Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to machines for packaging products arranged in ordered groups, for instance groups of paper rolls, such as tissue paper rolls, or the like, or other products that must be grouped according to defined geometries to form packs or packages.

State of the Art

In the production of products arranged in ordered groups it is well known to provide a feeding line, along which the individual products are fed and grouped in ordered manner and from which the ordered products are synchronously inserted into a packaging machine or station, forming single groups that are then wrapped for instance in sheets of heat-sealed plastic. US-B-7909157 discloses an example of a feeding line to form groups of ordered and superposed products towards a packaging station. This prior art feeding line is comprised of more adjacent modules, joined and connected together to obtain a continuous feeding line and synchronous movements. Once assembled and joined together, the modules can be displaced from one another only by demounting the line and therefore interrupting the mechanical, electronic and electric continuity between them. Similar feeding lines comprised of modules that are mechanically, electronically, and electrically joined together to form a single complex are described in US2006/0090419 and in EP-A-231451 1.

WO/2009/060489 describes a system for forming groups of products ordered according to more superposed layers.

The ordered product groups fed by these feeding lines can be inserted in packaging stations of the type described for instance in US-B-7789219 or US-B- 6308497.

EP-A-0462352 discloses a system and a method for forming groups of bar- shaped products, for instance made of steel. The bars are fed to a conveyor belt moving according to a feeding direction to unload the bars onto an elevator. The conveyor belt is supported by a carriage that moves parallel to the feeding movement of the conveyor belt. In this way, by combining the movements of the conveyor belt and of the carriage it is possible to unload single bars one adjacent to the other onto a collection plane of the elevator. Practically, while the bars are fed to the elevator the return roller downstream of the conveyor belt moves parallel along the elevator unloading plane thanks to the movement of the carriage supporting the conveyor belt itself. In this way the first bar is unloaded at one end of the elevator plane and the last bar is unloaded at the opposite end, said two ends being distanced in feeding direction of the conveyor belt. The carriage has a back-and-forth reciprocating movement to unload the various groups of bars onto the elevator orderly and ί

successively.

In known packaging machines the mechanical members may be adjusted according to the size of the packs to be packaged. To this end, when a feeding line is provided towards a packaging station, typically equipped with an elevator, an adjustable stop is provided in the loading area of the products to be packaged in the packaging station. The position of this stop can be adjusted at the same time as the position for unloading the products from the feeding line. To this end a single motor is provided to adjust the position for unloading the products from the feeding line and the position of the opposite stop synchronously and symmetrically. In this way it is possible always to position correctly, centered in the packaging station, the product group to be packaged, even if the group dimensions vary. The adjustment movement cited above is limited and serves to adjust the machine to the various transverse dimensions of the packages to be obtained.

The feeding lines and the packaging stations are inserted in more complex systems, usually comprising stations for preparing the singles products, conveyors for feeding the products to the feeding lines towards the packaging station, palletizing areas or portions and the like.

In these systems shutdowns may occur, for instance when the products jam along the path. In this case it is necessary to free the line as soon as possible to avoid production losses and related costs. Also, it is often necessary to have stations serviced, for instance for maintenance, adjustments or the like.

One of the stations that must be more frequently accessed is the packaging station, to maintain it, to remove jammed products or for other reasons. Accessing the packaging station is often difficult or impossible due to the presence of the feeding line, which usually extends in orthogonal direction with respect to the movement of the product groups in the packaging station. It is difficult for the operator to access the involved area, i .e. the area in which the products are transferred from the feeding line to the packaging station.

It is therefore necessary to improve the production lines, in particular the packaging machines, to make the use thereof easier and accelerate maintenance and adjustment operations, as well as removal of jammed products, or for other production needs.

Summary of the Invention

According to one embodiment, a machine is provided for packaging products arranged in ordered groups, comprising a packaging station and a feeding line configured and controlled for feeding ordered groups of products to the packaging station. Characteristically, the feeding line is movable with respect to the packaging station to form an access space between the packaging station and the same feeding line. More in particular, the feeding line has a movable unit, or carriage or slide, which defines the end part of the feeding line and may be moved towards the packaging station, to feed it with the products, and away from the packaging station, preferably in a direction parallel to the feeding direction, to form the access space.

Preferably, the movable unit moves by means of an actuator, such as a motor, for instance an electric motor. Guides are preferably provided to guide the movable unit with respect to the packaging station.

