The present invention relates to a device for applying, around groups of two or more containers, a tape provided on one surface with adhesive without discontinuities.

It is known that the market often requires a type of packaging of containers, especially of beverages, that provides the formation of groups formed by two or more of said containers.

A classic method for the formation of such groups consists in applying, around the containers intended to form each group, a tape that is provided with a film of adhesive without discontinuities at the surface directed toward said containers. In this manner, fixed groups of containers are joined to each other and made available to users.

Currently known devices for providing the method described above are unable to offer the high productivities currently required, and therefore the aim of the present invention is to provide a device for applying a tape around groups of containers that is capable of operating with high productivity.

This aim is achieved by a device for applying, around groups of two or more containers, a tape provided on one surface with adhesive without discontinuities, according to the invention, characterized in that it comprises the characteristics described in the appended claims.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention;

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are views of three different operating modes of the device of the present invention.

With reference to the figures, the numeral 1 designates a rotating carousel provided with a plurality of plates for supporting the containers, of which only the ones designated by 2, 3 and 4 are shown.

Such plates are shaped so that each one accommodates a group of containers to be wrapped together by means of a tape 5, drawn from a reel 6, which is mounted on a roller 6a that is motorized by the motor 6b; it is important to note that said tape 5 has, on the surface in contact with the reel 6, a layer of adhesive that has no discontinuities, i.e., is applied to the surface without any interruption.

Thus, Figure 1 shows for example the two containers 2a, 2b rested on the plate 2 and already wrapped and joined by means of a portion of tape 5a, the two containers 3a, 3b rested on the plate 3 and intended to be wrapped and joined by a portion of tape 5b, shown still adhering to a per se known cutting and transfer drum 7, and finally the containers 4a, 4b, which rest on the plate 4 and will be wrapped by a portion of tape 5c, also shown still adhering to the cutting and transfer drum 7.

In a known manner, the cutting and transfer drum 7 is fed with tape 5 by means of an unwinding roller 8, which in turn receives such tape 5 from a preliminary unwinding roller 9, and between the two rollers 8, 9 there is a compensation buffer 10, of a known type, which acts in the sense of maintaining the correct tension of the tape 5 when the speed of the two rollers is not synchronized perfectly.

The preliminary unwinding roller 9 separates the tape 5 from the reel 6, which is mounted on the roller 6a moved by the motor 6b with an angular velocity that varies as a function of the diameter of said reel under known control on the part of a photocell 11 , and for this purpose it has enough power to overcome the separation force, which is subject to unpredictable variables, such as most of all those that arise from the state, type and thickness of the film of adhesive that is present on the tape 5. In order to deal with the unpredictable changes caused by the variables without affecting the operation of the machine, there is therefore, comprised within the control unit of the machine, a compensation device between the preliminary unwinding roller 9 and the roller 6a of the reel 6, which intervenes when the speed of said rollers is not synchronized perfectly to maintain the tension of the tape 5 at a correct value.

For this purpose, the compensation device is provided with means for detecting the position of the portion of tape comprised between the section 6c for separation from the reel 6 and the preliminary unwinding roller 9, and such means comprise the photocell 12.

If the reel 6 and the roller 9 have the same peripheral speed, the position of the controlled portion of the tape is the one shown, designated indeed by the reference numeral 5, in Figures 1 and 2, and the beam of the photocell is materialized by the line 12a; in this case, the compensation device leaves things as they are.

If the roller 9 decelerates or accelerates with respect to the reel 6, the controlled portion of tape moves respectively toward the positions designated by 5d in Figure 3 and by 5e in Figure 4, on opposite sides with respect to the position 5 shown in such figures with a broken line, at the limit of the danger of tearing the tape.

Accordingly, the materialized beam of the photocell 12 assumes the different lengths 12b, 12c and the compensation device returns the portion of tape toward the position 5.

The described invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; thus, for example, instead of the photocell 12 there can be an ultrasound device.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. VR2013A000193 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.