MACHINE FOR PACKAGING ITEMS INSIDE RELATIVE CASES

Technical field

[01] The present invention relates to a machine for packaging items inside relative cases, in particular cartons.

Background of the invention

[02] The use of automatic machines, commonly known as cartoning machines, which are capable of inserting one or more items, for example pharmaceutical products, food products and the like, into a its case, in particular a carton, is known in the field of packaging of various types of items.

[03] These cartoning machines usually comprise a conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged and a conveyor line for transporting the case intended for packaging said items, arranged side by side for example in a horizontal direction. The conveyor lines for transporting items and cases are operated with intermittent or continuous feeding.

[04] At the side of the conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged, a transfer device is arranged which is capable of inserting the items into the relative cases.

[05] The transfer device is equipped with a plurality of pushing elements which, suitably operated in phase relation with the feeding of the items to be packaged and the related cases, push the items inside said cases.

[06] For this purpose, the cases, fed in a flattened form to the cartoning machine, are placed in volume in a suitable station of the machine, so as to appear in a substantially tubular shape in front of the items to be packaged.

[07] The pushing elements are operated, for example, by means of cams, fixed to the structure of the machine, which control the alternating translation of the pushing elements between a backward position and an forward position for pushing the items inside the cases.

[08] A cartoning machine of this type is illustrated for example in the United States patent US 5,388,389 and in the European patent application EP 0 187 625.

[09] Said cartoning machines generally have a very large footprint, due to the various operating stations required to insert the items into the relative cases. In particular, in the cartoning machines with continuous motion, said device for transferring the items inside the relative cases, arranged at the side of the conveyor lines of the items and cases, contributes significantly to determining this significant size.

[10] It is also complained that, in known cartoning machines, it is not easy to ensure the required cleaning of the operating members, for example due to the lurking of dirt in the interstices of the cam means that control the translation of the pushing elements of the transfer device.

Disclosure [11] The aim of the present invention is to solve said problems, devising a cartoning machine that implements in an optimal manner the packaging of items inside the relative cases.

[12] A further object of the invention is to provide a cartoning machine having reduced overall dimensions, in particular optimizing the space required by the various parts of the machine.

[13] Another object of the invention is to provide a cartoning machine that ensures the correct hygienic conditions of the packaged items.

[14] Still another object of the invention is to provide a cartoning machine that allows easy maintenance of members thereof, in particular for periodic cleaning operations.

[15] A further object of the invention is to provide a cartoning machine having simple constructive and functional conception, reliable operation, versatile use, as well as relatively unexpensive.

[16] Said purposes are achieved, according to the present invention, by the cartoning machine according to claim 1.

[17] The cartoning machine comprises a first conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged and a second conveyor line for transporting the cases intended for packaging said items, arranged side by side.

[18] Said first conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged and said second conveyor line for transporting cases comprise respective belt conveyors which expand along a closed loop path.

[19] Said closed path of said conveyor belts has an upper active branch, for transporting said items and said cases, respectively, and a lower return branch, not active.

[20] Said conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged and said conveyor line for cases are adapted to be operated with a continuous forward motion along a substantially horizontal direction of travel.

[21] Advantageously, said continuous feeding motion of said conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged and of said conveyor line for transporting the cases has the same speed at least at an area for inserting the items into the relative cases.

[22] The cartoning machine also comprises a transfer device suitable for inserting said items into said relative cases.

[23] According to the present invention, said transfer device is associated with said conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged in a position contained within the overall dimensions of said conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged and said conveyor line for transporting the cases.

[24] Preferably, said transfer device is equipped with a plurality of inserting members adapted to be operated in sequence upon command of actuator means to operate said insertion of said items into said relative cases. [25] Preferably, said inserting members are moved along a closed path substantially peripheral to said transfer device.

[26] Preferably, said inserting members have zero relative speed with respect to the continuous feeding motion of said conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged and of said conveyor line for transporting the cases, at least at an area for inserting the items into the relative cases.

[27] Preferably, said inserting members comprise respective pushing members adapted to engage cam means associated with the support structure of said transfer device.

[28] Preferably, said pushing members are supported alternately movable, in a transversal direction to said conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged and to said conveyor line for transporting the cases.

