Method of managing a set of lids, stacked and inserted in a package, transport device for transporting a set of stacked lids and inserted in a package, and system for producing palletized set of lids

• US 10,654,601 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ball Beverage Can South America SA (Ball Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ball Beverage Can South America SA (Ball Corporation)
• Inventors: Giublin, Bruno Leonardo, Coracini, Guilherme Kisseloff, Vieira, Tales Gustavo
• Primary Examiner(s): Desai, Hemant
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Jacob A
• Application Number:
  US15/532,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20170327256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 53447, 53469, 53476, 53480, 53481, 53482, 53542, 532847, 53370, 533744, 533752, 5337536, 533757, 493257, 493258, 493259, 493260
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/42 by roller-ways
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/50 Stacking one article, or group of articles, upon another before packaging
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/22 by rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/067 in bags B65B5/061 - B65B5/065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/106 by pushers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/08 and folding

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a device of managing a set (42) of lids, stacked and inserted in a packaging, including the steps of pressing said set (42) and displacing it, with a transport device (1), keeping the lids in the packaging; pressing a second portion (44) of the set (42) with a handle (23); moving the handle (23) so as to take at least a part of the second portion (44) towards the first portion (43); displacing the handle (23) so as to place the second portion (44) against the first portion (43); immobilizing the second portion (44) against the first portion (43) with an immobilizing device (9); opening the handle (23) and moving it away from the set (42). The invention also relates to a system for producing palletized sets of lids.

Claims

1. A method of managing a set of lids (42) stacked and inserted into a package, the set (42) having a first portion (43) including a lid stack, and a second portion (44) including an opening (45) and a free end of the package, comprising the steps of:

pressing said set (42) and moving it to a transport device (1), while keeping the lids in the package;

pressing said second portion (44) with a handle (23) of the transport device (1);

displacing handle (23) so as to take at least a part of the second portion (44) towards the first portion (43);

displacing handle (23) so as to place the second portion against the first portion (43);

immobilizing the second portion (44) against the first portion (43) using an immobilizing device (9), wherein the immobilizing device (9) includes movable jaws (12) provided with nails (13), the nails (13) extending in a horizontal plane beneath the stack lids inserted in the package;

opening the handle (23) and moving it away from said set (42), wherein the immobilizing device (9) is opened before the step of displacing handle (23) so as to place the second portion (44) against the first portion (43), the immobilizing device (9) being closed after this step.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein sliding of the second portion (44) occurs relative to the handle (23), during the step of displacing the handle (23) so as to take at least a part of the second portion (44) towards the first portion (43).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the handle conforms to the second portion (44) in in an S-shape (46) in the step of displacing handle (23) so as to take at least a part of the second portion (44) towards the first portion (43).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of pressing said second portion (44) is carried out shortly after a boundary between the first portion (43) and the second portion (44), wherein the boundary is a region of the package defined by the last lid of the stack inside the package.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein in the step of displacing the handle (23) so as to take at least a part of the second portion (44) towards the first portion (43), the handle (23) is displaced, in the beginning, following the radial direction of the set (42), and then following the axial direction of the set (42).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the set (42) is displaced by transport device (1) simultaneously to the step of displacing handle (23) so as to take at least a part of the second portion (44) towards the first portion (43).

7. A transport device (1) for transporting the set (42) formed of stacked lids and inserted into a package comprising:

a support tool (3) to said set (42), adapted to hold the lids and the package;

a handling tool (4) movable relative to the support tool;

an immobilizing device (9) adapted for immobilizing a fold of the package, wherein the immobilizing device (9) includes movable jaws (12) provided with nails (13), the nails (13) extending in a horizontal plane beneath the stack lids inserted in the package;

the support tool (3) and the handling tool (4) being mounted on a movable platform allowing the displacement of said set (42).

8. The transport device (1) according to claim 7, wherein the handling tool (4) includes two handling rolls (32, 33) movable against each other.

9. The transport device (1) according to claim 8, wherein the handling rolls (32, 33) are free in axial rotation and are provided with rubber rings (36).

10. The transport device (1) according to claim 7 wherein the movable platform (2) includes a coupling plate (5) to a robotic arm (37).

11. The transport device (1) according to claim 7 wherein the support tool (3) is coupled to the movable platform (2) through a cylinder (20) allowing a translation of the support tool (3) in relation to the handling tool (4).

12. The transport device (1) according to claim 7 wherein the support tool (3) includes a stop (47) to the rear of said set (42).

13. A system for producing palletized sets of lids including a device (38) for forming sets of lids adapted to produce sets (42) formed of lids, stacked and inserted into a package, and a palletizing device (39) of said sets (42), comprising a transport device (1) as defined in claim 9, coupled to a robotic arm so that the transport device (1) is adapted to grasp sets (42) in said device (38) for forming sets of lids and to transport these sets (42) to the palletizing device (39) performing a packaging closure operation.