EP3328740A1 - Machine for wrapping confectionery products - Google Patents

Machine for wrapping confectionery products

Info

Publication number
EP3328740A1
EP3328740A1 EP16758272.5A EP16758272A EP3328740A1 EP 3328740 A1 EP3328740 A1 EP 3328740A1 EP 16758272 A EP16758272 A EP 16758272A EP 3328740 A1 EP3328740 A1 EP 3328740A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
wrapping
station
gripper
confectionery product
axis
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP16758272.5A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP3328740B1 (en
Inventor
Antonio Vitali
Mauro PASSERINI
Stefano Piazzi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Azionaria Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche ACMA SpA
Original Assignee
Azionaria Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche ACMA SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Azionaria Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche ACMA SpA filed Critical Azionaria Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche ACMA SpA
Priority to PL16758272T priority Critical patent/PL3328740T3/en
Publication of EP3328740A1 publication Critical patent/EP3328740A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP3328740B1 publication Critical patent/EP3328740B1/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B25/00—Packaging other articles presenting special problems
    • B65B25/005—Packaging other articles presenting special problems packaging of confectionery
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B11/00—Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
    • B65B11/06—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths
    • B65B11/38—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths in a combination of straight and curved paths
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B11/00—Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
    • B65B11/54—Wrapping by causing the wrapper to embrace one end and all sides of the contents, and closing the wrapper onto the opposite end by forming regular or irregular pleats
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
    • B65B35/10—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles
    • B65B35/16—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by grippers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B49/00—Devices for folding or bending wrappers around contents
    • B65B49/02—Fixed or resiliently-mounted folders, e.g. non-driven rollers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B49/00—Devices for folding or bending wrappers around contents
    • B65B49/06—Resilient folders, e.g. brushes, diaphragms

