PACKAGING AND SUPPLY DEVICE FOR GROUPING PRODUCT ITEMS

• US 20080276574A1
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Mellin, Andre, Bech, Carsten Dalsgaard, Lopez Fernandez, Marion Janet
• Granted Patent: US 7,740,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/540
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/44 by endless belts or chains B65B35/405 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/52 building-up the stack from the bottom

Abstract

A packaging device for grouping product items, especially semi-soft tissue paper packs (7), to a bundle of layered rows (L1, L2, L3) of said product items (7) having

• • a supply line (1) including a main conveyor belt (5) constituently carrying and supplying a stream of product items (7) in a defined orientation along an infeed main path (6) to a transfer position (18),
  • an elevator means (2) having a plurality of stack-forming receptacles (23) each receiving a grouped row (L1, L2, L3) of a specified number of said product items (7) in a chopped manner from the transfer position of said supply line (1) at an input end of the elevator means (2), wherein the elevator means (2) is adapted to successively displace the stacked grouped rows of product items (7) in a side-by-side relationship orthogonally to the infeed main path (6) to an output end of the elevator means (2), and
  • an outfeed unit (3) engaging with the elevator means (2), commonly removing a specified number stacked grouped rows (L1, L2, L3) of said product items (7) in the side-by-side relationship from the output end of the elevator means (2) to form said bundle of product items (7).

Claims

1. Packaging device for grouping product items, especially semi-soft tissue paper packs, to a bundle of layered rows of said product items, comprising:

a supply line comprising a main conveyor belt constituently carrying and supplying a stream of product items in a defined orientation along an infeed main path to a transfer position;

an elevator means comprising a plurality of stack-forming receptacles each receiving a grouped row of a specified number of said product items in a chopped manner from the transfer position of said supply line at an input end of the elevator means, wherein

the elevator means is adapted to successively displace the stacked grouped rows of product items in a side-by-side relationship orthogonally to the infeed main path to an output end of the elevator means; and

an outfeed unit engaging with the elevator means, commonly removing a specified number of stacked grouped rows of said product items in the side-by-side relationship from the output end of the elevator means to form said bundle of product items.

2. Packaging device according to claim 1, for supplying a grouped row of product items in a chopped manner from the transfer position to the respective receptacle of the elevator means further comprising an infeed assembly at the end of the supply line comprising

an infeed conveyor belt to transport the grouped row of product items into the respective receptacle of the elevator means, which infeed conveyor belt is controlled by a stepper motor, located above the infeed main path and advancable against the row of product items to bias the row of products from above against the main conveyor belt at least during the transport of the grouped row of product items, and further comprising

a stopper means engagable into the infeed main path to hold and release the grouped row of product items in and from the transfer position at the end of the supply line in a manner synchronized with the infeed conveyor belt and the elevator means.

3. Packaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a separate adjustable stop for an abutment of the grouped row of product items, when being infed into the elevator means by the infeed conveyor belt, is provided in the elevator means.

4. Packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the elevator means comprises two parallel, spaced-apart endless conveyor units each with a plurality of horizontal, equidistantly arranged rails, a pair of each defining one of the receptacles for each grouped row of product items being infed from the transfer position.

5. Packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the outfeed unit further comprises a plurality of first pusher blades being equidistantly attached to an endless conveyor belt and successively engaging the elevator means at the output end to take over and remove the specified number of layered or stacked grouped rows of the product items from the elevator means.

6. Packaging device according to claim 5, wherein the outfeed unit further comprises second pusher blades each forming a compartment together with each of said first pusher blades for accommodating said specified number of layered or stacked grouped rows of the product items during removal from the elevator means.

7. Packaging device according to claim 6, wherein the first and second pusher blades comprise mutual distance (d), adjustable to adapt same to the specific number of product items grouped in one row.

8. Packaging device according to claim 7, wherein the first and second pusher blades are each attached to first and second endless conveyor belts which are arranged in a collinear configuration on a common drive unit and which are displaceable relative to each other to adapt the mutual distance (d) between each of the first and second pusher blade.

9. Supply device, comprising

a main conveyor belt constituently carrying and supplying a stream of product items in a defined orientation along an infeed main path to a transfer position for supplying a grouped row of product items in a chopped manner from the transfer position to a following stage,

an infeed assembly at the end of the supply line comprising:

an infeed conveyor belt to transport the grouped row of product items, which infeed conveyor belt is controlled by a stepper motor, is located above the infeed main path and is advancable against the row of product items to bias the row of product items from above against the main conveyor belt at least during the transport of the grouped row of product items, and

a stopper means engagable into the infeed main path to hold and release the grouped row of product items in and from the transfer position at the end of the supply line in a manner synchronized with the infeed conveyor belt.

10. Supply device according to claim 9, wherein, when advancing the infeed conveyor belt against the row of product items, the infeed assembly further comprises an advancable downholder bar located above the infeed conveyor belt.

11. Supply device according to claim 9, wherein the infeed conveyor belt and the main conveyor belt idle when the stopper means holds the grouped row of product items in the transfer position.

12. Supply device according to claim 9, wherein the infeed conveyor belt and the main conveyor belt are driven simultaneously by a common stepper motor drive.

13. Supply device according to claim 9, further comprising laterally displaceable, tong-like clamping plates adjacent the infeed main path as the stopper means in the transfer position.