A MACHINE FOR PACKAGING MATTRESSES

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical sector of mattress packaging.

For mattresses made of a spongy material, for example latex, and not provided with springs, the prior art comprises a packaging process which includes spiral-rolling of the mattress and the stabilising of the resulting configuration, for example by insertion thereof in a bag.

The rolling operation can be preceded by a stage of compressing the mattress in order to reduce the thickness thereof and therefore to reduce to the maximum diameter of the spiral-rolled mattress.

Background Art

On 08/09/2005, the present applicant obtained an Italian patent for industrial invention, no. 1 ,329,172, relating to a "Method and Apparatus for Packaging Mattresses".

The above-mentioned patent concerns mattresses already inserted in corresponding enveloping bags, which are supplied to a press with the open side of the bag facing upstream, and are there subjected to a compressing action which reduces the thickness thereof.

At the end of the compressing action, a welding bar is activated to stably join the flaps of the bag about the mattress, thus preventing the mattress from newly expanding after the press is re-opened.

The bag is advantageously of a size such that posteriorly of the welding there remains a length, or "tail" which is destined to receive, at the transversal end edge, a strip of adhesive tape, which at the end of the rolling process will stabilise the spiral configuration of the mattress.

The apparatus of the above-cited patent advantageously exhibits a spiral- rolling station which comprises two half-shells, of which one is fixed and the other is hinged thereto, such as to be able to open inferiorly in order to enable the completed package to be unloaded.

A first operating limit of the above technical solution relates to the fact that the apparatus can only roll mattresses inserted in bags, and the bags must be of a suitable length to enable stabilisation, using adhesive tape, of the above- mentioned spiral-rolled configurations.

Further, the above-described apparatus is conformed such that the external diameter of the roll obtained is fixed, independently of the thickness of the mattress.

In other words, a smaller spiral cannot be obtained to reduce overall packaged size, when the thickness of the mattress would permit such a reduction, and vice versa.

Summary of the Invention

The aim of the present invention is thus to provide a machine for packaging mattresses which is conformed such as to enable a variation in rolled-up diameter from a minimum to a maximum, to be defined according to the thickness thereof.

A further aim of the invention consists in providing a machine which can package mattresses independently of the fact that they are already packaged, or not, in a relative bag.

The above mentioned aims are obtained, in accordance with the contents of the claims, by a machine for packaging mattresses, of a type comprising a supply station destined to receive a horizontally-arranged mattress to be conveyed to a rolling station comprising a plurality of rolling rollers, partly arranged in a fixed section of the station and partly arranged in an openable section, arranged in respective curved lines to define internally thereof a

practically-cylindrical rolling chamber, the machine being characterised in that it further comprises sliding organs, interposed between the fixed section and the openable section, for regulating a mutual distance between the fixed section and the openable section in order to vary, within a predetermined range, a base area of the rolling chamber and in order to determine corresponding rolling diameters of the mattress comprised between a minimum value and a maximum value.

Brief description of the Drawings

The characteristics of the invention will better emerge from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the machine of the invention, as claimed in the appended claims and with the aid of the accompanying figures of the drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a lateral schematic view of the machine, with the rolling station predisposed for the minimum rolling diameter;

figure 2 illustrates, in the same view as in figure 1 , the machine with the rolling station predisposed for the maximum rolling diameter;

figure 3 illustrates detail K of figure 2, with some parts removed better to evidence others;

figures 4A, 4B are lateral views of two operating stages of the organs of figure 3;

figures 5, 6 are schematic lateral views in enlarged scale of the organs for adjusting the diameter in the rolling station, respectively in the maximum and minimum diameter configurations;

figures 7, 8A, 8B, 8C schematically illustrate the stages of packaging of a mattress, in a first operating mode;

figures 9, 10, 1 1 A, 1 1 B, 1 1 C schematically illustrate the stages of packaging

of a mattress, in a second operating mode;

figures 12 and 13 illustrate, in views which are similar to those of figures 5 and 6, constructional variants of the rolling station.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

With reference to the above-mentioned figures of the drawings, 100 denotes in its entirety the packaging machine of the invention, comprising, in a known way, a supply station S1 destined to receive a horizontally- lying mattress M, to be conveyed to a rolling station S2, arranged downstream of the supply station S1 , in which rolling station S2 the mattress M will be spiral-rolled in order to facilitate transport and stocking thereof.