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a machine for wrapping confectionery products. More specifically, the invention can be applied to the wrapping of confectionery products such as chocolates for example, to which this description will hereinafter refer but without losing in generality, and food products in general.
  • Known from the prior art are machines for wrapping confectionery products, comprising a transfer drum for transferring a succession of products from a conveyor belt to a wrapping unit.
  • the wrapping unit is the part of the wrapping machine which folds the sheet of wrapping material around the product after the sheet has been associated with the product.
  • the wrapping device comprises a first and a second folder roller tangent to each other at a product transfer station where the selfsame products pass from the first folder roller to the second.
  • the first folder roller places a sheet of wrapping material round the respective product and the second folder roller, which is equipped with product retaining grippers, wraps the sheet of wrapping material round the corresponding product.
  • prior art machines comprise a series of fixed or movable folders, operating at the first and second folder rollers to fold the sheet of wrapping material around the product to be wrapped.
  • the main technical purpose of this invention is to propose a wrapping machine for confectionery products which is free of the above mentioned disadvantages.
  • One aim of this invention is to provide a machine for wrapping confectionery products which works at higher speeds than prior art solutions.
  • Another aim of the invention is to provide a machine for wrapping confectionery products where the confectionery products are always positioned correctly relative to the respective sheets of wrapping material.
  • a further aim of the invention is to provide a machine for wrapping confectionery products which is more versatile than prior art solutions.
  • the technical purpose and aims specified are substantially achieved by a wrapping machine according to claim 1 .
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view, partly in blocks and with some parts cut away for greater clarity, showing a wrapping machine according to this invention in a first operating configuration
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view, partly in blocks and with some parts cut away for greater clarity, showing the machine of Figure 1 in a second operating configuration;
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view, partly in blocks and with some parts cut away for greater clarity, showing the machine of Figure 1 in a third operating configuration;
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view, partly in blocks and with some parts cut away for greater clarity, showing the machine of Figure 1 in a fourth operating configuration
  • FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view, with some parts cut away for greater clarity, showing a second embodiment of a wrapping machine according to this invention.
  • the reference numeral 1 denotes an intermittently operating machine for wrapping confectionery or food products 100 such as, for example, chocolates, which this description expressly refers to but without losing in generality.
  • the product 100 has a base surface 101 , or base, a lateral surface 102, a top surface 103, or top, and a main axis A1 at right angles to the base surface 101 .
  • each product 100 is described with reference to three axes A1 , A2, A3 at right angles to each other and centred in the product 100 itself.
  • the machine 1 comprises a wrapping unit 2 of substantially known type for wrapping the confectionery product 100 and described only insofar as necessary for understanding this invention.
  • the wrapping unit 2 is the part of the wrapping machine 1 which folds the wrapping sheet around the product after the sheet has been associated with the product.
  • the unit 2 comprises a folding head 3 which is rotatable about an axis R3 and equipped with a plurality of grippers 3a for picking up the product 100.
  • the machine 1 comprises a feed unit 4 for feeding the products 100 to the wrapping unit 2.
  • the feed unit 4 extends upstream of the wrapping unit 2 according to a feed direction V of the products 100.
  • the feed unit 4 comprises a conveyor belt 5 for the products 100.
  • the conveyor belt 5 has an upper section 5a extending substantially horizontally and movable along a feed line D in the product feed direction
  • the belt 5 feeds a succession of products 100 spaced from each other by a predetermined spacing and positioned on the section 5a by an arranging device of substantially known type and not illustrated.
  • the products 100 rest on the section 5a on their bases 101 in such a way that the axis A1 is substantially at right angles to the section 5a itself and the axis A3 is parallel to the feed line D.
  • the feed unit 4 has a pickup station 6 into which the belt 5 feeds the products 100.
  • the feed unit 4 comprises a first gripper 7 which is movable between the pickup station 6 and an exchange station 8.
  • the gripper 7 comprises a first and a second jaw 9, 10 movable relative to each other between a spaced-apart position, illustrated for example in Figure 3, and a close-together position, illustrated for example in Figure 1 , for gripping the product 100 in the pickup station 6.
  • the jaws 9, 10 are rotatable about respective axes of rotation not illustrated.
  • Each jaw 9, 10 comprises a respective gripping portion 9a, 10a for picking up the product 100 and which grips the product 100 by two opposite portions of its lateral surface 102.
  • the gripping portions 9a, 10a for picking up the product 100 are rotatable about an axis R10, illustrated, for example, in Figures 1 and 4, which coincides for both of the gripping portions 9a, 10a when the jaws are at the close-together position.
