MACHINE FOR MAKING FILTER BAGS FOR INFUSION PRODUCTS

• US 20150291347A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMA - Industria Macchine Automatiche SPA (Vacchi Family)
• Original Assignee: IMA - Industria Macchine Automatiche SPA (Vacchi Family)
• Inventors: Rivola, Sauro
• Granted Patent: US 9,527,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/02 Machines characterised by the incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles from flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material B65B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/04 Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 29/028 packaging infusion material into filter bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/06 by cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/08 using rotary cutters
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/02 Closing containers or receptacles deformed by, or taking-up shape, of, contents, e.g. bags, sacks
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/042 for fluent material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/808 for immersion in the liquid to release part or all of their contents, e.g. tea bags

Abstract

A machine (100) for making filter bags (1) for infusion products comprises: a station (2) for feeding a first continuous strip (3) of thermoformable filter material; a station (4) for heating the first continuous strip (3); a continuously rotating drum (5) provided with a series of dies (9), and a corresponding series of punches (10) configured for plastically deforming a portion of the first strip (3) and making a three-dimensional chamber (C) to contain a dose (12) of infusion product; a station (11) for dosing doses (12) of the infusion product; a feed station (13) for feeding a second strip (14) of filter material; a joining station (15) for joining the first strip (3) to the second strip (14) to close the three-dimensional chamber (C); and a cutting station for making single filter bags (1).

Claims

1. A machine for making filter bags (1) for infusion products formed from lengths of filter material,

characterized in that it comprises at least:

a station (2) for feeding a first continuous strip (3) of thermoformable filter material movable along a working path (P);

a station (4) for heating the first continuous strip (3), located along the working path (P) and including means (22) for heating the first continuous strip (3) of thermoformable filter material at a predetermined temperature;

a drum (5) for forming a first portion (3P) of the filter bag (1) disposed downstream of the station (4) for heating along the working path (P);

said drum (5) having two mutually concentric circular parts (6,7) continuously rotating in phase about a single axis (X) of rotation so as to configure an annular zone (8) where the first continuous strip (3) is interposed;

a first circular part (6) of the drum (5) being provided with a series of radial dies (9), and a second part (7) having a corresponding series of forming punches (10) for forming the first strip (3) of filter material and adapted to plastically deform a portion of the first strip (3) of filter material inside a corresponding die (9) at least for a predetermined arcuate stretch (T) of a circular path followed by the drum (5), so as to form an open three-dimensional chamber (C) of filter material;

a station (11) for dosing a dose (12) of infusion product and configured for placing, the dose (12), in phase with the drum (5), inside the open three-dimensional chamber (C) of filter material;

a station (13) for feeding a second continuous strip (14) of filter material and configured for placing the second continuous strip (14) above the first continuous strip (3) with the three-dimensional chambers (10) with the dose (12) of infusion product, so as to define a flat base that closes the filter bags (1);

a station (15) for joining/closing the second continuous strip (14) of filter material onto the first continuous strip (3) of filter material and located along the working path (P), downstream of the station (13) for feeding the second continuous strip (14) of filter material;

a cutting station (16) for making a sequence of single, flat-based filter bags (1) by cutting the first and the second continuous strip (3, 14) of filter material;

the cutting station (16) being located downstream of the joining/closing station (15) along said working path (P).

2. The machine according to claim 1, including retaining means (17) for retaining the first continuous strip (3) of filter material, located between the first circular part (6) and the second circular part (7) of the drum (5), and acting on stretches of the first continuous strip (3) of filter material located on both sides of each die (9) in phase with a corresponding punch (10) during a step of plastically deforming the first continuous strip (3) of filter material, said retaining means (17) being adapted to block said stretches of the first continuous strip (3) with respect to the dies (9).

3. The machine according to claim 1, including cam means (18) for activating and deactivating the punches (10) and configured for radially moving the punches (10), at least along said arcuate stretch (T), between an inoperative position, where the punch (10) is positioned away from the die (9) and from the first continuous strip (3), and an operative position, where the punch (10) is coupled to the die (9) so as to plastically deform the first continuous strip (3).

4. The machine according to claim 1, wherein said drum (5) includes means (19) for moving each punch (10), in both directions, parallel to the axis (X) of rotation of the selfsame drum (5) so as to move the punches (10) away from the dies (9) for a predetermined second stretch (T2) of arcuate path followed by the selfsame punches (10) in proximity of the station (11) for dosing a dose (12) of infusion product.

5. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the station (11) for dosing a dose (12) of infusion product includes a further drum (20) rotating about an axis (X1) parallel to the axis (X) of rotation of the drum (5) and configured for bringing, in phase with the drum (5), a dosing chamber (21) above a corresponding three-dimensional chamber (C) of filter material formed and positioned inside a corresponding die (9).

6. A filter bag for infusion products in powder, granular or leaf form, comprising:

a first portion (3P) of filter material, thermoformed and defining a three-dimensional chamber (C) for containing a dose (12) of infusion product and having an opening (23) with an external, continuous, perimeter edge (24);

a second flat portion (14P) of filter material for closing the three-dimensional chamber (C) of the first portion (3P);

said second portion (14P) of filter material being larger in size than the opening (23) of the first portion (3P) and being coupled to the first portion (3P) at the external, continuous, perimeter edge (24), projecting from the opening (23) of the three-dimensional chamber (C).

7. The filter bag according to claim 6, wherein the external, continuous, perimeter edge (24) of the first portion (3P) of filter material and the second portion (14P) lie in the same plane to define a flat base of the filter bag.

8. The filter bag according to claim 6, wherein the first portion (3P) of filter material has three triangular surfaces which, together with the second portion (14P) of filter material, form a tetrahedral shape with the external, continuous, perimeter edge (24) projecting externally from each side defined by the first portion (3P) of filter material.

9. The filter bag according to claim 6, wherein the first portion (3P) of filter material has four triangular surfaces which, together with the second flat portion (14P) of filter material, form a square-based pyramid shape with the external, continuous, perimeter edge (24) projecting externally from each side defined by the first portion (3P) of filter material.