In the illustrated machine 100, the supply station S1 is provided with known pressors P and welding means (the latter not illustrated) which are made operative only with already-bagged mattresses M (bag B), while for non- bagged mattresses M they are deactivated, as will be more fully explained herein below.

Alternatively, machines can be provided without the pressor organs and the welding means, if the machines are destined only to roll non-bagged mattresses M.

The rolling station S2 comprises a plurality of rolling rollers 1 , arranged partly in a fixed section 21 of the station S2 and partially in an openable section 22, in respective curved lines, defining, internally thereof, a rolling chamber 10 having a practically cylindrical shape and a horizontal axis.

In the fixed section 21 , means 25 are located upstream of the rolling chamber 10, for supporting the mattress when the mattress arrives in an extended configuration from the supply station S1 , and for guiding the mattress towards the upper inlet 10A of the rolling chamber 10.

The means for supporting and guiding 25, in the embodiment of figures from 1

to 6, are constituted by a lower horizontal roller plane 26 and a deviator roller 27, located above the lower horizontal roller plane 26, close to the inlet 1 OA.

The deviator roller 27 intercepts the front end of the mattress M and directs it towards the inlet 1 OA.

In the invention, the machine 100 comprises sliding organs 3, interposed between the fixed and openable sections 21 and 22, which regulate the mutual distance between the fixed and openable sections 21 and 22 within a predetermined range, in order to change the base area of the rolling chamber 10.

The displacement between the fixed section 21 and the openable section 22 gives rise to slight variations in the profile of the base area of the rolling chamber 10, due to the fact that the radii of curvature, on which the fixed and openable sections 21 , 22 are arranged, are obviously unchanged and the respective centres thereof can coincide only at a predetermined point of the permitted opening between the sections 21 , 22.

In the enclosed figures of the drawings, as a non-limiting embodiment, the profile is seen to be close to a circumference in proximity of the maximum distance position between the fixed section 21 and the openable section 22 (figures 6, 13), while it is more oval in the minimum distance position (figures 5, 12).

However, it is stressed that the above-described variations do not minimally influence the operability of the machine, as it is entirely obvious that the rolled mattress, once it has exited the rolling chamber 10, spontaneously finds the regular form to be assumed by elastic reaction.

The sliding organs 3 are constituted, for example, by horizontal stems 30 (of which only one is visible in figures 5 and 6) symmetrically arranged and made integral to the sides of the fixed section 21 , respective sleeves 31 being slidably coupled to the stems 30, the sleeves 31 being made integral to the

bearing structure 220 of the openable section 22.

A horizontal rack 32 is fixed to at least one of the sleeves 31 , which rack 32 is destined to enmesh with a pinion 33 associated to a motor 34, preferably electronically-controlled, for example of the brushless or step type.

The motor 34 is managed by a control unit, not illustrated; by means of a control panel (also not illustrated) connected to the control unit the operator can set the required measurement for the rolling diameter for the mattress M; there follows activation of the motor 34 in one direction or another to determine the translation of the openable section 22 with respect to the fixed section 21 between the positions corresponding to the minimum base area (figures 1 and 5) and the maximum base area (figures 2 and 6) of the rolling chamber 10.

A jack 221 is associated, in a known way, to the bearing structure 220 of the openable section 22, which jack 221 commands the rotation of the openable part 22 according to an axis X that coincides with the axis of a roller 1 A, for inferiorly opening the rolling chamber 10 at end of operations.