When it is necessary to have the access space, the movable unit can be moved away from the packaging station without the need for demounting modules of the feeding line.

The access space is adequately sized, to allow for instance an operator to pass. The access space dimension in the feeding direction along the feeding line may be for instance around 40-100 cm. This allows accessing to the various parts of the packaging station more comfortably. The packaging station may also serve as a passage to allow the operator to access parts of a complex production line that otherwise would be hard-to-reach or require long transfers inside the plant.

In advantageous embodiments the feeding line may comprise in sequence: an entrance conveyor for the products, a synchronizing and ordering system for groups of products to be packaged, and members for inserting the groups of products into the packaging station. In advantageous embodiments the insertion members are movable so as to move towards and away from the packaging station forming said access space.

In some embodiments, along the feeding line a backward moving device is provided for moving back the products along said feeding line, designed and arranged to move back the products upwards of the synchronizing and ordering system, when the feeding line is distanced from the packaging station forming said access space. In this way, the movement of the feeding line to open and close the access space does not alter the reciprocal position of the products that have been already ordered and synchronized and are arranged to be inserted into the packaging station. This minimizes the shutdown times. As the access space is closed again and the machine starts, the products closer to the packaging station are already positioned and ordered correctly so as to be inserted into the packaging station and re-start the production.

In some embodiments the entrance conveyor has a variable length and is shortened when the feeding line is distanced from the packaging station forming said access space. To this end, the entrance conveyor may comprise for instance at least one conveyor belt with an exit end facing the packaging station, wherein said exit end is movable backwards with respect to the product feeding direction along the feeding line, so as to move away from the packaging station when the access space is formed. In this way the access space may be opened and closed without changing the reciprocal position of the products arranged along the feeding line downstream of said end of the conveyor belt. The change in length of the conveyor upstream of the ordering and synchronizing section, or more precisely the change in the active length of this conveyor, causes a backward movement and then a forward movement of the products that are already in the feeding line but not yet positioned orderly with respect to one another to be inserted into the packaging station synchronously.

In some embodiments the synchronizing and ordering system and the insertion members are supported by a movable unit, for instance a movable carriage or slide, to move towards and away from the packaging station. The access space between the feeding line and the packaging line is advantageously obtained by moving the movable unit away from the packaging station. As the synchronizing and ordering system and the insertion members are carried by the movable unit, the products that are already synchronized and ready to be inserted into the packaging station keep their position with respect to the members moving them. When the line is ready to re-start, the movable unit is therefore moved towards the packaging station and the products can be fed again without the need for a new synchronization. The above mentioned entrance conveyor with variable length may be arranged upstream of the synchronizing and ordering system; this conveyor may be advantageously configured to move its downstream end back when the movable unit moves away from the packaging station forming the access space; in this way the products that are on the entrance conveyor and not yet synchronized do not interfere with the synchronizing and ordering system and do no change the position of the products that are already in the synchronizing and ordering system and in the insertion members.

In some embodiments the synchronizing and ordering system may comprise one or more launchers that, in phase synchronization, insert products or groups of products into a conveying unit. The conveying unit may comprise for instance at least one oscillating conveyor to distribute groups of products on at least two different levels in the members for inserting the groups of products in the packaging station.

The insertion members may be advantageously configured and controlled to adjust the distance of the insertion members, and advantageously of the other elements in the feeding line upstream of said insertion members with respect to the feeding direction of the products to be packaged, from a reference point of the packaging station according to the dimensions of said groups of products. The reference point may be a median plane of an elevator provided for transferring the groups of products from an insertion height to a packaging height. The packaging station may also comprise a stop for positioning the products, whose position can be adjusted according to the dimension of the groups of products to be packaged.

In some embodiments a first motor is advantageously provided to adjust the distance of the insertion members from the reference point of the packaging station, and a second motor to adjust the position of the stop. The first and the- second motor are preferably controlled in a reciprocally coordinated manner to position the insertion members and the stop in a settable position with respect to the reference point, for instance with respect to a median plane of the elevator. In other embodiments it is possible to use a single motor and a connecting and disconnecting system, for instance by means of clutches, to move the insertion members and the stop alternatively. Features and embodiments are described hereunder and further defined in the attached claims, which form an integral part of the present description. The above brief description identifies features of the various embodiments of the present invention, in a manner that the detailed description below may be better understood and in order that the contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are obviously other features of the invention which will be described further on and which will be indicated in the attached claims. It must be understood that the various embodiments of the invention are not limited in their application to the construction details and to the arrangements of components described in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be implemented in other embodiments and implemented in various ways. Also, it is necessary to understand that the phraseology and terminology used here are only for descriptive purposes and must not be considered as limiting.

