Method and device for orienting containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9527677-B2
Application number	US-201113810382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2011
Priority date	Jul 19, 2010
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

The containers (B) comprised in an incoming flow of containers advancing in a given direction along an axis (XB), wherein the containers (B) may present with a first orientation or else a second orientation with respect to the direction of advance and with a first posture or else a second posture, are oriented so as to generate an outgoing flow of containers (B), in which, for example, the containers all present in a vertical position with an identical orientation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of orienting containers included in an input flow of containers advancing in a given direction, wherein the containers exhibit a first or a second sense of advance and a first or a second posture in said given direction,
the method comprises:
defining a desired posture for said containers in said input flow of containers,
identifying, in said input flow of containers, the containers having a posture different from said desired posture,
imparting to the containers thus identified a turnover movement around said given direction bringing them to said desired posture and obtaining a flow of containers all having said desired posture, wherein said turnover movement is imparted by means of a turnover station including a body adapted to be turned over around said given direction, said body having an opening to be traversed by said input flow of containers and to form with the containers in said input flow of containers traversing said opening a rotational coupling around said given direction,
distinguishing the containers with said first sense of advance and the containers with said second sense of advance,
imparting to said containers in said flow of containers all having said desired posture a rotation movement towards the vertical position, said rotation movement being imparted in opposed senses depending on whether the containers subjected to rotation towards the vertical position have said first or said second sense of advance,
defining, as said desired posture for said containers in said input flow of containers, a posture different from said first and said second posture,
imparting to all the containers in said input flow of containers said turnover movement around said given direction to bring them to said desired posture,
whereby the method generates an output flow of containers wherein the containers are positioned vertically with a same orientation,
wherein the same orientation means that both the posture and the sense of advance of all containers is the same.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
defining, as said desired posture for said containers in said input flow of containers, one of said first and said second posture of said containers in said input flow of containers, and
omitting to impart said turnover movement around said given direction to those containers in said input flow which already have said desired posture.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said containers have a flattened shape overall, the method comprising defining said desired posture for said containers as a posture wherein said containers are arranged with their larger cross-sectional dimension arranged vertically.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising imparting to said containers in said flow of containers all having said desired posture said rotation movement towards the vertical position as a movement of rotation around a horizontal axis.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising distinguishing the containers with said first sense of advance and the containers with said second sense of advance in a flow selected out of:
said input flow of containers, and
said flow of containers all having said desired posture.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said turnover movement around said given direction being imparted with opposite senses of rotation according to whether the containers in said input flow of containers have said first or said second posture.

7. A device for performing the method of claim 1 , comprising:
at least one viewing unit to identify, in said input flow of containers, the containers having a posture different from said desired posture, and
a turnover station to receive said input flow of containers, said turnover station being coupled to said at least one viewing unit to identify, which imparts to said containers having a posture different from said desired posture a turnover movement around said given direction bringing them to said desired posture and obtaining a flow of containers all having said desired posture,
wherein said turnover station includes a body adapted to be turned over around said given direction, said body having an opening to be traversed by said input flow of containers and to form with the containers in said input flow of containers traversing said opening a rotational coupling around said given direction, and
at least one viewing unit to distinguish the containers with said first sense of advance and the containers with said second sense of advance, and
a rotation station coupled to said at least one viewing unit to distinguish, which imparts to said containers in said flow of containers all having said desired posture a rotation movement towards the vertical position, said movement of rotation being imparted with opposite rotation senses depending on whether the containers subjected to rotation towards the vertical position have said first or said second sense of advance.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein said turnover body is disk-shaped with said opening being of elongated shape.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein said rotation station includes at least one pick-up member mobile of an orbital motion between a pick-up position of the containers in said flow of containers all having said desired posture and a release position of the containers in a vertical position with a same orientation, said pick-up member being adapted to perform said movement of rotation towards the vertical position when passing from said pick-up position to said release position.

10. The device of claim 9 , comprising an arm carrying said pick-up member at its distal end, said arm to impart to said pick-up member said orbital movement between said pick-up position and said release position.

11. The device of claim 9 , comprising a plurality of said pick-up members included in a carousel structure.

Assignees

• Cianci Enio Giovanni
• Fameccanica Data Spa

Inventors

• Cianci Enio Giovanni

Classifications

• B65G47/248 Primary

  by turning over or inverting them (B65G47/244 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65G43/00

  Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting · CPC title