The machine 100 further comprises dispensing organs 4, associated to the rolling station S2, for supplying the rolling station S2, in phase relation with the rolling of the mattress M, with a film 40 of waterproof material unwinding from a reel 41 which will be wound about the mattress M in strict adherence thereto.

The reel 41 is supported in the upper part of the machine 100 and the film 40, which exhibits a greater width than the width of the mattress M, is unwound in a downwards direction and transits between the dispensing organs 4 constituted, for example, by transversal pliers 42, openable and closable by first jacks 43, respectively for allowing transit and holding the film 40, with the pliers 42 activated in a perpendicular direction to the opening and closing direction by second jacks 44 supported by the bearing structure 220 of the openable section 22 (figures 3, 4A, 4B).

A welding bar 5 is provided internally of the rolling chamber 10, which welding bar 5 is mobile in a more-or-less vertical direction by action of relative actuators 50, also supported on the structure 220 (figures 5 and 6).

The welding bar 5 acts transversally on the film 40 at the end of the winding operation, as will be more fully described herein below.

Finally, the machine 100 comprises welding means 6 located downstream of the rolling station S2, which act on the heads of the tubular package which has exited the rolling station S2 in order to close and seal the heads (figures 1 and 2).

The functioning of the machine 100 will now be described; the machine 100 according to the present invention exhibits various similarities with the apparatus described in the patent belonging to the same applicant and mentioned in the premises to the present document.

Differently to the above-mentioned apparatus, the machine 100 can package, as already mentioned, mattresses M provided with a bag B or without the bag.

In a case where the mattress M is non-bagged, the pressor organs and the welding means in the supplying station S1 are deactivated; the rolling diameter to be obtained is regulated by setting the control panel which commands the motor 34 of the sliding organs 3.

The salient stages of the functioning cycle are schematically illustrated in figures from 7 to 8C, considering, purely by way of example, that as in this case the mattress cannot be pre-compressed, a large-size rolling chamber 10 is required for a maximum rolling diameter D2.

In figure 7, the mattress M, in a stretched configuration, is about to be introduced into the rolling chamber 10, in which it is to be spiral-wound, as illustrated in figure 8A.

The dispensing organs 4 are activated in phase-relation with the entrance of

the terminal part of the mattress M into the chamber 10, with the closing of the transversal pliers 42 and the descent thereof (see also figure 4B) in order to introduce the film 40 into the rolling chamber 10, and to enable the film 40 to be inserted between the mattress M and the rollers 1.

The pliers 42 are then opened and made to rise into the initial position (see also figure 4A), while the film 40 is unwound from the reel 41 and wound, for a predetermined number of revolutions of the reel 41 , in strict adherence on the mattress M; at this point the welding bar 5 is activated to descend until it intercepts the tubular package thus realised, in order to cut the now-wound length of film 40 from the reel 41 , and to join the posterior end of the cut length of film 40 to the underlying spires of the same film 40 (figure 8B).

Then the jack 221 is activated to open the openable section 22, enabling the unloading of the tubular package, which package is then conveyed by force of gravity to the welding means 6 which act on the heads of the package to close and seal them (figure 8C).

For mattresses M with envelope-type covers B, the pressors organs P and the connected welding means are activated, then the rolling diameter is regulated which in this case, and purely by way of example, and with the mattress M precompressed, is considered to be the minimum rolling diameter D1.

The mattresses M are introduced into the supply station S1 with the open side of the envelope B facing backwards (figure 9), and are vertically compressed by the pressor organs P in order to reduce the thickness thereof; the welding means 6 are activated in phase relation to stabilise the configuration with the closing of the open side (figure 10).

The successive stages, illustrated in figures 1 1 A, 1 1 B, 1 1 C, are the same as those previously described for the unpacked mattress, with reference to figures 8A, 8B, 8C.

With an already-bagged mattress M, a package is obtained which offers a

double protection and enables the final retailer to remove the film 40, so that the mattress can be extended, while leaving the mattress itself protected by the bag B.

