MACHINE FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES INSIDE CONTAINERS

• US 20120023867A1
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CT Pack S.R.L.
• Original Assignee: CT Pack S.R.L.
• Inventors: DAVI, Daniele, PALLARA, Michele
• Granted Patent: US 9,038,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/235
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/007 packaging of ice-cream
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/24 by endless belts or chains B65B35/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/105 by grippers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/10 responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 65/08 Devices for counting or registering the number of articles handled, or the number of packages produced by the machine
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/065 the load carrying surface being formed by plates or platforms attached to a single traction element
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/12 comprising a series of individual load-carriers fixed, or normally fixed, relative to traction element
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/32 Individual load-carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0202 Agricultural and processed food products

Abstract

Machine (1) for packaging articles (2) inside containers (3), wherein a conveyor (6) is provided with a longitudinally movable transporting section (7) for feeding the articles (2) in a given direction (D) and along a given conveying path (P); a robot (23), which is arranged along the conveying path (P) and controlled by operating and control means depending on detection at least of the position of each article (2) on the transporting section (7), picks up single articles (2) from the transporting section (7) and transfers each picked-up article (2) inside a container (3); the transporting section (7) is delimited transversely by two side walls (18) stabilising the position and direction of each article (2) with respect to the said transporting section (7); on the latter the articles (2) are stably seated between the side walls (18), one behind another in a row, in the conveying direction (D).

Claims

1. Machine for packaging articles inside containers;

the machine (1) comprising at least one conveyor (6) provided with a longitudinally movable transporting section (7) for feeding the articles (2) in a given direction (D) and along a given conveying path (P);

a station (20) for loading the articles (2) onto the transporting section (7);

sensor means (22) arranged along the conveying path (P) for detecting at least the position of each article (2) on the transporting section (7);

at least one robot (23) arranged along the conveying path (P);

control means (25) connected to said sensor means (22) and to said robot (23) for imparting to the robot (23) commands for picking up single articles (2) from the transporting section (7) and transferring each picked-up article (2) inside a container (3);

the machine (1) being characterized in that the transporting section (7) is delimited transversely by two side walls (18) stabilising the position and direction of each article (2) with respect to the transporting section (7) itself;

said articles (2) being stably seated on the transporting section (7) between the side walls (18), one behind another, in the conveying direction (D).

2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said side walls (18) are parallel to each other and movable in the conveying direction (D) and mutually converge towards the bottom (16) of the transporting section (7), transversely relative to the conveying direction (D).

3. Machine according to claim 2, characterized in that said side walls (18) extend with a continuous surface from the bottom (16) of the transporting section (7).

4. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said side walls (18) transversely define a groove (19) for receiving said articles (2);

each article (2) being retained, with contact, between said walls (18) in a stable and fixed position on the transporting section (7).

5. Machine according to claim 1, in which each article (2) has an elongated form and a main longitudinal axis (4) of extension, characterized in that said walls (18) define transversely a groove (19) inside which each article (2) is stably seated with its longitudinal axis (4) aligned with the conveying direction (D).

6. Machine according to claim 4, characterized in that said groove (19) has, in cross-section, a substantially triangular shape.

7. Machine according to claim 4, characterized in that said groove (19) has, in cross-section, a substantially trapezoidal shape.

8. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said conveyor (6) comprises at least two pulleys (8), at least one of which is a driving pulley, and a chain (9) with links (10) endlessly wound around said pulleys (8);

the chain (9) defining, at the top, said transporting section (7) and, at the bottom, a return section (11).

9. Machine according to claim 2, characterized in that each link (10) of the chain (9) defines a respective basic portion (15) of said bottom (16) and said side walls (18).

10. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said loading station (20) comprises feed means (21) for loading the articles one behind another in a row onto the transporting section (7).

11. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said robot (23) comprises a movable gripping head (24) which has a component of movement directed along the transporting section (7) parallel to the conveying direction (D).

12. Machine according to claim 1, in which the articles (2) are packaged in orderly groups (5) inside respective containers (3), characterized in that said control means (25) are programmed to impart to the robot (23) commands for picking up single articles (2) from the transporting section (7) and transferring each picked-up article (2) inside the same container (3) until a predetermined number of inserted articles (2), defining a group (5), is reached inside the said container (3).