  • the axis R10 extends substantially horizontally and at right angles to the jaws 9, 10 in the pickup station 6.
  • the axis of rotation R10 is at right angles to the axis A1 of the product 100 and to the aforementioned line D, that is to say, it is parallel to the axis A2 of the product 100 in the pickup station 6.
  • the portions 9a, 10a are rotatable by 90 sexagesimal degrees about the axis R10 so that at the end of one rotation of the gripping portions 9a, 10a, the axis A1 is parallel to the line of feed D.
  • the gripper 7 is movable along a first circular arc 1 1 between a first operating position at the pickup station 6 and a second operating position in the exchange station 8 to grip the product 100 in the pickup station 6 and feed it to the exchange station 8.
  • the gripper 7 is movable along the arc 1 1 about an axis of rotation R7 preferably parallel to the axis R3.
  • the gripper 7 is movable from the exchange station 8 to the pickup station 6 along the same arc 1 1 .
  • the gripper 7 oscillates along the arc 1 1 .
  • the gripper 7, in one work cycle travels the arc 1 1 clockwise from the pickup station 6 to the exchange station 8 and travels the arc 1 1 anticlockwise from the exchange station 8 to the pickup station 6 to pick up another product 100 to be wrapped.
  • the arc 1 1 is hereinafter referred to as a first trajectory followed by the product 100 in the movement of the gripper 7 about the axis R7..
  • the axis R10 extends radially relative to the axis R7 when the jaws 9, 10 are in the close-together position.
  • gripping portions 9a, 10a are rotatable about the axis R10, they rotate about the axis R10 through 90° along the arc 1 1 from the pickup station 6 to the exchange station 8 and return to the initial position during the return of the gripper 7 from the exchange station 8 to the pickup station 6.
  • the feed unit 4 comprises a second gripper 13 which is movable between the exchange station 8 and a delivery station 14 where the product 100 is delivered to the wrapping unit 2.
  • the gripper 13 comprises a first and a second jaw 15, 16 movable relative to each other between a spaced-apart position, illustrated for example in Figure 4, and a close-together position, illustrated for example in Figures 1 and 2, for gripping the product 100.
  • the jaws 15, 16 are rotatable about respective axes of rotation not illustrated. Each jaw 15, 16 comprises a respective gripping portion for picking up the product 100 and which grips the product 100 by two opposite portions of its lateral surface 102.
  • the gripper 13 is movable along a second circular arc 17 between a first operating position at the exchange station 8 and a second operating position in the delivery station 14 to pick up the product 100 from the gripper 7 in the exchange station 8 and feed it to the delivery station 14.
  • the gripper 13 is movable along the arc 17 about an axis of rotation R13 preferably parallel to the axis R3.
  • the gripper 13 is movable from the delivery station 14 to the exchange station 8 along the same arc 17. In other words, in use, the gripper 13 oscillates along the arc 17.
  • the gripper 13 in one work cycle, travels the arc 17 clockwise from the exchange station 8 to the delivery station 14 and travels the arc 17 anticlockwise from the delivery station 14 to the exchange station 8 to pick up another product 100 from the gripper 7.
  • the arc 17 is hereinafter referred to as a second trajectory followed by the product 100 in the movement of the gripper 13 about the axis R.
  • the gripper 7 and the gripper 13 rotate about the same main axis of rotation R to which express reference is hereinafter made without losing in generality and corresponding to the axes R7 and R13.
  • the gripper 7 and the gripper 13 are rotatable about the same main axis of rotation and the arcs 1 1 and 17 are concentric.
  • the arcs 1 1 and 17 are contiguous.
  • the circular arc 1 1 subtends at the centre, on the main axis of rotation R, an angle between 30 sexagesimal degrees and 60 sexagesimal degrees.
  • the circular arc 1 1 subtends at the centre, on the main axis of rotation R, an angle of 45 sexagesimal degrees.
  • the circular arc 17 subtends at the centre, on the main axis of rotation R, an angle between 30 sexagesimal degrees and 60 sexagesimal degrees.
  • the circular arc 17 subtends at the centre, on the main axis of rotation R, an angle of 45 sexagesimal degrees.
  • the arc 1 1 and the arc 17, that is, the first and the second trajectory, are preferably consecutive.
  • the arcs 1 1 and 17 together subtend an angle of 90 sexagesimal degrees at the centre on the main axis R.
  • the product 100 is therefore transferred from the pickup station 6 to the delivery station 14 by a rotation of 90 sexagesimal degrees performed partly by the gripper 7 and partly by the gripper 13.
  • the product 100 follows a trajectory having the shape of a circular arc subtending in its entirety an angle of 90 sexagesimal degrees.
  • the second gripper 13 picks up the product 100 held by the first gripper 7 (which at that moment opens) and feeds it along the second trajectory 17. With reference in particular to Figure 2, it may be observed that the gripper 13 picks up the product 100 by two opposing portions of the lateral surface 102 alternated with the portions of the lateral surface 102 by which the product 100 is picked by the gripper 7.
  • the product 100 is centred by the gripper 7 relative to the machine 1 along the axis A2 and in the station 8, it is centred by the gripper 13, again relative to the machine 1 along the axis A3.
  • the product 100 is correctly centred relative to a sheet of wrapping material, as explained in more detail below.
  • the gripper 13 picks the product 100 up by the base 101 and by the top 103 following rotation of the gripping portions 9a, 10a about the axis R10, that is, following rotation of the product 100 about the axis A2.