In figures 12, 13 two construction variants of the rolling station S2 are illustrated, which two variants are preferably used in combination, even though, from a functional point of view, they are independent of one another.

The first of the variants relates to the means 25 for supporting and guiding the mattress M towards the inlet 1 OA of the rolling chamber 10.

Apart from the lower horizontal roller, the means 25, in the variant, comprise a second upper horizontal roller 28, opposite the first, which is destined to contact the mattress M superiorly.

The horizontal upper roller 28 is included in place of the deviator roller 27 and optimises the same functions as performed by the deviator roller 27.

To this end, the upper horizontal roller 28 is advantageously associated to the bearing structure 220 of the openable section 22, conformed for the purpose.

Consequently, the upper roller 28 follows the movements of the openable section 22 in the adjustments of the dimensions of the rolling chamber 10, maintaining the same position with respect to the pivot roller 1 A of the rolling chamber 10; thus the roller 28 is always located ideally for directing the end of the mattress M towards the inlet 1 OA, whatever the size preset for the rolling chamber 10, and therefore independently of the variations in the dimensions of the inlet 10A which derive therefrom (see figures 12 and 13).

The second of the variants relates to the low part of the rolling chamber 10, in the zone where the two adjacent rollers 1 B, 1 C are neared to one another, respectively belonging one to the fixed section 21 and the other to the openable section 22.

Oscillating arms 29 (of which only one is visible) are hinged to the ends of one

of the two rollers, for example the roller 1 B of the fixed section 21 ; the oscillating arms 29 rotatably support a supplementary roller 1 S.

The arms 29 are activated by an actuator, not illustrated, which determines for them and for the associated supplementary roller 1 S two extreme positions Z1 , Z2, one of which positions is a rest position, in which the supplementary roller 1 S is external of the rollers 1 B, 1 C and another of which positions is a work position, in which the supplementary roller 1 S is interposed between the rollers 1 B, 1 C.

The rest position Z1 is set in phase relation with the minimum dimensions of the rolling chamber 10, when the fixed section 21 and the openable section 22 are close or side-by-side (figure 12) and, consequently, the rollers 1 B, 1 C are sufficiently close to one another in order to guarantee continuity of the relative rolling diameter.

By increasing the dimensions of the rolling chamber 10, with a progressive distancing of the openable section 22 with respect to the fixed section 21 , the two rollers 1 B, 1 C are distanced and a space is created between them, which interrupts the continuity of the rolling diameter and can cause catching and jagging of the front end of the mattress M in the initial stage of rolling.

When the space between the rollers 1 B, 1 C is sufficient, the supplementary roller 1 S is arranged in the relative work position Z2, interposing between the two, such as to re-establish the continuity (figure 13) and ensure a regular rolling operation.

A further construction variant, not illustrated, relates to the location of the welding means 6, which instead of being downstream of the rolling station S2, as illustrated, can be placed at the same position thereas.

In this case, the means 6 comprise, at the sides of the rolling chamber 10, pressor organs which act in cooperation with nozzles for blowing hot air, for crushing and welding the film 40 to the heads of the tubular package obtained

after the rolling stage.

With the above-described variant, a finished package is advantageously obtained internally of the rolling chamber 10, with obvious savings in terms of times and space occupied.

From the above the advantageous characteristics of the machine of the invention are evident. The invention enables adjustment of the rolling diameter of the mattress from a minimum to a maximum, to be defined according to the thickness of the mattress.

The versatility of the machine is further increased by the fact that mattresses can be packaged independently of whether they have been inserted or not in a bag.

The described machine, in the version comprising all of the variants, exhibits an optimal functioning in any operating condition, guaranteeing a high degree of reliability.

The technical solutions adopted to obtain the peculiarities described above are simple, reliable and with modest costs, such as not to significantly impact on the total costs for realising the machine.

The above description is, however, intended as a non-limiting example, so any modifications to details, introduced for technical, functional or productive reasons, are considered to enter within the ambit of protection as defined by the following claims.