Extraction station for the extraction from a transport system for an at least partially complete cartridge, in particular for an electronic cigarette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11945663-B2
Application number	US-202017610147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2020
Priority date	Jun 13, 2019
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

An extraction station for the extraction from a transport system for an at least partially complete cartridge; the extraction station has: a collecting device; at least one holding head, which is designed to grab at least one end of the cartridge; and a moving device which supports the holding head and moves the holding head between a pick-up position, in which the holding head is in the area of the transport system and grabs the cartridge, and a release position, in which the holding head releases the cartridge.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An extraction station (S 7 ) for the extraction from a transport system ( 6 ) for an at least partially complete cartridge ( 1 ); the extraction station (S 7 ) comprising:
a collecting device ( 27 ) having an inlet opening ( 32 ) arranged horizontally and comprising at least one container ( 30 ) and a discharge duct ( 31 ), which extends from the inlet opening ( 32 ) to an outlet opening ( 33 ) arranged in the area of the container ( 30 );
at least one holding head ( 28 ), which is designed to grab at least one end of the cartridge ( 1 ); and
a first moving device ( 29 ), which supports the holding head ( 28 ) and moves the holding head ( 28 ) between a pick-up position, in which the holding head ( 28 ) is in the area of the transport system ( 6 ) and grabs the cartridge ( 1 ), and a release position, in which the holding head ( 28 ) releases the cartridge ( 1 ) in the inlet opening ( 32 ) of the collecting device ( 27 ).

2. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the collecting device ( 27 ) comprises a second moving device ( 38 ), which moves the inlet opening ( 32 ) between a receiving position, in which the inlet opening ( 32 ) is in the area of the holding head ( 28 ) arranged in the release position and is designed to receive the cartridge ( 1 ) released by the holding head ( 28 ), and a waiting position, in which the inlet opening ( 32 ) does not interfere with a movement of the holding head ( 28 ) and with a movement of the transport system ( 6 ).

3. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the first moving device ( 29 ) moves the holding head ( 28 ) only in a vertical movement direction.

4. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge duct ( 31 ) is telescopic in the area of the inlet opening ( 32 ) so as to be lengthened or shortened, due to the action of the second moving device ( 38 ), thus causing the input opening ( 32 ) to move between the receiving position and the waiting position.

5. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge duct ( 31 ) is arranged inclined relative to the horizontal so as to form, with the horizontal, an acute angle ranging from 30° to 60°.

6. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 1 , wherein:
the inlet opening ( 32 ) is arranged in a fixed position; and
the first moving device ( 29 ) moves the holding head ( 28 ) both in a vertical movement direction and in a horizontal movement direction.

7. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the collecting device ( 27 ) comprises:
a pair of twin containers ( 30 );
the discharge duct ( 31 ), which bifurcates so as to extend from one single inlet opening ( 32 ) to two outlet openings ( 33 ), each being arranged in the area of a respective container ( 30 ); and
the collecting device ( 27 ) comprises a deflector member ( 34 ), which is arranged in the area of a bifurcation of the discharge duct ( 31 ) and is designed to assume two different positions in order to alternatively direct the cartridge ( 1 ) into a container ( 30 ) or into the other container ( 30 ).

8. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 7 and comprising a pair of sensors ( 35 ), each coupled to a corresponding container ( 30 ) and designed to determine both the presence of the corresponding container ( 30 ) and the attainment of the filling of the corresponding container ( 30 ).

9. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 1 , and comprising a sensor ( 37 ), which is designed to determine whether the holding head ( 28 ) arranged in the release position is actually grabbing the cartridge ( 1 ).

10. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 1 , and comprising at least two holding heads ( 28 ), which are arranged side by side and are moved together by one single first moving device ( 29 ), which is common to the both of them.

11. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 10 , wherein the holding heads ( 28 ) can be singularly controlled independent from one another, so that, when the holding heads ( 28 ) are all in the pick-up position, a holding head ( 28 ) can grab a corresponding cartridge ( 1 ), while the other holding head ( 28 ) cannot grab a corresponding cartridge ( 1 ).

12. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the holding head ( 28 ) comprises pincers provided with two opposing jaws.

13. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 1 , wherein discharge duct ( 31 ) is delimited by an inspection wall ( 36 ), which faces the opposite side of the transport system ( 6 ) and is transparent.

14. An extraction station (S 7 ) for the extraction from a transport system ( 6 ) for an at least partially complete cartridge ( 1 ); the extraction station (S 7 ) comprising:
a collecting device ( 27 );
at least one holding head ( 28 ), which is designed to grab at least one end of the cartridge ( 1 );
a first moving device ( 29 ), which supports the holding head ( 28 ) and moves the holding head ( 28 ) between a pick-up position, in which the holding head ( 28 ) is in the area of the transport system ( 6 ) and grabs the cartridge ( 1 ), and a release position, in which the holding head ( 28 ) releases the cartridge ( 1 ) in an inlet opening ( 32 ) of the collecting device ( 27 ); and
a second moving device ( 38 ), which moves the inlet opening ( 32 ) between a receiving position, in which the inlet opening ( 32 ) is in the area of the holding head ( 28 ) arranged in the release position and is designed to receive the cartridge ( 1 ) released by the holding head ( 28 ), and a waiting position, in which the inlet opening ( 32 ) does not interfere with a movement of the holding head ( 28 ) and with a movement of the transport system ( 6 ).

15. An extraction station (S 7 ) for the extraction from a transport system ( 6 ) for an at least partially complete cartridge ( 1 ); the extraction station (S 7 ) comprising:
a collecting device ( 27 );
at least one holding head ( 28 ), which is designed to grab at least one end of the cartridge ( 1 ); and
a moving device ( 29 ), which supports the holding head ( 28 ) and moves the holding head ( 28 ) between a pick-up position, in which the holding head ( 28 ) is in the area of the transport system ( 6 ) and grabs the cartridge ( 1 ), and a release position, in which the holding head ( 28 ) releases the cartridge ( 1 ) in an inlet opening ( 32 ) of the collecting device ( 27 );
wherein the collecting device ( 27 ) comprises: a pair of twin containers ( 30 ); a discharge duct ( 31 ), which bifurcates so as to extend from the inlet opening ( 32 ) to two outlet openings ( 33 ), each being arranged in the area of a respective container ( 30 ); and a deflector member ( 34 ), which is arranged in the area of a bifurcation of the discharge duct ( 31 ) and is designed to assume two different positions in order to alternatively direct the cartridge ( 1 ) into a container ( 30 ) or into the other container ( 30 ).

16. The extraction station (S 7 ) according to claim 15 and comprising a pair of sensors ( 35 ), each coupled to a corresponding container ( 30 ) and designed to determine both the presence of the corresponding container ( 30 ) and the attainment of the filling of the corresponding container ( 30 ).

17. An extraction station (S 7 ) for the extraction from a transport system ( 6 ) for an at least partially complete cartridge ( 1 ); the extraction station (S 7 ) comprising:
a collecting device ( 27 );
two holding heads ( 28 ) arranged side by side and each of which is designed to grab at

Assignees

• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Testoni Luca
• Amorati Valerio
• Renco Francesco
• Federici Luca

Classifications

• B65G47/907 Primary

  with at least two picking-up heads · CPC title

• A24F40/70

  Manufacture · CPC title

• B65B43/46

  using grippers · CPC title

• B65B65/003

  Packaging lines, e.g. general layout · CPC title

• B65G11/143

  for articles · CPC title