  • the product 100 is centred by the gripper 7 relative to the machine 1 along the axis A2 and in the station 8, it is centred by the gripper 13, again relative to the machine 1 along the axis A1 .
  • the product 100 is centred relative to the axis of rotation R3 of the wrapping head 3.
  • the movement of the first and second grippers 7, 13 about the axis R is obtained by a system of oscillating conjugate cams, not described in detail, which also controls the opening and closing of the jaws 9, 10 and of the jaws 15, 16.
  • a first cam is provided to open and close the first gripper 7
  • a second cam causes the first gripper 7 to rotate about the axis R
  • a third cam is provided to open and close the second gripper 13
  • a fourth cam causes the second gripper 13 to rotate about the axis R.
  • the feed unit 4 comprises a transfer device 18 operating at the delivery station 14 to transfer the product 100 from the gripper 13 to the wrapping unit 2 and to deliver it in substantially known manner to one of the aforementioned grippers 3a.
  • the transfer device 18 is movable between the delivery station 14 and the wrapping unit 2 preferably along a rectilinear path P at right angles to the axis of rotation R3 of the head 3.
  • the transfer device 18 comprises a pusher 19 and a counter-pusher 20 movable relative to each other between a spaced-apart position, illustrated for example in Figure 2, and a close-together position, illustrated for example in Figure 1 , where the product 100 is picked up in the delivery station 14.
  • the transfer device 18 picks the product 100 up by two opposite portions of its lateral surface 102 and the axis A3 is parallel to the transfer path P of the products 100 following rotation of the product about the axis R10.
  • the transfer device 18 picks the product 100 up by the base 101 and by the top 103 and the axis A1 is parallel to the transfer path P of the products 100.
  • the transfer device 18 with the pusher 19 and the counter- pusher 20 in the close-together position is movable in a straight line along the path P which, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, is substantially horizontal.
  • the machine 1 in particular the wrapping unit 2, comprises a feeder device 21 for feeding a sheet 200 of wrapping material and operating along the path P to associate the sheet 200 of wrapping material with the confectionery product 100.
  • the device 21 is located in the delivery station 14.
  • the delivery station 14 defines an infeed station of the wrapping unit 2, substantially where a sheet 200 is associated with each product 100.
  • the product 100 Once the product 100 is provided with the sheet 200 of wrapping material, it enters the wrapping unit 2 proper which folds the sheet 200 around the product 100 in substantially known manner.
  • the device 21 is schematically represented as a block and is positioned relative to the path P in such a way as to feed the sheet 200 in a transverse direction, preferably at right angles to the path P itself.
  • the sheet 200 is fed vertically, preferably from the top down with reference to the drawings; that is to say, the plane of the paper is vertical.
  • the feeder device 21 , the pusher 19 and the counter-pusher 20 are positioned relative to each other and coordinated in such a way that the pusher 19 and the counter-pusher 20 hold the sheet of wrapping material 200 together with the confectionery product 100 along the path P.
  • the sheet 200 is positioned relative to the product 100 which is held by the gripper 13 at a predetermined position.
  • the pusher 19 and the counter-pusher 20 move into the close-together position while holding both the product 100 and the sheet 200 in order to feed them to the folding head 3.
  • the wrapping unit 2 comprises a first and a second abutment 22, 23, or fixed folders, located along the path P in such a way as to fold the sheet 200 substantially into the shape of a U around the product 100 during a stroke of the transfer device 18 from the delivery station 14 towards the folding head 3.
  • the device 18 thus delivers the product 100 provided with the sheet 200 folded into a U to a corresponding gripper 3a..
  • the product 100 and the sheet 200 are correctly positioned relative to each other at all times since the product 100 is always exactly centred on all the axes.
  • the machine 1 comprises a brush element 24, of substantially known type, defining a channel 25 for the passage of the product 100 and the sheet 200 in such a way as to stretch the sheet 200 on the corresponding product before they are delivered to the gripper 3a.
  • the brush element 24 is positioned along the rectilinear path P in such a way that the product 100 and the corresponding sheet 200 cross the channel 25 during transfer by the transfer device 18 between the delivery station 14 and the wrapping unit 2.
  • first and second grippers to position the product for the transfer device and for the device which feeds the sheet of wrapping material means that product movements require less accelerations than in prior art solutions and hence operating speeds are increased very significantly.
  • the product is fed along the delivery path of the conveyor belt to the device which feeds the sheet of wrapping material and to the wrapping unit 2, in particular to the folding head, by two grippers instead of, for example, the pair of rollers normally used in continuously operating machines of known type.
  • first gripper and the second gripper to move the product from the conveyor belt to the device which feeds the sheet of wrapping material causes the product to be precisely centred relative to the sheet of wrapping material.
  • the grippers hold the product without scratching or scraping it, which means, in practice, that the machine remains cleaner than in known solutions and that the product is handled very gently at all times, without being damaged.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Basic Packing Technique (AREA)