[29] Advantageously, said cam means are adapted to control the alternate translation of said pushing members between a backward position and a forward position for pushing the items inside the cases.

[30] Advantageously, according to the present invention, said transfer device suitable for inserting said items into said relative cases is housed inside a compartment associated in an extractable manner to said conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged, at a position contained in the overall dimensions of the same conveyor line of the items to be packaged.

[31] Preferably, said compartment bearing said transfer device is entirely contained within a compartment defined between said upper active branch and said lower return branch of said belt conveyors which extend along a closed loop path which defines said transport line for transporting the items to be packaged and of said conveyor line for transporting cases arranged side by side.

[32] Preferably, said pushing members protrude from the front of said compartment.

[33] Preferably, said compartment is made accessible through an opening made in a front casing of said conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged.

[34] Preferably, said compartment comprises a pair of opposite, respectively front and rear, walls connected by a plurality of transverse rods.

[35] Preferably, said inserting members are moved along said closed path by means of a pair of support members arranged adjacent respectively to said opposite, front and rear walls, and constrained to means of transmission of motion.

[36] Preferably, said pair of support members is constrained by a respective pair of shafts which extend transversely to the direction of motion.

[37] Preferably, said inserting members respectively comprise a slide rigidly constrained to a relative pushing member and freely movable along said pair of shafts, said slide bearing means suitable for engaging said cam means. [38] Preferably, a belt with articulated elements is associated, frontally to said compartment, to said inserting members, arranged to annularly surround said front wall of said compartment.

[39] Preferably said front wall and said belt with articulated elements are adapted to close said input opening made on said front casing of said conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged, to isolate said compartment from the external environment.

Description of drawings

[40] The details of the invention will become more evident from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus, illustrated for information purposes in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the cartoning machine according to the present invention;

Figures 2 shows a similar perspective view of the cartoning machine with parts removed in order to view internal members;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a different embodiment of the cartoning machine according to the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a device for transferring the items into the relative cases operating in the cartoning machine;

Figure 5 shows a detail view of a pushing member of said transfer device;

Figures 6, 7 and 8 show respectively a side view, a plan view and a front view of said transfer device.

Best mode

[41] With particular reference to these figures, the reference numeral 1 indicates as a whole the machine for packaging items inside related cases.

[42] The cartoning machine 1 comprises a conveyor line 10 for transporting the items to be packaged and a conveyor line 20 for transporting the cases intended for packaging said items. The conveyor lines 10 for transporting the items to be packaged and the conveyor lines 20 for transporting the cases are arranged side by side so as to define respective substantially coplanar active branches.

[43] The conveyor line 10 for transporting the items to be packaged and the conveyor line 20 for transporting the cases are adapted to be operated with a continuous forward motion along a substantially horizontal direction, on command of motor members known per se and not shown in the drawings.

[44] In particular, said continuous forward motion of the conveyor line 10 for transporting the items to be packaged and of the conveyor line 20 for transporting the cases has the same speed at least at an area for inserting the items into the relative cases.

[45] More specifically, the conveyor line 10 for transporting the items to be packaged comprises a belt conveyor equipped with a plurality of parallel belts 11 which wind along a closed loop path, defined by a plurality of pulleys. This closed path has an upper active branch for transporting the items, and a lower return branch, not active.

[46] Preferably there are three belts 11. The belts 11 bear integral, suitably spaced apart, pairs of pallets 12 suitable for defining, between each other, respective pockets suitable for containing the items to be packaged. Conveniently, the mutual distance of said pallets 12 can be adjusted to vary the width of the pockets according to the format of the items to be packaged.

[47] The items are transported in the pockets which run along the active upper branch of said closed path of the belts 11 which form the conveyor line 11.

[48] The conveyor line 10 is closed at the front by a casing 13.

[49] Similarly, the conveyor line 20 for transporting the cases comprises a belt conveyor equipped with a plurality of parallel belts 21 which wind along a closed loop path, defined by a plurality of pulleys. This closed path has an active upper branch, for transporting the cases, and a lower return branch, not active.

