Packaging machine for making filter bags with infusion productions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12054299-B2
Application number	US-202017638099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

A packaging machine for making filter bags with infusion products includes a plurality of processing stations defining a processing path for making filter bags with infusion products and an extraction station situated immediately downstream of the processing path. The extraction station comprises a stacking unit having a guide channel to allow the ordered and continuous feeding of the filter bags and a transfer device for transferring the filter bags coming from the processing path to the stacking unit. The stacking unit includes a connecting element positioned downstream of the processing stations and upstream of the guide channel for receiving as input from the transfer device the filter bags coming from the processing path. The connecting element is connected at the outlet with the guide channel and includes a chute surface having a curved stretch shaped to allow feeding of the filter bags along a feed direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A packaging machine for making filter bags with infusion products, said filter bags comprising at least one closed containment chamber having two large faces facing each other which extend from a bottom, said bottom having a smaller extension than said two large faces, said machine comprising:
a plurality of processing stations defining a processing path and configured for making the filter bags and an extraction station situated immediately downstream of the plurality of processing stations relative to the processing path;

said extraction station comprising:
a stacking unit comprising a guide channel having a rectilinear stretch and configured to allow an ordered and continuous feeding of the filter bags superposed on one another to form a stack to be extracted from the machine;
a transfer device including a gripper configured for transferring said filter bags coming from the processing path to said stacking unit;
said stacking unit further comprising a connecting element positioned downstream of the plurality of processing stations and upstream of the guide channel, and configured for receiving as input from the transfer device the filter bags coming from the processing path; said connecting element connecting an outlet with the guide channel in which the filter bags are introduced before being extracted from the machine, and comprising a chute surface having a curved stretch shaped to allow feeding of the filter bags along a feed direction, and said transfer device being configured and actuated to pick up individually in succession the filter bags from a station of said plurality of processing stations and positioning individually in succession the filter bags arranged according to an orientation to form the stack of filter bags superposed on each other along the feed direction, with the respective two large faces positioned transversal to the feed direction and with the respective bottoms positioned side by side resting on the chute surface of the connecting element;
a pushing device configured to promote insertion and guided sliding of the filter bags inside the connecting element of the stacking unit, the pushing device comprising a pair of fingers configured to allow the transfer device to pass between the fingers.

2. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the curved stretch of the connecting element has a curvature defining, along the feed direction, a circular arc feed path for the filter bags, said circular arc feed path extending between an inlet wherein the filter bags are positioned by the transfer device according to a first orientation and the outlet wherein the filter bags perform a rotation, after moving along the curved stretch, of greater than 35° and not greater than 90°, to position according to a second orientation different from the first orientation.

3. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting element of the stacking unit comprises side walls facing and converging in an inlet direction configured to favour at least a partial retaining of the filter bags by interference with respective sides of the filter bags.

4. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer device gripper is movable between a picking up position where the gripper is located along the processing path for picking up the filter bags from a station of said plurality of processing stations and a release position close to the connecting element for releasing the filter bags in said connecting element.

5. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the pushing device is configured to be actuated in a synchronous fashion with the transfer device to pull each of the filter bags as soon as the each of the filter bags is released by the transfer device.

6. The machine according to claim 1 , and further comprising a lifting device including a lever acting on the connecting element for lifting a single one of the filter bags relative to the stack of filter bags and feeding the single one of the filter bags along said connecting element.

7. The machine according to claim 6 , wherein the lever is positioned on the chute surface of the connecting element and is movable between a lowered home position wherein said lever acts in conjunction with the chute surface to form a shared lower surface of the connecting element and a raised operating position wherein the lever is positioned at a certain height relative to the chute surface.

8. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the extraction station comprises an end of stroke element slidable in the guide channel and configured for making contact against one of the filter bags in a more advanced position of said succession of stacked filter bags.

9. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of processing stations comprise a rotary carousel having a plurality of radial grippers configured to retain corresponding one of the filter bags being formed; said transfer device picking up individually the filter bags from said plurality of radial grippers of said carousel.

10. A method for making filter bags with infusion products, each of the filter bags comprising at least one closed containment chamber and having two large faces facing each other and two sides which extend from a bottom and a top, said bottom and said top having a smaller extension than both of the two large faces and of the sides, said method comprising the following steps:
preparing a processing path along which the filter bags are formed;
picking up individually the filter bags at an end of the processing path;
releasing in succession the filter bags picked up on a connecting element of a stacking unit according to an inlet orientation to form a stack of the filter bags superposed on each other along a feed direction, with the respective two larger faces positioned transversal to the feed direction and with the respective bottoms positioned side by side resting on an arched chute surface of the connecting element;
introducing, by pushing, the filter bags stacked and in succession from each other by the connecting element in an adjacent guide channel of the stacking unit for forming a group of stacked filter bags to be extracted, wherein the introduction in the guide channel occurs according to an outlet orientation different from the infeed orientation and after the filter bags have rotated along the curved chute surface;
wherein between the release step and the step of introducing into the guide channel, the filter bags perform a rotation of greater than 35° and not greater than 90°, to be positioned according to the outlet orientation.

11. The method according to claim 10 , and further comprising a step of lifting a single one of the filter bags relative to the stack of superposed filter bags performed between the releasing step and the introducing step.

12. The method according to claim 10 , and further comprising causing the bottoms of the filter bags, while moving along the chute surface, to travel along an arcuate stretch having a length greater than a length of the arcuate stretch travelled by the tops of the filter bags.

13. A packaging machine for making filter bags with infusion products, said filter bags comprising at least one closed containment chamber having two large faces facing each other which extend from a bottom, said bottom having a smaller extension than said two large faces, said machine comprising:
a plurality of processing stations defining a processing path and configured for making the filter bags and an extraction station situated immediately downstream of the plurality of processing stations relative to the processing path;

said extraction station comprising:

Assignees

• Ima Spa

Inventors

• Conti Roberto

Classifications

• B65B61/28

  for discharging completed packages from machines · CPC title

• B65B35/56

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

• B65B35/50 Primary

  Stacking one article, or group of articles, upon another before packaging · CPC title

• B65B35/32

  by gravity · CPC title

• B65B35/16

  by grippers · CPC title