Abstract

A wrapping machine (1) for wrapping a confectionery product (100) having at least a base surface (101) and a lateral surface (102) comprises a wrapping unit (2) for wrapping the confectionery product (100) and a feed unit (4) for feeding the confectionery product (100) to the wrapping unit (2); the feed unit (4) comprises a first gripper (7) movable about a first axis of rotation (R7) from a pickup station (6) to an exchange station (8) and vice versa along a first circular arc (11) to grip the confectionery product (100) in the pickup station (6), feed it to the exchange station (8) and return to the pickup station (6) and a second gripper (13) movable about a second axis of rotation (R13) from the exchange station (8) to a delivery station (14) and vice versa along a second circular arc (17) to grip the confectionery product (100) in the exchange station (8), feed it to the delivery station (14) and return to the exchange station (8).

Description

DESCRIPTION
MACHINE FOR WRAPPING CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTS
Technical field
This invention relates to a machine for wrapping confectionery products. More specifically, the invention can be applied to the wrapping of confectionery products such as chocolates for example, to which this description will hereinafter refer but without losing in generality, and food products in general.
Background art
Known from the prior art are machines for wrapping confectionery products, comprising a transfer drum for transferring a succession of products from a conveyor belt to a wrapping unit.
Generally speaking, the wrapping unit is the part of the wrapping machine which folds the sheet of wrapping material around the product after the sheet has been associated with the product.
Generally speaking, the wrapping device comprises a first and a second folder roller tangent to each other at a product transfer station where the selfsame products pass from the first folder roller to the second.
More specifically, the first folder roller places a sheet of wrapping material round the respective product and the second folder roller, which is equipped with product retaining grippers, wraps the sheet of wrapping material round the corresponding product.
Depending on the shape of the product and the type of wrapping required - for example a "bunch-fold" wrap or a "boero" style single twist wrap - prior art machines comprise a series of fixed or movable folders, operating at the first and second folder rollers to fold the sheet of wrapping material around the product to be wrapped.
An example of a machine for making a "boero" style single wrappers is described in patent application WO2014076627 in the name of the same Applicant as this application.
One disadvantage of prior art wrapping machines is due to the complexity of the movements to be imparted to the product to be wrapped in order to position it correctly relative to the wrapping device.
Another disadvantage of prior art wrapping machines is that owing to the presence of the transfer roller and of the moving folder rollers and the need to transfer the products to be wrapped from one roller to the other, the maximum operating speed of the machine is limited.
Furthermore, changeover to a different product size or wrapping style is a time-consuming procedure requiring adjustments and changes involving not only the transfer drum but also the retaining grippers and folders.
Disclosure of the invention
In this context, the main technical purpose of this invention is to propose a wrapping machine for confectionery products which is free of the above mentioned disadvantages.
One aim of this invention is to provide a machine for wrapping confectionery products which works at higher speeds than prior art solutions.
Another aim of the invention is to provide a machine for wrapping confectionery products where the confectionery products are always positioned correctly relative to the respective sheets of wrapping material. A further aim of the invention is to provide a machine for wrapping confectionery products which is more versatile than prior art solutions. The technical purpose and aims specified are substantially achieved by a wrapping machine according to claim 1 . Brief description of the drawings
Further features of the invention and its advantages are more apparent in the non-limiting description below, with reference to a preferred but nonexclusive embodiment of a wrapping machine for confectionery products, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view, partly in blocks and with some parts cut away for greater clarity, showing a wrapping machine according to this invention in a first operating configuration;
- Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view, partly in blocks and with some parts cut away for greater clarity, showing the machine of Figure 1 in a second operating configuration;
- Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view, partly in blocks and with some parts cut away for greater clarity, showing the machine of Figure 1 in a third operating configuration;
- Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view, partly in blocks and with some parts cut away for greater clarity, showing the machine of Figure 1 in a fourth operating configuration;
- Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view, with some parts cut away for greater clarity, showing a second embodiment of a wrapping machine according to this invention.
Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention
With particular reference to the accompanying drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes an intermittently operating machine for wrapping confectionery or food products 100 such as, for example, chocolates, which this description expressly refers to but without losing in generality. With reference in particular to Figure 5, the product 100 has a base surface 101 , or base, a lateral surface 102, a top surface 103, or top, and a main axis A1 at right angles to the base surface 101 .
For convenience, each product 100 is described with reference to three axes A1 , A2, A3 at right angles to each other and centred in the product 100 itself.
The machine 1 comprises a wrapping unit 2 of substantially known type for wrapping the confectionery product 100 and described only insofar as necessary for understanding this invention.
As will become clearer as this description continues, the wrapping unit 2 is the part of the wrapping machine 1 which folds the wrapping sheet around the product after the sheet has been associated with the product. The unit 2 comprises a folding head 3 which is rotatable about an axis R3 and equipped with a plurality of grippers 3a for picking up the product 100.
The machine 1 comprises a feed unit 4 for feeding the products 100 to the wrapping unit 2.
The feed unit 4 extends upstream of the wrapping unit 2 according to a feed direction V of the products 100.
The feed unit 4 comprises a conveyor belt 5 for the products 100.
The conveyor belt 5 has an upper section 5a extending substantially horizontally and movable along a feed line D in the product feed direction
V.
More specifically, the belt 5 feeds a succession of products 100 spaced from each other by a predetermined spacing and positioned on the section 5a by an arranging device of substantially known type and not illustrated.