[50] The belts 21 bear integral, suitably spaced apart, pairs of prongs 22 capable of defining, between each other, respective pockets capable of containing the cases to be filled. Conveniently, the mutual distance of said prongs 22 can be adjusted to change the width of the pockets according to the format of the cases.

[51] As specified below, the cases transported along the conveyor line 20, inside the pockets defined by the prongs 22, are substantially tubular in front of the items to be packaged. The cases are indicated with the numerical reference 2.

[52] The cases 2 are obtained starting from suitable die-cut elements, for example die-cut cardboard, contained in a flattened form inside a vertically developed storage 3 associated with the frame of the cartoning machine 1.

[53] The cases are collected in a flattened form from the storage 3 and fed to the conveyor line 20 by means of a rotating device 4 which provides for the volume of the die-cut elements.

[54] Fig. 3 shows a different embodiment of the cartoning machine which differs in that the pitch, i.e. the width of the pockets defined by the pallets 12 and by the prongs 22 of the lines 10 and 20, is double. In this case it is not necessary to have a vertically developed storage to contain the die-cut elements in a flattened form; the die-cut elements are fed in line to the rotating device 4 which provides for their volume up.

[55] The cartoning machine 1 also comprises a transfer device 30 suitable for inserting the items into the relative cases.

[56] According to the present invention, the transfer device 30 is associated with the conveyor line 10 for transporting the items to be packaged in a position contained within the overall dimensions of the same conveyor line 10 for transporting the items to be packaged. More precisely, the transfer device 30 is contained within the compartment defined between the upper active branch and the lower return branch of the conveyor line 10 for transporting the items to be packaged and of the conveyor line 20 for transporting the cases 2.

[57] In particular, the transfer device 30 is housed inside a compartment 31 associated in an extractable manner to the conveyor line 10 for transporting the items to be packaged. This compartment 31 is made accessible through an opening 14 made on the front casing 13 of the conveyor line 10 of the items to be packaged.

[58] As shown in detail in Fig. 4, the compartment 31 comprises a pair of opposite, respectively front and rear, walls 32 connected by a plurality of transverse rods 33. In particular, in the illustrated case, the transverse rods 33 are four, arranged coplanar on a horizontal plane substantially middle to the compartment 31.

[59] The transfer device 30 is equipped with a plurality of inserting members 34 adapted to be operated in sequence on command of special actuator means to operate the insertion of the items in the relative cases 2.

[60] The inserting members 34 are moved along a closed path, substantially peripheral to the compartment 31 , by a pair of support members 35 arranged adjacent, on the rear side, respectively to the opposite, front and rear walls 32. The support members 35 forming each pair of support members have vise-shaped portions 36 for fixing to the opposite ends of a respective pair of shafts 37.

[61] The support members 35 arranged adjacent to each wall 32 are constrained to a belt 38 which winds on a respective pair of pulleys, not visible in the drawings, along said closed path, substantially peripheral to the compartment 31. The pulleys are constrained to a pair of transverse rods 33 of said plurality of transverse rods 33, in particular the transverse rods 33 which are more distant from each other; the first of said transverse rods 33 is supported freely rotatable by the compartment 31, while the second is adapted to be rotated by suitable motor members, not shown, for moving the inserting members 34 along said closed path, substantially peripheral to the compartment 31.

[62] It should be noted that a belt 39 with articulated elements, arranged to annularly surround the front wall 32, is also associated with the inserting members 34 in front of the compartment 31. During use, the wall 32 and the belt 39 with articulated elements are adapted to close the opening 14 made on the front casing 13 of the conveyor line 10, isolating the compartment 31 from the external environment.

[63] The inserting members 34 are equipped with respective pushing members 40 which come out from the compartment 31 to act on the items to be packaged. The pushing members 40 are supported alternately movable, in a transverse direction to the conveyor line 10 for transporting the items to be packaged and to the conveyor line 20 for transporting the cases, between a backward position and a forward position for pushing the items inside the cases 2.