Persons skilled in the art will therefore understand that the concept on which the invention is based may be promptly used as a base for designing other structures, other methods and/or other systems to implement the various objects of the present invention. It is therefore important that the claims be considered as comprising those equivalent constructions which do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be better understood by means of the description below and the attached drawing, which shows a non-restrictive practical embodiment of the invention. More in particular, in the drawing:

figure 1 is a side view of a packaging machine in a stop condition, with the feeding line distanced from the packaging station, the feeding line being divided into two parts for greater clarity of representation;

figure 1 A is a side view similar to that of figure 1 in reduced scale, wherein the feeding line is illustrated as a whole;

figure 2 is a view similar to that of figure 1 , wherein the machine is in working condition, feeding the products to the packaging station;

figure 3 is a plan view according to III-III in figure 2;

figure 4 is a view according to IV-IV of figure 1 ;

figures 5 and 6 are two enlargements of a side view of the area where the products are transferred from the feeding line to the packaging station, in two different machine configurations, to process groups of products of two different dimensions.

Detailed description of an embodiment

The detailed description below of exemplary embodiments is made with reference to the attached drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements. Furthermore, the drawings are not necessarily scale. The detailed description below does not limit the invention. The protective scope of the present invention is defined by the attached claims.

In the description, the reference to "an embodiment" or "the embodiment" or

"some embodiments" means that a particular feature, structure or element described with reference to an embodiment is comprised in at least one embodiment of the described object. The sentences "in an embodiment" or "in the embodiment" or "in some embodiments" in the description do not therefore necessarily refer to the same embodiment or embodiments. The particular features, structures or elements can be furthermore combined in any adequate way in one or more embodiments.

Specific reference will be made hereunder to a machine for packaging rolls of tissue paper, for instance toilet paper, kitchen towels or the like. It should, however, be understood that the subject matter described herein may be also embodied in machines for packaging other types of products, whenever problems similar to those solved in the machines for packaging rolls are to be solved.

Figures 1 , 1 A, 2, and 3 show a portion of a system for producing packs of rolls, for instance of toilet paper. The system portion illustrated in figures 1 , 1 A, 2, and 3 is designated "packaging machine" as a whole and indicated with the reference number 1 . The packaging machine is actually inserted inside a more complex processing line having (upstream of the packaging machine 1 ) more stations, groups, equipment, apparatuses or the like for instance for processing paper reels to produce logs that are then cut into rolls to be packaged. Downstream of the packaging machine 1 further machines, stations, equipment and the like are provided to group and, if necessary, to bag packs of rolls from the packaging machine 1 , or to perform other necessary processes.

The packaging machine 1 substantially comprises a feeding line 3 and a packaging station indicated as a whole with number 6. The feeding line 3 receives rolls R from the upstream sections of the processing line, order it to form groups of sizes set by the user and feeds the groups of ordered products to the packaging station 6; here the single groups of products are wrapped, typically in sheets of heat-sealed plastic or in other manner. The features of the packaging station 6 will be described in detail only as far as it is necessary to understand the present invention, as the packaging station 6 may be configured in various manner providing that its structure is compatible with the other features described below, and different types of packaging stations are known to those skilled in the art, for instance from the patent documents cited in the introduction of the present description.

The feeding line 3 substantially comprises a series of feeding members that, starting from a random but substantially continuous flow of rolls R or of other products to be packaged, form ordered groups of rolls R that are inserted in sequence into the packaging station 6. More in particular, in the illustrated embodiment the feeding line 3 comprises, arranged in sequence along a feeding direction F: an entrance conveyor 5, a system 7 for synchronizing and ordering the groups to be packaged, and insertion members 9 for inserting the rolls or products arranged in ordered groups in a synchronized manner with respect to the operation of the packaging station.

As it is clearly apparent by comparing figures 1 and 2, when the production line is on and the packaging station 1 is working, the feeding line 3 and in particular the insertion members 9 for inserting the products into the packaging station 6 are adjacent to the packaging station 6, so that the groups of products or rolls R can be transferred by means of the insertion members 9 for instance onto an elevator 1 1 of the packaging station 6. The elevator moves upward and downward according to the double arrow f 1 1 for the purposes explained below.

