Apparatus for positioning packing boxes

• US 7,810,536 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emmeci S.p.A. (Is Company SRL)
• Original Assignee: Emmeci S.p.A. (Is Company SRL)
• Inventors: Bassi, Gino
• Primary Examiner(s): Wyrozebski; Kat
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivera; Joshel
• Application Number:
  US11/937,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20080110570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 156/65, 156/64, 156/350, 156/351, 156/358, 156/360, 156/362, 156/363, 156/364, 156/367, 156/378, 156/379, 156/DIG.2, 156/DIG.25, 156/DIG.26, 156/DIG.27, 156/DIG.28, 156/DIG.34, 156/DIG.37, 156/DIG.41, 156/DIG.44, 156/DIG.45, 156/DIG.46, 198/340, 198/341.01, 198/341.05, 198/341.08, 198/358, 198/349, 198/456, 198/502.3
• US Class Current: 156/379
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/56 Orientating, i.e. changing the attitude of, articles, e.g. of non-uniform cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/30 Belts or like endless load-carriers co-operating with rails or the like B65G21/22; co-operating with rollers B65G39/20
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/022 Flat
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/0233 Position of the article
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/044 Optical
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/08 Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42

Abstract

An apparatus for positioning packing boxes relative to a covering sheet comprises a belt for conveying the sheet from a gluing unit to a device for centering the box on the pre-glued sheet and optical sensors for identifying the position of the sheet on a belt conveyor surface, the belt being made with at least two regions of the conveyor surface having contrasting colors.

Claims

1. An apparatus for positioning packing boxes relative to a covering sheet, comprising:

a belt for conveying the sheet from a gluing unit to a station for centering the box on the pre-glued sheet,

optical sensors for identifying the position of the sheet on a belt conveyor surface, the sensors being configured to recognize the variation in color between the sheet and the belt below, upon a relative movement between the sheet and the sensors,

wherein the belt is a single belt defining a continuous conveyor, made with at least two longitudinal regions of the conveyor surface having contrasting colors, which are parallel with the belt direction of feed, and wherein the apparatus is adapted to adjust the position of the box in the station with respect to the sheet, while the belt is stopped.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it has several groups of sensors positioned to read the position of the sheet on each of the regions having a contrasting color.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the regions are colored black and white.