The products 100 rest on the section 5a on their bases 101 in such a way that the axis A1 is substantially at right angles to the section 5a itself and the axis A3 is parallel to the feed line D.
The feed unit 4 has a pickup station 6 into which the belt 5 feeds the products 100.
The feed unit 4 comprises a first gripper 7 which is movable between the pickup station 6 and an exchange station 8. The gripper 7 comprises a first and a second jaw 9, 10 movable relative to each other between a spaced-apart position, illustrated for example in Figure 3, and a close-together position, illustrated for example in Figure 1 , for gripping the product 100 in the pickup station 6.
The jaws 9, 10 are rotatable about respective axes of rotation not illustrated.
Each jaw 9, 10 comprises a respective gripping portion 9a, 10a for picking up the product 100 and which grips the product 100 by two opposite portions of its lateral surface 102.
In one embodiment of the machine 1 , designed to make "boero" style single twist wraps, the gripping portions 9a, 10a for picking up the product 100 are rotatable about an axis R10, illustrated, for example, in Figures 1 and 4, which coincides for both of the gripping portions 9a, 10a when the jaws are at the close-together position.
The axis R10 extends substantially horizontally and at right angles to the jaws 9, 10 in the pickup station 6.
In practice, the axis of rotation R10 is at right angles to the axis A1 of the product 100 and to the aforementioned line D, that is to say, it is parallel to the axis A2 of the product 100 in the pickup station 6.
Preferably, the portions 9a, 10a are rotatable by 90 sexagesimal degrees about the axis R10 so that at the end of one rotation of the gripping portions 9a, 10a, the axis A1 is parallel to the line of feed D.
The gripper 7 is movable along a first circular arc 1 1 between a first operating position at the pickup station 6 and a second operating position in the exchange station 8 to grip the product 100 in the pickup station 6 and feed it to the exchange station 8.
The gripper 7 is movable along the arc 1 1 about an axis of rotation R7 preferably parallel to the axis R3.
Preferably, the gripper 7 is movable from the exchange station 8 to the pickup station 6 along the same arc 1 1 . In other words, in use, the gripper 7 oscillates along the arc 1 1 .
In practice, with reference to Figures 1 to 4, the gripper 7, in one work cycle, travels the arc 1 1 clockwise from the pickup station 6 to the exchange station 8 and travels the arc 1 1 anticlockwise from the exchange station 8 to the pickup station 6 to pick up another product 100 to be wrapped.
For convenience, the arc 1 1 is hereinafter referred to as a first trajectory followed by the product 100 in the movement of the gripper 7 about the axis R7..
In use, during the rotation of the gripper 7, the axis R10 extends radially relative to the axis R7 when the jaws 9, 10 are in the close-together position.
During one rotation of the gripper 7 about the axis R7, clockwise looking at the accompanying drawings, the jaws 9, 10 move from the close- together position in the pickup station 6 to the spaced-apart position in the exchange station 8.
If the gripping portions 9a, 10a are rotatable about the axis R10, they rotate about the axis R10 through 90° along the arc 1 1 from the pickup station 6 to the exchange station 8 and return to the initial position during the return of the gripper 7 from the exchange station 8 to the pickup station 6.
The feed unit 4 comprises a second gripper 13 which is movable between the exchange station 8 and a delivery station 14 where the product 100 is delivered to the wrapping unit 2.
The gripper 13 comprises a first and a second jaw 15, 16 movable relative to each other between a spaced-apart position, illustrated for example in Figure 4, and a close-together position, illustrated for example in Figures 1 and 2, for gripping the product 100.
The jaws 15, 16 are rotatable about respective axes of rotation not illustrated. Each jaw 15, 16 comprises a respective gripping portion for picking up the product 100 and which grips the product 100 by two opposite portions of its lateral surface 102.
The gripper 13 is movable along a second circular arc 17 between a first operating position at the exchange station 8 and a second operating position in the delivery station 14 to pick up the product 100 from the gripper 7 in the exchange station 8 and feed it to the delivery station 14. The gripper 13 is movable along the arc 17 about an axis of rotation R13 preferably parallel to the axis R3.
Preferably, the gripper 13 is movable from the delivery station 14 to the exchange station 8 along the same arc 17. In other words, in use, the gripper 13 oscillates along the arc 17.
In practice, with reference to Figures 1 to 4, the gripper 13, in one work cycle, travels the arc 17 clockwise from the exchange station 8 to the delivery station 14 and travels the arc 17 anticlockwise from the delivery station 14 to the exchange station 8 to pick up another product 100 from the gripper 7.
For convenience, the arc 17 is hereinafter referred to as a second trajectory followed by the product 100 in the movement of the gripper 13 about the axis R.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the gripper 7 and the gripper 13 rotate about the same main axis of rotation R to which express reference is hereinafter made without losing in generality and corresponding to the axes R7 and R13.
The gripper 7 and the gripper 13 are rotatable about the same main axis of rotation and the arcs 1 1 and 17 are concentric.
More specifically, the arcs 1 1 and 17 are contiguous.
Preferably, the circular arc 1 1 subtends at the centre, on the main axis of rotation R, an angle between 30 sexagesimal degrees and 60 sexagesimal degrees. Preferably, the circular arc 1 1 subtends at the centre, on the main axis of rotation R, an angle of 45 sexagesimal degrees.
Preferably, the circular arc 17 subtends at the centre, on the main axis of rotation R, an angle between 30 sexagesimal degrees and 60 sexagesimal degrees.
Preferably, the circular arc 17 subtends at the centre, on the main axis of rotation R, an angle of 45 sexagesimal degrees.
The arc 1 1 and the arc 17, that is, the first and the second trajectory, are preferably consecutive.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the arcs 1 1 and 17 together subtend an angle of 90 sexagesimal degrees at the centre on the main axis R.
The product 100 is therefore transferred from the pickup station 6 to the delivery station 14 by a rotation of 90 sexagesimal degrees performed partly by the gripper 7 and partly by the gripper 13.
The product 100 follows a trajectory having the shape of a circular arc subtending in its entirety an angle of 90 sexagesimal degrees.
In the exchange station 8, a point is defined where the first gripper 7 meets the second gripper 13.
The second gripper 13 picks up the product 100 held by the first gripper 7 (which at that moment opens) and feeds it along the second trajectory 17. With reference in particular to Figure 2, it may be observed that the gripper 13 picks up the product 100 by two opposing portions of the lateral surface 102 alternated with the portions of the lateral surface 102 by which the product 100 is picked by the gripper 7.
Advantageously, in the station 6, the product 100 is centred by the gripper 7 relative to the machine 1 along the axis A2 and in the station 8, it is centred by the gripper 13, again relative to the machine 1 along the axis A3.
