Folding roller and machine comprising said roller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208292-B2
Application number	US-201917049376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2019
Priority date	Apr 27, 2018
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

The folding roller includes a rotation axis and at least a gripping member extending longitudinally along the folding roller, controlled by at least a piezoelectric actuator. The piezoelectric actuator causes a pivoting movement of the gripping member about its pivoting axis parallel to the rotation axis of the folding roller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A folding roller with a rotation axis, comprising
at least one gripping member extending longitudinally along the folding roller and
at least one piezoelectric actuator for controlling a pivoting movement of the at least one gripping member about a pivoting axis thereof parallel to the rotation axis of the folding roller; and
wherein said at least one piezoelectric actuator comprises
an active piezoelectric element contained in an amplification member, wherein deformations of the active piezoelectric element caused by a voltage applied to said active piezoelectric element are amplified to obtain desired displacement of the piezoelectric actuator.

2. A folding roller with a rotation axis, comprising
at least one gripping member extending longitudinally along the folding roller and
at least one piezoelectric actuator for controlling a pivoting movement of the at least one gripping member about a pivoting axis thereof parallel to the rotation axis of the folding roller; and
wherein said at least one piezoelectric actuator comprises
an active piezoelectric element contained in an amplification member of deformations of the active piezoelectric element caused by a voltage applied to said active piezoelectric element, wherein the amplification member comprises a deformable frame, which amplifies the deformations of the active piezoelectric element caused by an electrical voltage applied to said active piezoelectric element.

3. The folding roller of claim 2 , wherein the deformable frame is a closed frame comprising
a plurality of sides joined to one another to form a frame that defines a volume in which the active piezoelectric element is housed, said deformable frame having a rectangular shape, and said active piezoelectric element being secured to two points of the deformable frame.

4. The folding roller of claim 2 , wherein the deformable frame is equipped with an elastic return member.

5. The folding roller of claim 2 , wherein the at least one gripping member is housed in a longitudinal housing formed in a body of the folding roller.

6. The folding roller of claim 2 , wherein the at least one gripping member comprises a shaft supported in the folding roller to pivot about the pivoting axis, and wherein said at least one piezoelectric actuator is positioned at a first end of the shaft.

7. The folding roller of claim 6 , wherein the piezoelectric actuator is positioned on a head of the folding roller.

8. The folding roller of claim 2 , wherein the deformable frame of the piezoelectric actuator is connected to the at least one gripping member by an elastic plate.

9. The folding roller of claim 2 , wherein a second piezoelectric actuator of said at least one piezoelectric actuator is associated with the at least one gripping member, and is synchronized with a first piezoelectric actuator of said at least one piezoelectric actuator.

10. The folding roller of claim 9 , wherein said second piezoelectric actuator is associated with a second end of a shaft supported in the folding roller to pivot about the pivoting axis and the first piezoelectric actuator is associated with a first end of the shaft.

11. The folding roller of claim 2 , wherein said at least one gripping member is at least one first gripping members and a second gripping member, with at least a respective one of said at least one piezoelectric actuator, for controlling the pivoting movement of the second gripping member.

12. The folding roller of claim 2 , comprising a control unit for coordinating the at least one piezoelectric actuator with rotation movement of the folding roller.

13. The folding roller according to claim 2 , wherein the deformable frame is an elastically deformable frame.

14. A folding machine comprising
at least a first feed path for feeding at least a first web material toward a folding unit, and
members for forming packs of folded sheets produced from the web material;
wherein the folding unit includes
a first folding roller with a rotation axis;

wherein the first folding roller comprises
at least one gripping member extending longitudinally along the first folding roller, and

at least one piezoelectric actuator for controlling a pivoting movement of the at least one gripping member about a pivoting axis thereof parallel to the rotation axis of the first folding roller;
wherein the at least one piezoelectric actuator comprises an active piezoelectric element contained in an amplification member of deformations of the active piezoelectric element caused by a voltage applied to said active piezoelectric element; and
wherein the amplification member comprises a deformable frame, which amplifies the deformations of the active piezoelectric element caused by an electrical voltage applied to said active piezoelectric element.

15. The folding machine of claim 14 , wherein the folding unit comprises
a second folding roller with a rotation axis;
wherein the second folding roller comprises
at least one gripping member extending longitudinally along the second folding roller, and
at least one piezoelectric actuator for controlling a pivoting movement of the at least one gripping member about a pivoting axis thereof parallel to the rotation axis of the second folding roller; and

wherein the at least one piezoelectric actuator comprises
an active piezoelectric element contained in an amplification member of deformations of the active piezoelectric element caused by a voltage applied to said active piezoelectric element.

16. The folding machine of claim 15 , wherein the first folding roller and the second folding roller are arranged parallel to each other and define a folding nip.

17. The folding machine of claim 15 , wherein the first folding roller and the second folding roller are configured to form a continuous stack of web material folded in a zig-zag, and wherein downstream of the first folding roller and the second folding roller there is arranged a cutting device adapted to cut the web material folded in a zig-zag into two stacks of folded sheets.

18. The folding machine of claim 14 , comprising a second feed path for feeding a second web material toward the folding unit.

19. The folding machine of claim 14 , further comprising, along each feed path of the web material, cutting members for cutting a respective web material into a sequence of single sheets separate from one another, the cutting members being arranged upstream of the folding roller.

20. The folding machine of claim 19 , configured as an interfolding machine.

21. The folding machine of claim 14 comprising members for producing stacks of folded sheets superimposed on one another.

22. A folding machine comprising
at least a first feed path for feeding at least a first web material toward a folding unit, and
members for forming packs of folded sheets produced from the web material;
wherein the folding unit includes
a first folding roller with a rotation axis;
wherein the first folding roller comprises
at least one gripping member extending longitudinally along the first folding roller, and
at least one piezoelectric actuator for controlling a pivoting movement of the at least one gripping member about a pivoting axis thereof parallel to the rotation axis of the first folding roller; and

wherein the at least one piezoelectric actuator comprises an active piezoelectric element contained in an amplification member, wherein the deformations of the active piezoelectric eleme

Assignees

• Perini Fabio Spa

Inventors

• Mazzaccherini Graziano
• Montagnani Franco
• Morelli Alessandro

Classifications

• B65H2555/14

  piezoelectric · CPC title

• B65H45/20

  Zig-zag folders {(B65H45/228 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65H45/24 Primary

  Interfolding sheets, e.g. cigarette or toilet papers · CPC title

• B65H2701/1924

  Napkins or tissues, e.g. dressings, toweling, serviettes, kitchen paper and compresses · CPC title

• B65H2701/11231

  Fan-folded material or zig-zag or leporello · CPC title