The feeding line 3 can be moved with respect to the packaging station 6 to form an access space indicated with S in figure 1. The access space S allows an operator O to easily access the packaging station 6. for instance to remove jammed products, to perform maintenance or for other purposes. The access space S also allows passing from one side to the other of the feeding line 3, thus allowing the operators to more easily access other parts of the production line arranged upstream or downstream of the packaging machine 1.

As described below, the feeding line 3 is configured adequately to allow the insertion members 9 (and the members and components of the feeding line 3 between the insertion members 9 and the entrance conveyor 5) to move away from the packaging station 6.

In the illustrated embodiment the entrance conveyor 5 comprises at least one conveyor belt 13, onto which the products or rolls R to be packaged are fed. The conveyor belt 13 has the forward end 13A, i.e. the end facing towards the packaging station 6, defined by a return roller 15, which can translate according to the double arrow fl 5 to move towards or away from the packaging station 6. The return roller 15 moves according to the double arrow fl 5 integral with a second return roller 17, whilst a third return roller 19 is stationary with respect to a bearing structure 21 , onto which the conveyor belt 13 is mounted. The movement of the end 13A of the conveyor belt 13 towards and away from the packaging station 6 is useful for the purposes described below.

Number 23 indicates a motor actuating the conveyor belt 13.

In some embodiments the system 7 for synchronizing and ordering the groups of products R comprises a so-called launcher 25. The launcher 25 can be configured in a known manner. It comprises for instance one or more lower conveyor belts 27 and two or more upper conveyor belts 29, arranged to define (see fig. 3) a plurality of feeding channels for the rolls or other products R to be packaged. In the illustrated example the rolls R are fed along five channels and the launcher 25 comprises therefore five pairs of conveyor belts 29. The launcher 25 is controlled so as to move forward the groups of rolls R synchronously towards the subsequent conveying members of the synchronizing and ordering system 7, which will be described below.

In the illustrated embodiment, a conveyor 31 is arranged downstream of the launchers 25; it may have a surface 33 where the rolls R slide and a pair of chains or other continuous flexible members 35, to which pushing bars 37 are fixed, which are suitably distanced and extend transversally to the feeding direction of the rolls R. Each pushing bar 37 is connected at its ends to the continuous flexible members 35. In this way, by moving the flexible members 35 the groups of rolls R are received by the conveyors 3 1 and pushed forward by means of the pushing bars 37 synchronously with the operation of the packaging station 6.

The conveyor 31 transfers the groups of rolls R to a further conveyor 39 that is part of the system 7 for synchronizing and ordering the groups of products R. The conveyor 39 has an oscillating movement according to the double arrow 09 to distribute single groups or layers of products R in the insertion members 9.

In the illustrated embodiment the insertion members 9 for inserting the groups of products into the packaging station 6 are configured to receive the products R on two superposed layers; it is however also possible to arrange the products on more than two layers or also on one single layer, according to the type of packaging station 6.

For each layer the insertion members 9 comprise members for pushing the groups or layers of products R towards the elevator 1 1 of the packaging station 6. In the illustrated embodiment the insertion members 9 comprise two superposed pairs of continuous flexible members 9A and 9B, for instance chains or belts, provided with pushing bars 9C, 9D or other equivalent members for pushing the layers of rolls or products on the elevator 1 1 of the packaging station 6 in a synchronous manner. Each pair of continuous flexible members 9A, 9B is associated with a sliding surface 10A, 10B, onto which the products R rest and slide, pushed by the respective pushing bars 9C, 9D.

This particular arrangement of the entrance conveyor 5, of the synchronizing and ordering system 7 and of the insertion members 9 is given just by way of non- limiting example. Configurations other than that illustrated may be used.

The launchers 25. the conveyor 31 and the conveyor 39. as well as the insertion members 9 are supported by a movable unit 43, indicated below as slide 43. The slide 43 moves according to the double arrow f43 along fixed guides 45, for instance resting on a ground through feet 47. Number 49 indicates a motor controlling the movement of the slide 43. For example, in some embodiments the motor 49 drives into rotation a threaded bar 51 with which a nut 53, integral with the slide 43, engages. The rotation of the threaded bar 51 in one direction or in the other causes the movement of the slide 43 according to the double arrow f43 from a working position (figures 2 and 3) to an idle position (figure 1 ) wherein the slide 43 is distanced from the packaging station 6, forming the access space S.

