it closes the second opening, blocking the infusion product within the through inner cavity.

10. The machine according to claim 9 , comprising a tubular element, positioned inside the through inner cavity of the forming element, the dosing piston being positioned and movable inside the tubular element.

11. The machine according to claim 9 , wherein the tubular element has an outer cylindrical surface distanced from an inner surface of a hollow cylindrical body of the forming member, the space between said outer cylindrical surface of the tubular element and said inner surface of the hollow cylindrical body forming a passage for the infusion product when the infusion product flows from the first opening to the second opening.

12. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the forming and joining station further comprises a folding device comprising at least one folding wall for folding the continuous strip of filter material, so as to modify from a flat configuration to a tubular configuration.

Assignees

• Ima Spa

Inventors

• Sermenghi Andrea
• Rivola Sauro

Classifications

• B65D75/50

  Tetrahedral packages · CPC title

• B65B29/028 Primary

  packaging infusion material into filter bags · CPC title

• B65B9/2056

  Machines for packages of special type or form · CPC title

• B65B51/303

  reciprocating along only one axis · CPC title