More specifically, from the pickup station 6 to the delivery station 14, the product 100 is correctly centred relative to a sheet of wrapping material, as explained in more detail below.
With reference to the embodiment designed to make "boero" style single twist wraps, the gripper 13 picks the product 100 up by the base 101 and by the top 103 following rotation of the gripping portions 9a, 10a about the axis R10, that is, following rotation of the product 100 about the axis A2. Advantageously, in the station 6, the product 100 is centred by the gripper 7 relative to the machine 1 along the axis A2 and in the station 8, it is centred by the gripper 13, again relative to the machine 1 along the axis A1 .
More specifically, from the pickup station 6 to the delivery station 14, the product 100 is centred relative to the axis of rotation R3 of the wrapping head 3.
Generally speaking, the movement of the first and second grippers 7, 13 about the axis R is obtained by a system of oscillating conjugate cams, not described in detail, which also controls the opening and closing of the jaws 9, 10 and of the jaws 15, 16.
For example, a first cam is provided to open and close the first gripper 7, a second cam causes the first gripper 7 to rotate about the axis R, a third cam is provided to open and close the second gripper 13, and a fourth cam causes the second gripper 13 to rotate about the axis R.
The feed unit 4 comprises a transfer device 18 operating at the delivery station 14 to transfer the product 100 from the gripper 13 to the wrapping unit 2 and to deliver it in substantially known manner to one of the aforementioned grippers 3a.
The transfer device 18 is movable between the delivery station 14 and the wrapping unit 2 preferably along a rectilinear path P at right angles to the axis of rotation R3 of the head 3.
The transfer device 18 comprises a pusher 19 and a counter-pusher 20 movable relative to each other between a spaced-apart position, illustrated for example in Figure 2, and a close-together position, illustrated for example in Figure 1 , where the product 100 is picked up in the delivery station 14.
With reference to the machine embodiment for making "boero" style single twist wraps, the transfer device 18 picks the product 100 up by two opposite portions of its lateral surface 102 and the axis A3 is parallel to the transfer path P of the products 100 following rotation of the product about the axis R10.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the transfer device 18 picks the product 100 up by the base 101 and by the top 103 and the axis A1 is parallel to the transfer path P of the products 100.
As mentioned, the transfer device 18 with the pusher 19 and the counter- pusher 20 in the close-together position is movable in a straight line along the path P which, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, is substantially horizontal.
The machine 1 , in particular the wrapping unit 2, comprises a feeder device 21 for feeding a sheet 200 of wrapping material and operating along the path P to associate the sheet 200 of wrapping material with the confectionery product 100. Preferably, the device 21 is located in the delivery station 14.
In practice, the delivery station 14 defines an infeed station of the wrapping unit 2, substantially where a sheet 200 is associated with each product 100.
Once the product 100 is provided with the sheet 200 of wrapping material, it enters the wrapping unit 2 proper which folds the sheet 200 around the product 100 in substantially known manner.
In the example illustrated, the device 21 is schematically represented as a block and is positioned relative to the path P in such a way as to feed the sheet 200 in a transverse direction, preferably at right angles to the path P itself.
In other words, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, the sheet 200 is fed vertically, preferably from the top down with reference to the drawings; that is to say, the plane of the paper is vertical.
Advantageously, that way, if the sheet 200 were to fall, it would drop freely without interfering with the operation of the machine 1 .
The feeder device 21 , the pusher 19 and the counter-pusher 20 are positioned relative to each other and coordinated in such a way that the pusher 19 and the counter-pusher 20 hold the sheet of wrapping material 200 together with the confectionery product 100 along the path P.
In practice, in the delivery station 14, the sheet 200 is positioned relative to the product 100 which is held by the gripper 13 at a predetermined position.
The pusher 19 and the counter-pusher 20 move into the close-together position while holding both the product 100 and the sheet 200 in order to feed them to the folding head 3.
The wrapping unit 2 comprises a first and a second abutment 22, 23, or fixed folders, located along the path P in such a way as to fold the sheet 200 substantially into the shape of a U around the product 100 during a stroke of the transfer device 18 from the delivery station 14 towards the folding head 3.
The device 18 thus delivers the product 100 provided with the sheet 200 folded into a U to a corresponding gripper 3a..
Thus, the product 100 and the sheet 200 are correctly positioned relative to each other at all times since the product 100 is always exactly centred on all the axes.
As illustrated in Figure 5, the machine 1 comprises a brush element 24, of substantially known type, defining a channel 25 for the passage of the product 100 and the sheet 200 in such a way as to stretch the sheet 200 on the corresponding product before they are delivered to the gripper 3a. The brush element 24 is positioned along the rectilinear path P in such a way that the product 100 and the corresponding sheet 200 cross the channel 25 during transfer by the transfer device 18 between the delivery station 14 and the wrapping unit 2.
The invention as described above brings important advantages.
Using the first and second grippers to position the product for the transfer device and for the device which feeds the sheet of wrapping material means that product movements require less accelerations than in prior art solutions and hence operating speeds are increased very significantly. The product is fed along the delivery path of the conveyor belt to the device which feeds the sheet of wrapping material and to the wrapping unit 2, in particular to the folding head, by two grippers instead of, for example, the pair of rollers normally used in continuously operating machines of known type.
Using the first gripper and the second gripper to move the product from the conveyor belt to the device which feeds the sheet of wrapping material causes the product to be precisely centred relative to the sheet of wrapping material.
When particularly fragile products such as filled chocolates, for example, are being wrapped, use of the grippers when a product breaks guarantees that the machine will remain clean and, above all, allows the machine to continue working because the product simply drops out without soiling or clogging up cavities or pockets used to hold the products.
Advantageously, the grippers hold the product without scratching or scraping it, which means, in practice, that the machine remains cleaner than in known solutions and that the product is handled very gently at all times, without being damaged.

