Method and a machine for producing a package of smoking articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12240649-B2
Application number	US-202218553259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2022
Priority date	Mar 30, 2021
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

A method for producing a package of smoking articles having an ordered group of packets arranged in mutual contact, including: advancing the packets in a row and receiving one packet after another between a first and a second ring-shaped moving member, accumulating the packets between the moving members so as to extend the row of packets, without interruptions, between the moving members; applying onto the accumulated packets, a continuous band of adhesive sheet; separating by a given distance an ordered group of packets from the remaining packets of the row, which are located upstream of the moving members; cutting the band at a tract within the distance between the ordered group of packets and row of packets, so as to separate a strip of adhesive sheet from the band, which is applied to the ordered group of packets and holds together the packets of the group.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a package of smoking articles comprising an ordered group ( 102 ) of packets ( 101 ) containing smoking articles and arranged in mutual contact, wherein said group of packets ( 102 ) has at least one side or one surface ( 108 , 110 ) that is defined by a totality of homologous sides or surfaces of all the packets ( 101 ), the method includes:
advancing the packets ( 101 ) along a direction of advancement (K) according to an arrangement wherein the packets are arranged in a row along the direction of advancement (K), each packet being in contact with at least one respective packet that precedes it, and with a respective packet that follows it, along the direction of advancement (K),
wherein advancing the packets ( 101 ) includes moving the packets according to a first predetermined motion law;
receiving at least one packet after another of a row of packets ( 120 ) between a first and a second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ), and accumulating the packets between the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ), so as to extend the row of packets ( 120 ), without interruptions, along the direction of advancement (K), between the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 );
wherein accumulating the packets ( 101 ) includes, by means of the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ), advancing the packets ( 101 ) along the direction of advancement (K) according to a second predetermined motion law that is identical to the first predetermined motion law;
applying onto the packets ( 101 ) that are received and accumulated between the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ), at least one continuous band ( 62 , 64 ) of adhesive sheet, which is unwound from a reel, on corresponding surfaces ( 101 A, 101 B) of the packets that are parallel to the direction of advancement (K), and are arranged on a same plane containing the homologous surfaces of all the packets ( 101 ) accumulated between the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ),
when the packets ( 101 ) received between the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ) have reached a predetermined number of packets, by means of the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ), the method includes advancing the packets according to the second predetermined motion law that is different from the first predetermined motion law, so as to separate by a given distance (D) an ordered group of packets ( 102 ) from remaining packets of the row of packets ( 120 ), which are positioned upstream of the first and second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 );
cutting the at least one continuous band ( 62 , 64 ) at a tract within the given distance (D) between the ordered group of packets ( 102 ) and the row of packets ( 120 ), so as to separate from the at least one continuous band ( 62 , 64 ) a strip ( 104 , 106 ) of adhesive sheet that is applied to the ordered group of packets ( 102 ) and holds the packets of the ordered group together of packets, said method comprising, before cutting the band:
receiving new packets ( 101 I) between the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ), and accumulating the new packets between them, so as to extend the row of packets ( 120 ), without interruptions, along the direction of advancement (K), between the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ),
applying the at least one continuous band ( 62 , 64 ) unwound from the reel onto the new packets ( 101 I), which are received and accumulated between the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ); and
wherein the step of cutting the at least one continuous band includes cutting the at least one continuous band ( 62 , 64 ) at a tract of the at least one continuous band that is subtended by the distance (D) obtained between the ordered group of packets ( 102 ) and the row of packets ( 120 ) extended between the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ), this cutting step defining a new end ( 105 ) of the at least one continuous band, which is applied to at least one first packet ( 101 I) of the new packets received between the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ), wherein the step of cutting includes folding an end edge of the strip ( 104 , 106 ) separated from the at least one continuous band, against a side or a lateral surface ( 101 D) of the ordered group of packets ( 102 ) that is orthogonal to the direction of advancement (K) and faces towards the new packets ( 101 I) received between the first and the second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ), and includes folding the end edge ( 105 ) of the at least one continuous band ( 62 , 64 ) against a side or a lateral surface ( 101 C) of the at least one first packet ( 101 I) of the new packets that is orthogonal to the direction of advancement (K) and faces towards the ordered group of packets ( 102 ).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the given distance (D) is equal to 1 mm.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the given distance (D) is at least-equal to 5 mm.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein advancing the packets includes advancing the packets along the direction of advancement (K) according to a stepwise movement.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second predetermined motion law includes an acceleration along the direction of advancement that is greater than the acceleration along the direction of advancement of the first predetermined motion law.

6. The method according to claim 1 , which includes, after the step of cutting, pushing the ordered group of packets held together by the strip ( 104 , 106 ) of adhesive sheet along a direction (T) that is transversal to the direction of advancement (K), for feeding a succession of ordered groups of packets ( 102 ) to a collecting station.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the group of packets ( 102 ) comprises a predetermined number of packets that is equal to a reference number, and the predetermined number is equal to the reference number, or to the reference number minus a number of packets that are set side-by-side along a direction that is transversal to the direction of advancement (K) at any position of the row of packets ( 120 ) along the direction of advancement (K).

8. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the step of making a series of pre-cutting lines ( 67 ) on the at least one continuous band ( 62 , 64 ), before it is applied onto the packets ( 101 ), said pre-cutting lines being made along a longitudinal direction of the band, each pre-cutting line being spaced apart from a following ene-pre-cutting line by a pitch so that a single pre-cutting line ( 67 ) finds itself on a tract of the at least one continuous band that is subtended by the given distance (D) between the group of packets ( 102 ) and the row of packets ( 120 ).

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one continuous band ( 62 , 64 ) has an adhesive layer along two longitudinal strips ( 68 ) that are spaced apart from one another, between which a strip ( 69 ) without adhesive material is obtained, on which the series of pre-cutting lines ( 67 ) is made.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, after the packets have advanced according to the second predetermined motion law that is different from the first predetermined motion law, the method includes advancing the packets again by means of the first and second ring-shaped moving members ( 42 , 44 ), according to the first predetermined motion law, for extending again the row of packets ( 120 ), without interrup

Assignees

• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Armeni Alan
• Parazza Davide
• Gamberini Giuliano

Classifications

• B65B61/06

  by cutting · CPC title

• B65B41/16

  by rollers · CPC title

• B65B35/44

  by endless belts or chains {(B65B35/405 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65B17/02

  Joining articles, e.g. cans, directly to each other for convenience of storage, transport, or handling · CPC title

• B65B13/02

  Applying and securing binding material around articles or groups of articles, e.g. using strings, wires, strips, bands or tapes · CPC title