Packaging Machine and Method

• US 20100170202A1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British American Tobacco Limited (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: British American Tobacco Limited (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Beck, Roger, Bray, Anthony, Fallon, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 10,179,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/444
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 19/02 Packaging cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2210/02 Plurality of alternative input or output lines or plurality of alternative packaging units on the same packaging line for improving machine flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/001 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/003 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the packaging material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 65/003 Packaging lines, e.g. general layout

Abstract

A method and machine for packaging smoking articles or other tobacco industry products in which the products and packaging may be transported from selected product supply systems (22a-e) and packaging material supply systems (42a-g) selectively along a plurality of alternative transport routes through the machine through a series of workstations (61-69) arranged to incorporate batches of smoking products selectively in different packaging materials according to the transport route selected.

Claims

1. A machine for packaging tobacco industry products in which the products and packaging materials are subjected to successive assembly operations that incorporate products in packs formed from the packaging material, comprising:

a first set of workstations conditioned to perform a first sequence of assembly operations on the products and packaging materials so as to incorporate tobacco industry products in a pack; and

a second set of workstations conditioned to perform a second sequence of assembly operations on products and packaging materials,

the first and second sets of workstations being operable selectively so as to incorporate the same or different tobacco industry products in the same or a different pack.

9. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the products may be transported selectively along a plurality of alternative transport routes through the machine, and the workstations are arranged to incorporate successive batches of the same or different tobacco industry products selectively in the same or different packaging materials according to the transport route selected.

10. The machine according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the workstations in one of the sets may be conditioned to perform its operation whilst the workstations in the other set are performing the other sequence of assembly operations.

11. The machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for transporting a first packaging material into the machine;

means for transporting a second packaging material into the machine;

a first work station for incorporating tobacco industry products in units of the first packaging material; and

a second workstation for incorporating the packaged batches in units of second packaging material.

12. The machine according to claim 1, further comprising transfer equipment that selectively receives products or packaging materials as an input from one or more sources of supply, and selectively directs the product or packaging to one or more of the sequences of assembly operations.

13. The machine according to claim 12 wherein the transfer equipment is robotic.

14. The machine according to claim 1, further comprising a controller arranged to cause products to be transported along a selected one of the different sequences of assembly operations.

2-8. -8. (canceled)

15. A machine for packaging tobacco industry products in which the products and packaging materials are subjected to successive assembly operations that incorporate products in packs formed from the packaging material, and in which the products and packaging material may be subjected selectively to different sequences of assembly operations, such that successive batches of different products may be incorporated in the same or different packs according to the sequence selected.

16. The machine according to claim 15, further comprising a controller arranged to cause products to be transported along a selected one of the different sequences of assembly operations.

17. A machine for packaging tobacco industry products in which the products and packaging materials are subjected to successive assembly operations that incorporate products in packs formed from the packaging material, and in which the products and packaging material may be subjected selectively to different sequences of assembly operations, comprising a packer for incorporating tobacco industry products in packaging material and a controller arranged to cause products to be transported along a selected one of a plurality of alternative sequences of assembly operations through the machine, wherein the packer is arranged to incorporate successive batches of the same or different tobacco industry products selectively in the same or different packaging materials according to the selected sequence of assembly operations.

18. A method of packaging tobacco industry products in which the products and packaging materials therefore are subjected to successive assembly operations that incorporate products in packs formed from the packaging material, comprising:

transporting products and packaging materials in a first batch through a first set of work stations and performing a first sequence of successive assembly operations thereon that incorporate products in packs formed from the packaging material;

conditioning a second set of workstations to perform a second sequence of assembly operations; and

transporting products and packaging materials in a second batch through the second set of work stations and performing the second sequence of assembly operations thereon, whereby successive batches incorporate the same or different products in the same or different packs.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein a first sequence of assembly operations is performed on the first batch to form a first finished product, and a second sequence of assembly operations is on the second patch to form a second finished product, the first sequence of assembly operations and said second sequence of assembly operations being different from each other.

20. The method according to claims 18, further comprising utilizing a controller to cause products to be transported along a selected one of the different sequences of assembly operations.

21. A method of packaging tobacco industry products in which the products and packaging materials therefore are subjected to successive assembly operations that incorporate products in packs formed from the packaging material, and in which the products and packaging material are subjected selectively to different sequences of assembly operations, such that successive batches of different products are incorporated in the same or different packs according to the sequence selected.

22. The method according to claims 21, further comprising utilizing a controller to cause products to be transported along a selected one of the different sequences of assembly operations.

23. A method of packaging tobacco industry products in which the products and packaging materials therefor are subjected to successive assembly operations that incorporate products in packs formed from the packaging material, and in which the products and packaging material are subjected selectively to different sequences of assembly operations, wherein a controller causes products to be transported along a selected one of a plurality of alternative sequences of assembly operations through the machine and comprising:

successively incorporating successive batches of the same or different tobacco industry products selectively in the same or different packaging materials according to the selected sequence.