Packaging machine and method of packaging articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11505348-B2
Application number	US-201816605116-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2018
Priority date	Apr 18, 2017
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a packaging machine for packaging articles, apparatus for a packaging machine and to a method of packaging articles. The packaging machine comprises an article manipulation apparatus. The article manipulation apparatus comprises a first conveyor for conveying packages. The packages each comprises a carton having at least one displaceable article disposed therein. An article orientation device comprises a tool head movable synchronously in a downstream direction with the first conveyor. The tool head has at least one article gripper for engaging with a displaceable article in the carton. The at least one article gripper is rotatably mounted to the tool head. An article displacement device comprises at least one article displacement tool. The article displacement tool is receivable in an opening in a carton to engage and displace the displaceable article such that it protrudes through a second opening in said carton.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A packaging machine for packaging articles comprising an article manipulation apparatus, the article manipulation apparatus comprising:
a first conveyor for conveying packages, the packages each comprising a carton having at least one displaceable article disposed therein;
an article orientation device comprising a tool head movable synchronously in a downstream direction with the first conveyor and having at least one article gripper for engaging with a displaceable article in a carton, the at least one article gripper being rotatably mounted to the tool head;
an article displacement device comprising at least one article pushing tool, the article pushing tool receivable in an opening in a carton to displace the displaceable article such that it protrudes through a second opening in said carton,
wherein the at least one article pushing tool is movable synchronously in a downstream direction with the first conveyor;
at least one sensor for determining the orientation of the displaceable article; and
a drive mechanism for rotating the at least one article gripper so to place the displaceable article in a predefined orientation.

2. A packaging machine according to claim 1 wherein the article displacement device comprises a first working reach along a portion of a second conveyor, and
wherein the article displacement device engages with the displaceable article over the first working reach so that the displaceable article protrudes from the carton.

3. A packaging machine according to claim 1 wherein the article orientation device comprises a second working reach along a portion of a second conveyor, each of the at least one article grippers being moveable in synchronicity with a respective one of the at least one article pushing tools over the second working reach.

4. A packaging machine according to claim 1 wherein the carton comprises a plurality of panels forming walls of a tubular structure including a top wall, a first side wall, a base wall, and a second side wall, the carton comprises a top opening defined at least in the top wall for receiving an upper portion of said displaceable article and a bottom opening defined at least in the base wall to access said displaceable article to raise and lower the elevation thereof such that the upper portion of the displaceable article is movable upward and downward through the top opening.

5. A packaging machine according to claim 4 wherein the carton comprises a display window defined at least in the first side wall for display of said displaceable article.

6. A packaging machine according to claim 1 wherein the packages are continuously moved in a downstream direction upon the first conveyor through the article manipulation apparatus.

7. A packaging machine according to claim 1 wherein the carton comprises at least one further article, the carton being configured to inhibit displacement of said at least one further article.

8. A packaging machine according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one article gripper is configured to engage with the displaceable article and to not engage with the further article.

9. A packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one article gripper is configured to contact outer edges of the displaceable article to engage with the displaceable article in the carton.

10. A packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one article gripper comprises a same number of article grippers as a number of displaceable articles in the carton, and
wherein the number of displaceable articles is less than a total number of articles in the carton.

11. A method of packaging one or more articles comprising:
providing at least one article in a carton, the carton comprising a plurality of panels forming walls of a tubular structure including a first wall, a second wall opposing the first wall, the first and second wall being spaced apart by at least a third wall, a first opening defined at least in the first wall for receiving a portion of said article and a second opening defined at least in the second wall to access a displaceable article within the carton;
inserting a first tool, through the second opening, into the carton so as to engage with the displaceable article;
pushing the displaceable article from an initial position so as to displace it with respect to the carton such that a portion of the displaceable article protrudes though the first opening;
engaging a protruding portion of the displaceable article with a second tool;
determining the orientation of the displaceable article with respect to the carton; and
rotating the second tool so as to rotate the displaceable article into a desired orientation with respect to the carton.

12. A method according to claim 11 comprising disengaging the protruding portion of the displaceable article with the second tool.

13. A method according to claim 12 comprising withdrawing the first tool from the carton so as to return the displaceable article to the initial position,
wherein in the initial position the displaceable article is disposed within an interior chamber of the carton.

14. A method according to claim 11 , comprising:
conveying packages along a first conveyor in a downstream direction, the packages each comprising a carton having at least one displaceable article disposed therein.

15. A method according to claim 14 , comprising:
moving one or both of the first tool and the second tool synchronously in the downstream direction with the first conveyor.

16. A method according to claim 14 , wherein the packages are continuously moved in a downstream direction upon the first conveyor during the inserting, pushing, engaging, and rotating processes.

17. An article manipulation apparatus for a packaging machine, the article manipulation apparatus comprising:
a first conveyor configured to convey a plurality of packages, each of the packages comprising a carton having at least one displaceable article disposed therein;
an article orientation device comprising a tool head movable synchronously in a downstream direction with the first conveyor wherein the tool head has at least one article gripper that engages with a displaceable article in the carton, the at least one article gripper is rotatably mounted to the tool head;
an article displacement device comprising at least one article displacement tool that displaces the displaceable article such that it protrudes through a first opening in said carton, the at least one article pushing tool comprising a width that corresponds to a second opening in said carton such that the pushing tool is received in the second opening to displace the displaceable article,
wherein the at least one article displacement tool is movable synchronously in the downstream direction with the first conveyor;
at least one sensor for determining an orientation of the displaceable article; and
a drive mechanism for rotating the at least one article gripper to place the displaceable article in a predefined orientation.

18. An article manipulation apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the article orientation device comprises a working reach along a portion of a second conveyor, each of the at least one article gripper being moveable in synchronicity with a respective one of the at least one article pushing tools over the second working reach.

Assignees

• Westrock Packaging Systems Llc

Inventors

• Bonnain Jean-Christophe

Classifications

• B65B21/04 Primary

  Arranging, assembling, feeding, or orientating the bottles prior to introduction into, or after removal from, containers {(B65B21/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65B57/14

  and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged · CPC title

• B65B35/58 Primary

  Turning articles by positively-acting means, e.g. to present labelled portions in uppermost position · CPC title

• B65B43/54

  Means for supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation · CPC title

• B65B35/16

  by grippers · CPC title