System for conveying electronic cigarette components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11089819-B2
Application number	US-201816650827-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2018
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A system for conveying electronic cigarette components, including: a guide including a stopping station; a carriage to slide along the guide; a retaining device for holding a component of an electronic cigarette; and a locking unit for locking the carriage relative to the guide at the stopping station. The locking unit includes: two abutment elements, mounted on the carriage and disposed at a predetermined mutual distance; and an inserting element which is: disposed at the stopping station; shaped such that first and second edges contact the abutment elements, respectively, when the carriage is at the stopping station; movable between a retracted position free from the abutment elements to allow the carriage to slide, and an advanced position contacting the abutment elements to prevent the carriage from sliding. Each abutment element is rotatable about its axis to facilitate movement of the inserting element between the two positions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for conveying electronic cigarette components, comprising:
a guide comprising at least one stopping station;
a carriage configured to slide along the guide and comprising retaining means for holding at least one component of an electronic cigarette;
a locking unit for locking the carriage relative to the guide at the stopping station;
wherein the locking unit comprises:
two abutment elements mounted on the carriage and disposed at a predetermined mutual distance; and
an inserting element which is: disposed at the stopping station; shaped in such a way that its first and second edges come into contact with the two abutment elements, respectively, when the carriage is at the stopping station; movable between a retracted position, where it does not contact the two abutment elements and allows the carriage to slide relative to the guide, and an advanced position where it contacts the two abutment elements, thereby preventing the carriage from sliding relative to the guide;
and wherein each abutment element, is rotatable about its axis in such a way as to facilitate movement of the inserting element between the two positions; at least one linear motor equipped with a plurality of electromagnetic coils which are connected to the guide and which extends along the guide; and a plurality of magnets which are mounted on the carriage and which interact with the coils of the linear motor to allow and control the movement of the carriage along the guide.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the inserting element is shaped in such a way as to be inserted between the two abutment elements when the carriage is at the stopping station;
movable between the retracted position, where it is not inserted between the two abutment elements and allows the carriage to slide relative to the guide, and the advanced position, where it is inserted between the two abutment elements and, with its edges, is in contact with the abutment elements to prevent the carriage from sliding relative to the guide.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the inserting element has at least has at least one free end portion which is tapered to make it easier for the inserting element itself to be inserted between the two abutment elements.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the inserting element is shaped in such a way that its first edge and its second edge are mutually spaced apart to allow the two abutment elements to be inserted between them when the carriage is at the stopping station; and is movable between the retracted position, where the first and second edges do not receive the two abutment elements between them and allow the carriage to slide relative to the guide 2 , and the advanced position where the first and second edges do receive the two abutment elements between them, come into contact with the abutment elements and prevent the carriage from sliding relative to the guide.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the guide comprises at least one curved portion and the stopping station is disposed at the curved portion of the guide.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the inserting element comprises: a first part comprising the aforesaid first edge intended to come into contact with one of the two abutment elements when the inserting element is at the advanced position; and a second part comprising the aforesaid second edge intended to come into contact with the other abutment element when the inserting element is at the advanced position; and elastic means to join together the first part S and the second part and to keep the first edge and the second edge pressed against the respective abutment element when the inserting element is at the advanced position.

7. The system according to claim 1 , comprising: a plurality of carriages, a plurality of locking units and a plurality of stopping stations disposed along the guide.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the guide extends in a closed loop and/or comprises a plurality of modular parts which are connectable to each other.

Assignees

• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Testoni Luca
• Moretti Carlo
• Degliesposti Paolo
• Lanzarini Luca
• Federici Luca

Classifications

• B61B13/12

  Systems with propulsion devices between or alongside the rails, e.g. pneumatic systems (cable traction B61B9/00; car shunting devices B61J) · CPC title

• B65G2205/00

  Stopping elements used in conveyors to stop articles or arrays of articles · CPC title

• H02K33/00

  Motors with reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating magnet, armature or coil system (arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with motors H02K7/00, e.g. H02K7/06) · CPC title

• A24F40/70 Primary

  Manufacture · CPC title

• B65G54/02

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title