System for transferring a group of components of electronic cigarettes from a first operating station to a second operating station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11370566-B2
Application number	US-201816617413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2018
Priority date	Jun 1, 2017
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

A system for transferring a first group of components of electronic cigarettes from first to second operating stations includes a flat collecting surface extending from a feeding zone to a releasing zone. A feeding device receives the components and feeds them onto the collecting surface. A first abutment element abuts the first component of the first group. A second abutment element abuts the last component of the first group. A compacting and stabilizing device moves the components closer together and stabilizes their positions. A first movement device moves the first and second abutment elements along the collecting surface to transfer the first group to the releasing zone. A tray faces the releasing zone to receive the first group. A pushing device pushes the components from the releasing zone into the tray. A transferring device transfers the tray with the first group towards the second operating station.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for transferring a first group of components of electronic cigarettes from a first operating station to a second operating station, the system comprising:
a flat collecting surface extending along a longitudinal direction from a feeding zone to a releasing zone;
a feeding device that includes at least one seat for receiving components of the first group of components from the first operating station one by one and feeding the component one by one onto the flat collecting surface in the feeding zone at a first mutual distance from each other;
a first abutment element disposed on the flat collecting surface to abut a first component of the first group of components that is released onto the flat collecting surface;
a second abutment element disposed on the flat collecting surface for abutting a last component of the first group of components that is released on the flat collecting surface;
a compacting and stabilizing device including a pushing surface operating at the feeding zone to move the components closer to each other while the components are being fed in such a way as to dispose the components at a second mutual distance from each other, smaller than the first mutual distance, between the first abutment element and the second abutment element;
a first movement conveyor, for moving the first abutment element and the second abutment element in a conveying direction along the flat collecting surface; the first abutment element and the second abutment element being configured to transfer the first group of components from the feeding zone to the releasing zone while they are being moved;
a tray facing the releasing zone for receiving the first group of components;
a pushing bar, operating in the releasing zone for pushing the first group of components into the tray;
a transfer trolley, for transferring the tray including at least the first group of components towards the second operating station.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first movement conveyor comprises a first conveyor, disposed alongside the flat collecting surface; the first conveyor extending along a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of extension of the flat collecting surface and being movable from the feeding zone to the releasing zone;
the first abutment element and the second abutment element being mounted to the first conveyor in a cantilever manner to protrude onto the flat collecting surface.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the first abutment element and the second abutment element mounted to the first conveyor travel along a first stretch where the first conveyor moves step by step towards the releasing zone until all the components of the first group are on the flat collecting surface, between the first abutment element and the second abutment element; and a second stretch where the first conveyor moves continuously towards the releasing zone after all the components of the first group have been fed into the feeding zone, in order to convey the components of the first group to the releasing zone.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the compacting and stabilizing device comprises a compacting element which includes the pushing surface, the compacting element being movable in a first direction perpendicular to the conveying direction to be inserted between one of the components fed onto the flat collecting surface and the second abutment element; and in a second direction parallel to the conveying direction, in order to move the one of the components closer to the first abutment element in such a way that two adjacent ones of the components are at the second mutual distance.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the compacting and stabilizing device further comprises a drive mechanism which mounts the compacting element and which comprises a four-bar cam mechanism, configured for moving the compacting element in the first direction and in the second direction.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding device is configured to receive the components, disposed horizontally, from the first operating station and to feed the components disposed horizontally onto the flat collecting surface.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding device is configured to receive the components with a first orientation from the first operating station and to feed the components onto the flat collecting surface with a second orientation, turned 180° with respect to the first orientation.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding device further comprises:
wherein the at least one seat includes a plurality of seats;
a rotary element including the plurality of seats each of which is shaped to receive and hold one of the components from the first operating station; the rotary element being rotatable about an axis thereof to transfer the components into the seats from a receiving angular position, at which the components are received into the plurality of seats, to a release angular position; and
a release device, operating on the components in the plurality of seats when the components are at the release angular position, configured for releasing the components from the plurality of seats of the feeding device onto the flat collecting surface.

9. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third abutment element disposed on the flat collecting surface to abut a first component of a second group of components which is released onto the flat collecting surface when the first abutment element and the second abutment element have been moved into the releasing zone;
a fourth abutment element disposed on the flat collecting surface to abut a last component of the second group of components which is released onto the flat collecting surface by the feeding device when the first abutment element and the second abutment element have been moved into the releasing zone; and
a second movement conveyor connected to the third abutment element and to the fourth abutment element to move the third and fourth abutment elements in the conveying direction along the flat collecting surface so as to transfer the second group of components from the feeding zone to the releasing zone; the third abutment element and the fourth abutment element being configured to transfer the second group of components from the feeding zone to the releasing zone while the second group of components are being moved.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the second movement conveyor comprises a second conveyor, disposed alongside the flat collecting surface on a side opposite to a first conveyor of the first movement conveyor, extending along a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction and being movable from the feeding zone to the releasing zone;
the third abutment element and the fourth abutment element being mounted to the second conveyor in a cantilever manner in such a way as to protrude onto the flat collecting surface.

11. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the tray comprises a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall opposite to the front wall and two side walls opposite to each other;
wherein the front wall is movable between at least one closed configuration, where the components are prevented from coming out of the tray, and an open configuration, where the components are allowed to come out of the tray;
and wherein the rear wall is movable towards the front wall in such a way as to push the components out of the tray when the front wall is in the open configuration.

Assignees

• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Testoni Luca
• Lanzarini Luca
• Renco Francesco
• Mariani Luca
• Legnani Mirco
• Sartoni Massimo
• Federici Luca

Classifications

• B65B19/34

  Packaging other rod-shaped articles, e.g. sausages, macaroni, spaghetti, drinking straws, welding electrodes · CPC title

• B65B35/405

  linked to endless conveyors · CPC title

• B65B35/30

  Arranging and feeding articles in groups · CPC title

• B65B5/068 Primary

  in trays (B65B5/061 - B65B5/065 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65B5/106

  by pushers (B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence) · CPC title