Packaging machine for making filter bags with infusion productions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022289413-A1
Application number	US-202017638099-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 25, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Sep 15, 2022
Grant date	—

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

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 faces with the larger surfaces, said machine comprising a plurality of processing stations defining a processing path and configured for making filter bags for infusion products and an extraction station situated immediately downstream of the 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 the ordered and continuous feeding of the superposed filter bags to form a stack to be extracted from the machine; transfer means configured for transferring said filter bags coming from the processing path to said stacking unit characterised in that said stacking unit further comprises a connecting element positioned downstream of the processing stations and upstream of the guide channel, and configured for receiving as input from the transfer means the filter bags coming from the processing path; said connecting element connecting in 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 the feeding of the filter bags along a feed direction, and in that said transfer means are configured and actuated in such a way as to individually 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 in according to an orientation such as to form a stack of filter bags superposed on each other along the feed direction, with the respective faces with larger dimensions positioned transversal to the feed direction and with the respective bottoms positioned side by side resting on the chute surface of the connecting element

2 . The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the curved stretch of the connecting element has a curvature such as to define, along the feed direction, a feed path for the circular arc filter bags, said circular arc extending between the inlet wherein the filter bags are positioned by the transfer means according to a first orientation and the outlet wherein the filter bags perform a rotation, after moving along the curved stretch, preferably not greater than 90° and greater than 35°, 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 the inlet direction designed to favour at least a partial retaining of the filter bags by interference with the respective sides of the filter bags.

4 . The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer means comprise a gripper movable between a picking up position wherein it 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 , further comprising pushing means configured to promote the insertion and the guided sliding of the filter bags inside the connecting element of the stacking unit.

6 . The machine according to claim 5 , wherein the pushing means are configured to be actuated in a synchronous fashion with the transfer means in such a way as to pull the filter bag as soon as it is released by the transfer means.

7 . The machine according to claim 5 , wherein the pushing means comprise a pair of fingers configured to allow the transfer means to pass between them.

8 . The machine according to claim 1 , comprising lifting means acting on the connecting element for lifting a single filter bag relative to the stack of filter bags superposed and feeding along said connecting element.

9 . The machine according to claim 8 , wherein the lifting means comprise a lever, positioned on the chute surface of the connecting element and movable between a lowered home position wherein said lever acts in conjunction to form with the chute surface 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.

10 . 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 the filter bag in a more advanced position of said succession of stacked products.

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

12 . A method for making filter bags with infusion products, each filter bag comprises at least one closed containment chamber and having two outer faces with larger dimensions facing each other and two sides which extend from a bottom and a top, said bottom and said top having a smaller extension 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 the 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 such as to form a stack of filter bags superposed on each other along a feed direction, with the respective 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.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein between the release step and the step of introducing into the guide channel, the filter bags perform a rotation preferably not greater than 90° and greater than 35°, to be positioned according to the outlet orientation.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , comprising a step of lifting a single filter bag relative to the stack of superposed filter bags performed between the releasing step and the introducing step.

15 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the bottom of the filter bag, whilst it moves along the chute surface, travels along an arcuate stretch having a length greater than the length of the stretch travelled by the top of the filter bag.

Assignees

• Ima Spa

Inventors

• Conti Roberto

Classifications

• B65B35/32

  by gravity · CPC title

• B65B35/50 Primary

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

• B65B29/028 Primary

  packaging infusion material into filter bags · 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