[64] More particularly, as shown in detail in Fig. 5, each pushing member 40 has a head 41 , having substantially a hammer shape and is connected through a transverse arm 42 to a stem 43 parallel to the pushing member 40; obviously the shape of the pushing member 40 can be different depending on the format of the items to be packaged. The stem 43 passes, freely sliding, through a relative support member 35 arranged adjacent, on the rear side, to the front wall 32 of the compartment 31. At the end placed inside the compartment 31 , the stem 43 is made integral with a sleeve 44 which is mounted freely sliding on the pair of shafts 37 which connect the respective pair of support members 35.

[65] The sleeve 44 is constrained to a slide 45 which in turn is mounted freely sliding on the pair of shafts 37. Suitably, the sleeve 44 is constrained to the slide 45 by means of a quick coupling mechanism, so as to allow mutual detachment for maintenance and the like.

[66] The slide 45 carries a roller 46 capable of engaging cam means 50 associated with the structure of the compartment 31. The cam means 50 are adapted to control the alternate translation of the pushing members 40 between said backward disengagement and forward push positions.

[67] The operation of the cartoning machine is easy to understand from the above description.

[68] The conveyor line 10 fed with the items to be packaged and the conveyor line 20 fed with the cases 2 arranged in tubular shape move forward in synchronism with continuous motion at the same speed. In turn, the inserting members 34 of the transfer device 30 move with the same tangential speed along the closed path defined on the compartment 31.

[69] Therefore, the inserting members 34 of the transfer device 30 have zero relative speed with respect to the continuous feeding motion of the conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged and of the conveyor line 20 for transporting the cases, at least at an area where the items are inserted into the relative cases.

[70] At this insertion area, the pushing members 40 that come out of the compartment 31 are operated in a direction transversal to the conveyor line 10 for transporting the items to be packaged and to the conveyor line 20 for transporting the cases, to pass from a backward position to a forward position pushing the items inside their cases 2.

[71] The alternating movement of the pushing members 40 is operated through the cam means 50, engaged by the slides 45 carried on the shafts 37 of the compartment 31 ; the slides 45 are associated with the respective pushing members 40 by means of the stems 43 fastened to the sleeves 44.

[72] In a known way, the alternating movement of the pushing members 40 guided by the cam means 50 pushes the items contained in the pockets of the conveyor line 10 inside the cases 2 arranged in tubular form inside the relative pockets of the conveyor line 20. [73] Near the exit from the conveyor line 20, the cases 2 carrying the related inserted items pass through a station for closing the cases, which is not part of the present invention.

[74] The described cartoning machine achieves the purpose of optimally carrying out the automatic packaging of items inside relative cases.

[75] In particular, the cartoning machine according to the invention optimizes the space required by the different parts of the machine, specifically making the space, required by the device for transferring items, substantially zero.

[76] This is made possible thanks to the inventive idea of housing the transfer device inside a compartment associated with the conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged. In particular, this compartment carrying the transfer device is housed within the space defined between the upper active branch and the lower return branch of the belt conveyor that defines the conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged. Therefore the transfer device is contained within the volume of the conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged and so it does not add a volume of its own to the overall volume of the cartoning machine.

[77] A prerogative of the cartoning machine object of the invention is given by the fact that said compartment carrying the transfer device is associated in an extractable manner to the conveyor line for transporting the items to be packaged. This allows easy access to the operating members of the transfer device for suitable cleaning, maintenance and the like.

[78] According to the present invention, it is also possible to completely uncouple from the cartoning machine, in a simple way, the compartment carrying the transfer device, in order to replace the entire assembly in case of breakages or for a quick change of format, if needed.

[79] A further advantage offered by the cartoning machine in question is to ensure greater cleaning of the operating parts of the transfer device, thanks to the fact that in use the compartment is not in communication with the external environment. In addition to preventing possible jamming, due for example to the accumulation of dirt inside the cam means, this ensures the correct hygienic conditions of the packaged items, in particular in the case of pharmaceutical, food and similar products.

[80] The cartoning machine described by way of example is subject to numerous modifications and variations according to the different requirements.

[81] In the practical embodiment of the invention, the used materials, as well as the shape and the dimensions, may be modified depending on needs.

[82] Should the technical features mentioned in any claim be followed by reference signs, such reference signs were included strictly with the aim of enhancing the understanding of the claims and hence they shall not be deemed restrictive in any manner whatsoever on the scope of each element identified for exemplifying purposes by such reference signs.