Patent Application
20060289430
The present invention relates to a device and method for stabilizing a package.
The present invention is especially advantageous for use in the manufacture of packets of cigarettes, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for stabilizing a folded package having two or more superimposed portions. The device comprises a conveyor assembly for feeding the package along a path from an input station to an output station; and an operating unit for exerting pressure on the superimposed portions and heating the package to connect the superimposed portions to one another.
Known devices of the type described above are seldom very versatile, and do not adapt easily to varying production requirements. The operating parameters (e.g. pressure and temperature), in particular, are normally extremely difficult to adjust to the materials being used and to the desired end product.
In this connection, it should be pointed out that the temperature and pressure at which the portions of the package are worked are normally maintained constant by the operating unit along the entire path, so that, particularly when working with specific adhesive materials, the portions of the package are not always connected satisfactorily.
It is an object of the present invention to provide devices and methods designed to at least partly eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks.
According to the present invention, there are provided devices and methods as claimed in the attached Claims.
A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Number 1 in
Packet 2 (
Device 1 (
Operating unit 17 comprises two supporting bars 18 located on opposite sides of path P, and each connected to frame 13 by two respective eccentric pins 19. Each supporting bar 18 extends alongside and substantially parallel to path P.
By adjusting eccentric pins 19 in a fairly straightforward manner, it is possible to adjust the position of supporting bars 18 with respect to each other, and the tilt of supporting bars 18 with respect to path P.
A number of heating members 20 are fitted integrally to each supporting bar 18 and arranged in succession along path P. More specifically, each supporting bar 18 has a number of connecting pins 21, to which heating members 20 are fitted removably.
Heating members 20 provide for generating and transferring heat to walls 9 and 10. With particular reference to
Body 22 (
The temperature of each heating member 20 is adjustable individually and independently of the temperature of the other heating members 20, so that the heat transferred by operating unit 17 to portions 11 and 12 varies along path P. In other words, in actual use, packet 2 is fed along path P through areas of different temperatures. The temperature parameters can therefore be adjusted extremely flexibly as a function of the materials used and of the desired end product, to obtain a more stable connection of portions 11 and 12.
Generally speaking, the possibility of adjusting the temperature of each heating member 20 separately provides for extremely flexible production parameter adjustments. In particular, only some of heating members 20 may be activated to reduce electricity consumption; and a faulty heating member 20 may be deactivated, and the temperature of the other heating members 20 increased to maintain a substantially constant heat supply to the adhesive material (not shown) between portions 11 and 12.
Another important point to note is that, in the event device 1 is stopped and started up again, the temperatures of heating members 20 can be adjusted so that the packet 2 located along path P at the time of the stoppage can still be correctly stabilized.
At the end 30 opposite end 24, each leaf spring 23 is fitted to connecting pins 21, and acts as a shock absorber by allowing respective body 22, and therefore relative plate 26, to move, in cushioned manner, parallel to itself and substantially perpendicularly to path P. Leaf spring 23 provides for compensating any minor variations in the size of packet 2, and so reducing the risk of damage to packet 2.
If necessary, e.g. in the event of a malfunction, heating member 20 can be changed quickly and easily. In this connection, it is important to note that each heating member 20 can be changed and/or repaired individually, thus reducing maintenance cost.
Conveyor assembly 14 comprises two conveyors 31, each connected integrally to a respective supporting bar 18. More specifically, each conveyor 31 comprises a respective conveyor belt 32 running about two respective pulleys 33 and having a respective work branch 34, and a respective return branch 35. Pulleys 33 of each conveyor 11 are fitted in rotary manner to relative supporting bar 18, so that work branch 34 is interposed between heating members 20 and path P. Work branch 34 and return branch 35 are substantially parallel to path P.
Normally, the distance between work branches 34 of conveyors 31 substantially equals the distance between walls 9 and 10, so that packet 2, in use, is conveyed along path P with each wall 9, 10 contacting a relative work branch 34.
Consequently, in actual use, portions 11 and 12 are pressed against one another, and, at the same time, the heat generated by the resistors (not shown) of heating members 20 travels through respective plates 26 and relative belts 32 to the adhesive material (not shown) between portions 11 and 12, thus drying the adhesive material and connecting portions 11 and 12 firmly to one another.
In actual use, to change the size of packet 2 or adjust the pressure exerted on walls 9 and 10, the distance between work branches 34 can be adjusted easily using eccentric pins 19. Purely by way of example,
Another important point to note is that, being provided with two eccentric pins 19 adjustable substantially independently of each other, each supporting bar 18 can be tilted with respect to path P (
In actual use, as opposed to packets 2 being fed singly along path P, a number of substantially similar packets 2 are normally fed seamlessly (i.e. with walls 6 and 7 contacting) from input station 15 to output station 16, so that a given pressure is also exerted on walls 6 and 7 to reduce the risk of deformation of packet 2.
In this connection, it should be pointed out that device 1 comprises a sensor (not shown) for detecting the presence of packets 2 at input station 15.
In actual use, when a gap is detected between successive packets 2 at input station 15, conveyor assembly 14 is stopped temporarily to close the gap in the succession of packets 2 fed along path P.
In an embodiment not shown, device 1 comprises two substantially identical conveyor assemblies 14 for feeding packets 2 along two substantially parallel paths P.
In a further embodiment not shown, device 1 comprises supporting members (not shown) for stabilizing and preventing deformation of walls 8 and 8′ as packet 2 travels along path P, and which may, for example, comprise two substantially fixed slide surfaces (not shown) on opposite sides of belts 32.
In actual use, walls 8 and 8′ slide along said slide surfaces, which support and prevent deformation of walls 8 and 8′, and which are particularly advantageous along portions of path P where greater pressure is exerted on walls 9 and 10 (i.e. where said pressure varies along path P).
Though the above description and accompanying drawings refer to stabilizing a conventional hinged-lid packet 2 of cigarettes, the teachings of the present invention may obviously also be applied to any type of packet, such as a “soft” packet of cigarettes.
Moreover, in alternative embodiments not shown, some of the longitudinal and/or transverse edges of packet 2 may be non-square rounded or bevelled edges. For example, the longitudinal edges may be non-square rounded or bevelled edges, or (like the packet of cigarettes described in Patent Application EP-A1-0764595), the major transverse edges may be non-square rounded or bevelled edges. Alternatively, some of the longitudinal and transverse edges may be non-square edges, so as to have both non-square rounded or bevelled longitudinal and transverse edges.
In an alternative embodiment not shown, packet 2 may be as described in Patent Application EP-A1-1066206; in which case, each wall 6, 7 is outwardly convex, and comprises a flat central portion and two curved creased lateral bands.
The teachings of the present invention may obviously also be applied to cartons of cigarettes, and to packages of other than cigarettes, such as food products, confectionary, or toiletries.
As will be clear from the above description, device 1 has important advantages as compared with the known state of the art, by enabling, among other things, extremely fast, easy adjustment of operating parameters (in particular, pressure and temperature).
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| BO2005A000421 | Jun 2005 | IT | national |
