Operating station for a machine for filling and capping cartridges for electronic cigarettes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023063630-A1
Application number	US-202217899744-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 31, 2022
Priority date	Sep 1, 2021
Publication date	Mar 2, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An operating station for a machine for filling and capping cartridges for electronic cigarettes is arranged along a feeding path of a conveying fine of the machine and includes: an operating device having operative positions for operating on the cartridges arranged in series along a direction parallel to the feeding path; and a device for transferring cartridges, which includes a first and second series of pick-up members, each having a number of pick-up members corresponding to the number of operative positions, and which is actuatable according to a movement of rotation about a vertical axis, for selectively interchanging positions of the series of pick-up members, between a loading/unloading position at the conveying line, wherein the pick-up members pick up or release the cartridges and a working position at the operative positions of the operating device, wherein the pick-up members pick up or release the cartridges from/into the operative positions.

First claim

1 . An operating station for a machine for filling and capping cartridges for electronic cigarettes, the machine comprising:
a conveying line for transporting cartridges for feeding the cartridges one after another along a feeding path; a station for dispensing a predetermined quantity of liquid into the cartridges; a station for applying at least one cap on each cartridge filled with liquid, for closing the cartridge so as to impede the liquid from flowing out; said operating station being arranged along the feeding path and comprising: an operating device comprising a plurality of operative positions for operating on cartridges, which are arranged in series along a direction parallel to the feeding path; and a transferring device for transferring cartridges, which comprises a first and a second series of pick-up members, each series having a number of pick-up members corresponding to a number of the plurality of operative positions of the operating device, and which is actuatable according to a movement of rotation about a vertical axis, for selectively interchanging positions of the first and the second series of pick-up members, between a loading/unloading position at the conveying line wherein the pick-up members pick up or release the cartridges from/into the conveying line, and a working position at the plurality of operative positions of the operating device wherein the pick-up members pick up or release the cartridges from/into the plurality of operative positions of the operating device or keep the cartridges in position at the operative positions.

2 . The station according to claim 1 , wherein the vertical axis of rotation of the transferring device is in an intermediate position between the conveying line and the plurality of operative positions of the operating device.

3 . The station according to claim 1 , wherein the transferring device is suspended on a supporting frame equipped with a region protruding above the conveying line, along a direction transversal to the feeding path.

4 . The station according to claim 1 , wherein the transferring device comprises a connecting portion for mounting the transferring device so that it can rotate about the vertical axis of rotation, and at least one cross-member, which is centrally connected to the connecting portion, and which carries the first and the second series of pick-up members, on respective sides in opposite positions with respect to the vertical axis of rotation.

5 . The station according to claim 4 , wherein the transferring device is operated according to a rotational stepwise movement, which is such so that, at each position reached, the cross-member is oriented so as to be parallel to the feeding path, and the first and second series of pick-up members both extend parallel to the feeding path, one being in said loading/unloading position and the other being in said working position.

6 . The station according to claim 1 , wherein the operating device comprises a weighing unit and relative operative positions are weighing positions.

7 . The station according to claim 6 , wherein each weighing position comprises a seat for receiving and maintaining the cartridge in an upright position, wherein the cartridge has an opening for introducing the liquid that faces upwards, said seat being arranged on scales.

8 . The station according to claim 1 , wherein the pick-up members of the first and second series of pick-up members are pincer members.

9 . The station according to claim 6 , wherein said operating device comprises:
a detection unit for carrying out detection on the cartridges, and/or a test unit for carrying out a test on the cartridges, and/or a unit for carrying out processing on the cartridges.

10 . The station according to claim 9 , wherein the operating device further comprises a bypass path along which the weighing units and/or the detection units and/or the processing units are arranged.

11 . A machine for filling and capping cartridges for electronic cigarettes, comprising:
a line for transporting cartridges for feeding the cartridges one after another along a feeding path (K); a station for dispensing a predetermined quantity of liquid into the cartridges; a station for applying at least one cap on each cartridge filled with liquid, for closing the cartridge so as to impede the liquid from flowing out; and at least one operating station according to claim 2 .

12 . The machine according to claim 11 , wherein the operating station is a station for weighing the cartridges and is positioned upstream and/or downstream of the dispensing station, along the feeding path.

13 . The machine according to claim 11 , comprising a first operating weighing station, which is positioned upstream of the dispensing station, for weighing the cartridges, before they are filled, and a second operative weighing station, which is positioned downstream of the dispensing station, for weighing the cartridges filled with liquid.

14 . A method for filling and capping cartridges for electronic cigarettes, the method comprising the steps of:
by means of a conveying line, feeding empty cartridges one after another along a feeding path; dispensing a predetermined quantity of a filling liquid into the still empty cartridges; executing an operation on the empty cartridges and/or the cartridges filled with liquid; and applying at least one cap on each cartridge filled with liquid, for closing the cartridge so as to impede the liquid from flowing out; executing an operation on the empty cartridges and/or the cartridges filled with liquid, compromising: by means of a first series of pick-up members of a transferring device, picking up a predetermined number of cartridges on the conveying line; by means of a second series of pick-up members of the transferring device, picking up a corresponding number of cartridges in operative positions of an operating device; driving the transferring device according to a rotation movement around a vertical rotation axis and interchanging positions of the first series of pick-up members and of the second series of pick-up members; by means of the first series of pick-up members, releasing the predetermined number of cartridges previously picked up, into the operative positions of the operating device or keeping the cartridges in position, at the operative positions; by means of the second series of pick-up members, releasing the predetermined number of cartridges previously picked up, into the conveying line; by means of the operating device, executing an operation on the cartridges at the operative positions; and by means of the conveying line, feeding a number of new cartridges equal to the predetermined number of cartridges to the transferring device.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein executing the operation on the empty cartridges and/or the cartridges filled with liquid includes one of the following operations:
weighing cartridges; carrying out detection on the cartridges; carrying out a test on the cartridges; and carrying out processing on the cartridges.

Assignees

• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Testoni Luca
• Madera Giovanni
• Grosso Daniele
• Lanzarini Luca

Classifications

• B65B43/42

  Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position (by means of filling-nozzles B65B39/00); Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation (by filling-nozzles B65B39/00) · CPC title

• B65B3/04

  Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• B65B3/28

  by weighing · CPC title

• B65B57/00 Primary

  Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices (registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18) · CPC title