Claims

1 ) A wrapping machine for wrapping a confectionery product (100) having at least a base surface (101 ) and a lateral surface (102), the machine comprising
- a wrapping unit (2) for wrapping the confectionery product (100);
- a feed unit (4) for feeding the confectionery product (100) to the wrapping unit (2), located upstream of the wrapping unit (2) according to a feed direction (V) of the confectionery product (100), to move the confectionery product (100) from a pickup station (6) to a delivery station (14),
- a feeder device (21 ) for feeding a sheet (200) of wrapping material, located in the delivery station (14), to associate the sheet (200) of wrapping material with the confectionery product (100),
the machine being characterized in that the feed unit (4) comprises
- a first gripper (7) movable about a first axis of rotation (R7) from the pickup station (6) to an exchange station (8) and vice versa along a first circular arc (1 1 ) to grip the confectionery product (100) in the pickup station (6), feed it to the exchange station (8) and return to the pickup station (6);
- a second gripper (13) movable about a second axis of rotation (R13) from the exchange station (8) to the delivery station (14) and vice versa along a second circular arc (17) to grip the confectionery product (100) in the exchange station (8), feed it to the delivery station (14) and return to the exchange station (8).
2) The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second axes of rotation (R7, R13) are coincident, the first and second circular arcs (1 1 ,
17) being concentric.
3) The machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the feed unit (4) comprises a transfer device (18) operating at the delivery station (14) and movable between the delivery station (14) and the wrapping unit (2) along a rectilinear path (P) to transfer the confectionery product (100) from the second gripper (13) to the wrapping unit (2).
4) The machine according to claim 3, wherein the wrapping unit (2) comprises a feeder device (21 ) for feeding a sheet (200) of wrapping material and operating along the rectilinear path (P) to associate the sheet (200) of wrapping material with the confectionery product (100) along a direction transversal to the rectilinear path (P).
5) The machine according to claim 4, wherein the transfer device (18) comprises a pusher (19) and a counter-pusher (20) movable relative to each other between a spaced-apart position and a close-together position where the confectionery product (100) is picked up by the second gripper (13) in the delivery station (14).
6) The machine according to claim 5, wherein the feeder device (21 ), the pusher (19) and the counter-pusher (20) are positioned relative to each other and coordinated in such a way that the pusher (19) and the counter-pusher (20) hold the sheet (200) of wrapping material together with the confectionery product (100) along the rectilinear path (P).
7) The machine according to any one of claims 3 to 6, comprising at least one brush element (24) defining a channel (25) for the passage of the confectionery product (100) and defined along the rectilinear path (P), for spreading a sheet (200) of wrapping material over the confectionery product (100) between the delivery station (14) and the wrapping unit (2).
8) The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the feed unit (4) comprises a conveyor belt (5) for feeding the product
(100) to the pickup station (6), the first gripper (7) picking up the product (100) from the conveyor belt (5) in the pickup station (6).
9) The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first circular arc (1 1 ) subtends at the centre, on the first axis of rotation (R7), a first angle of between 30 sexagesimal degrees and 60 sexagesimal degrees, the first angle at the centre being preferably 45 sexagesimal degrees.
10) The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second circular arc (17) subtends at the centre, on the second axis of rotation (R13), a second angle of between 30 sexagesimal degrees and 60 sexagesimal degrees, the second angle at the centre being preferably 45 sexagesimal degrees.
1 1 ) The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first circular arc (1 1 ) subtends a first angle at the centre on the first axis of rotation (R7) and the second circular arc (17) subtends a second angle at the centre on the second axis of rotation (R13), the sum of the first and second angles at the centre being 90 sexagesimal degrees, the first and the second axes of rotation (R7, R13) being coincident.
12) The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first gripper (7) comprises a first and a second jaw (9, 10) movable relative to each other between a spaced-apart position and a close- together position where the confectionery product (100) is gripped by a respective first gripping portion (9a) and a second gripping portion (10a), both rotatable about a third axis of rotation (R10) coinciding for the first portion (9a) and for the second portion (10a) and extending radially relative to the first axis of rotation (R7) when the first and second jaws (9, 10) are in the close-together position, the first and second gripping portions (9a, 10a) being preferably rotatable by at least 90 sexagesimal degrees about the third axis (R10).
13) The machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the feed unit (4) is made up of the first gripper (7) and the second gripper (13) and comprises a transfer device (18) which is movable between the delivery station (14) and the wrapping unit (2) along a rectilinear path (P) to transfer the confectionery product (100) from the second gripper (13) to the wrapping unit (2).
EP16758272.5A 2015-07-29 2016-07-29 Machine for wrapping confectionery products Active EP3328740B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PL16758272T PL3328740T3 (en) 2015-07-29 2016-07-29 Machine for wrapping confectionery products

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITUB2015A002575A ITUB20152575A1 (en) 2015-07-29 2015-07-29 Wrapping machine for confectionery products.
PCT/IB2016/054569 WO2017017652A1 (en) 2015-07-29 2016-07-29 Machine for wrapping confectionery products

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3328740A1 true EP3328740A1 (en) 2018-06-06
EP3328740B1 EP3328740B1 (en) 2019-06-26

Family

ID=54329960

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
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EP (1) EP3328740B1 (en)
IT (1) ITUB20152575A1 (en)
PL (1) PL3328740T3 (en)
WO (1) WO2017017652A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102017127156A1 (en) * 2017-11-17 2019-05-23 Theegarten-Pactec Gmbh & Co. Kg Rotary head with longitudinally movable folding channel

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB542574A (en) * 1938-12-30 1942-01-16 Lauenstein & Co G M B H Improvements in or relating to a system of wrapping articles
CH313274A (en) * 1950-04-08 1956-03-31 G D Societa Anonima Mechanism of feeding objects to a machine
ITBO20040766A1 (en) * 2004-12-14 2005-03-14 Fima Srl POWER SUPPLY IN LINE WITH FOLDING STAR OF MACHINES FOR PACKAGING
ES2373413T3 (en) * 2008-04-18 2012-02-03 Theegarten-Pactec Gmbh & Co. Kg PRODUCT CONTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND CORRESPONDING PROCEDURE.
EP2942293B8 (en) * 2014-05-05 2017-11-29 M.C. AUTOMATIONS S.r.l. Apparatus for wrapping confectionery products

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP3328740B1 (en) 2019-06-26
WO2017017652A1 (en) 2017-02-02
PL3328740T3 (en) 2019-10-31
ITUB20152575A1 (en) 2017-01-29

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