Outfeed device for a packaging assembly and packaging assembly comprising an outfeed device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11878828-B2
Application number	US-201917052229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2019
Priority date	May 11, 2018
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

There is described an outfeed device for a packaging assembly configured to form and seal a plurality of packages containing a pourable product; the outfeed device comprises an input station, at which it receives, in use, the packages, and an output station, at which the packages exit, in use, from the outfeed device; the outfeed device comprises at least one selectively operable cart element cyclically movable along an endless path, comprising a receiving portion defining a receiving seat for picking one single package at a time at input station, housing at least part of the package, and being configured to bring the package from the input station to the output station.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An outfeed device for a packaging assembly configured to form and seal a plurality of packages containing a pourable product; said outfeed device comprising:
an input station, at which said outfeed device receives, in use, said packages;
an output station, at which said packages exit, in use, from said outfeed device;
at least one selectively operable cart element cyclically movable along an endless path, the at least one selectively operable cart element comprising a receiving portion defining a receiving seat for picking one single package at a time at said input station, housing at least part of said package, and being configured to bring said package from said input station to said output station, the receiving portion comprising a base surface and upstanding wall portions projecting from the base surface, the upstanding wall portions being spaced apart from one another so that the one single package at a time is positioned between the wall portions, the upstanding wall portions being positioned to contact opposite sides of said package to prevent said package from falling as said package is moved from said input station to said output station.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , and further comprising an endless track defining said path; said cart element comprising a main portion, operatively coupled with said track so as to be cyclically movable along said path, and a holding portion, carried by said main portion and carrying, in turn, said receiving portion.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said holding portion, together with said wall portions and said base surface, is movable with respect to said main portion along a relative axis transversal to said path between:
an operative position, in which said holding portion is extracted from said main portion and is moved away from said path for picking or releasing, in use, said package; and
an idle position, in which said holding portion is retracted towards said main portion.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3 , and further comprising actuator means configured to control the movement of said holding portion between said idle position and said operative position.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said actuator means comprise a cam surface, fixed with respect to said track, and at least one cam follower carried by said holding portion and configured to cooperate with said cam surface; said cam surface comprising at least one main portion extending parallel to said path, and at least one operative portion having an ascending ramp inclined with respect to said path, a flat portion extending from said ascending ramp and parallel to said path, and a descending ramp, extending from said flat portion and inclined with respect to said path.

6. The device as claimed in claim 3 , and further comprising a guide mechanism configured to at least limit oscillation of said holding portion about said axis when said holding portion moves between said idle position and said operative position and/or when said holding portion is in said operative position.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said guide mechanism comprises:
at least one further track delimited by a first surface and a second surface facing said first surface; and
at least one cam-follower roller carried by said holding portion and configured to cooperate with both said first surface and said second surface, so as to at least limit oscillation of said holding portion about said axis.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said further track further comprises a third surface, transversal to both said first surface and said second surface and defining, together with said first surface and said second surface, a guiding groove for said cam-follower roller.

9. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said wall portions comprise two spaced-apart walls facing one another, delimiting said receiving seat and configured to house at least a portion of said package.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said receiving portion is rotatable with respect to said main portion; said outfeed device further comprising further actuator means configured to selectively control a rotation, of a given angle, of said receiving portion about said axis.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said receiving portion is configured to perform said rotation at least while said cart element advances, in use, from a point of said path downstream of said input station to a point of said path upstream of said output station, so as to release said package at said output station rotated of said given angle.

12. The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said further actuator means comprise guiding means, fixed with respect to said track, and at least one further cam-follower roller, movably coupled to said guiding means and carried by said receiving portion in a position eccentric with respect to said axis.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said guiding means comprise at least one guide profile, whose projection on a plane containing said path diverges from a portion of said path adjacent to said guide profile, so as to produce a movement of said further cam-follower roller towards or away from said path.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wall portions comprise separate walls that each include side surfaces extending upwardly to an upper surface of the wall.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1 , and comprising a plurality of said cart elements, each one comprising a respective receiving portion defining a relative receiving seat configured to pick one respective package at a time at said input station.

16. A packaging assembly configured to form and seal a plurality of packages containing a pourable product; said packaging assembly comprising a folding unit configured for receiving a plurality of semi-formed pillow packs and for transforming said pillow packs in said packages;
said packaging assembly further comprising an outfeed device according to claim 1 ;
said outfeed device being configured to receive said packages from said folding device at an input station (I) and to release said packages to an outlet conveyor at an output station.

17. An outfeed device for a packaging assembly that is configured to form and seal a plurality of packages containing a pourable product, the outfeed device comprising:
an input station at which the outfeed device receives the packages;
an output station at which the packages exit the outfeed device;
a plurality of selectively operable carts each cyclically movable along an endless path, each of the carts comprising a base surface and a pair of upstanding walls projecting from the base surface, the base surface and the upstanding walls defining a receiving seat configured to receive one single package at a time, to house at least part of the package and to bring the package from the input station to the output station, the upstanding walls being positioned to contact opposite sides of the package when the package is positioned in the receiving seat to prevent the package in the receiving seat from falling as the package in the receiving seat is moved from the input station to the output station; and
a belt conveyor operatively connected to each of the carts to move each of the carts along the endless path.

18. The device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein each cart also comprises a main portion and a holding portion, the holding portion carrying the base surface and the wall portion, the holding portion being carried by the main port

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Mattioli Giorgio
• Barbi Massimiliano
• Neri Dino
• Fratti Massimo
• Pedretti Richard John

Classifications

• B65B61/28 Primary

  for discharging completed packages from machines · CPC title

• B65B35/16

  by grippers · CPC title

• B65B35/56

  Orientating, i.e. changing the attitude of, articles, e.g. of non-uniform cross-section · CPC title

• B65G47/244 Primary

  by turning them about an axis substantially perpendicular to the conveying plane · CPC title

• B65G47/841

  Devices having endless travelling belts or chains equipped with article-engaging elements · CPC title