As it is clear by comparing figures 1 and 2, wherein figure 1 shows the position of the slide 43 distanced from the packaging station 6 and figure 2 shows the position near the packaging station 6, the movement according to the double arrow f43 of the slide 43 and of the insertion members 9 supported thereby does not change the anangement of the groups or layers of products R already positioned in the synchronizing and ordering system 7 and in the insertion members 9 of the feeding line 3.

In this way it is possible to move the insertion members 9 (and the other components of the feeding line between the insertion members 9 and the entrance conveyor 5) towards and away from the packaging station 6 to open and close the space S, without altering the already performed synchronization of the first rolls R that must be then inserted in the packaging station 6 when the feeding line 3 will be moved again from the idle position (Fig. 1 ) to the working position (Fig. 2).

To allow the slide 43 to move away from the packaging station 6 without changing the position taken by the rolls or products R in the synchronizing and ordering system 7 and in the insertion members 9, it is provided that the end 13A of the conveyor belt 13 moves towards and away from the packaging station 6.

As shown in figure 1 , when the feeding line 3 is distanced from the packaging station 6 to form the access space S, the end 13 A of the conveyor belt 13 is moved backwards and the rolls R on the entrance conveyor 5 have been moved backwards. In this movement the rolls R may be moved towards one another until they are adjacent to one another. When the slide 43 moves again to the working position of figure 2 adjacent to the packaging station 6 to start feeding the rolls or products R again, the reciprocal position of the rolls R in the synchronizing and ordering system 7 and in the insertion members 9 does not change, whilst the end 13A of the conveyor belt 13 is moved forwards towards the packaging station 6. In doing this, the rolls R, or a part thereof, on the entrance conveyor are distanced with respect to one another, as it is clear from figure 2. However, this change in the reciprocal position of the rolls R on the entrance conveyor 5 does not change the synchronization and the reciprocal positioning of the products already obtained in the synchronizing and ordering system 7 and in the insertion members 9. In fact, the entrance conveyor 5 serves only to push and move towards one another the products from the upstream line, while the reciprocal synchronization between products to be packaged is performed downstream of the entrance conveyor 5. The change in the length of the entrance conveyor 5, which may be a simple flat conveyor belt, does not alter the synchronization and the phase of the products in the downstream area, between the entrance conveyor 5 and the packaging station 6. The phase between the products to be packaged is maintained also when the entrance conveyor 5 is shortened and elongated, because the area comprised between the launchers and the exit of the feeding line is not altered when the entrance conveyor 5 is displaced.

This configuration substantially allows to open and close the access space S without altering the flow of products or rolls R and allowing the packaging station 5 to start working again in a correct manner as the access space S is closed, for instance after an intervention by the operator, thanks to the fact that in the end portion of the feeding line 3 (areas 7 and 9) the rolls R have kept their reciprocal synchronized position, obtained before opening the access space S.

The opportunity of moving the feeding line 3 by translating the slide 43 according to the double arrow f43 through the motor 49 allows not only to open and close the access space S. but also to adjust the position of the insertion members 9 for inserting the products in the packagmg station 6 according to the size of the groups of rolls or other products R that must be processed and packaged.

To better understand this further function, reference should be made to figures

4, 5, and 6. Figure 4 shows a simplified front view according to IV-IV of figure 1. Figure 4 shows the main components of the packaging station 6 in a possible embodiment.

In this embodiment, the packaging station 6 comprises the already mentioned elevator 1 1 , whose movement according to the double arrow f 1 1 may be controlled by a motor 55 through a rod-crank mechanism 56. The elevator 1 1 lifts the groups G of products R from the height at which they are inserted by the insertion members 9 to a feeding plane 57 above, at a greater height with respect to the height at which the rolls are inserted by the insertion members 9. Groups of ordered rolls R are sequentially transferred on the elevator 1 1 and then this elevator lifts them up to the level of the plane 57. Each single group of rolls enters a seat 59 defined by combs 61 mounted on flexible members 62, which move the single seats 59 according to the arrow f59 to transfer each single group of rolls R from the area of insertion by means of the elevator 1 1 towards the actual packaging members, not shown.

In order to correctly position each group of rolls R in a centered manner on the elevator 1 1 and therefore with respect to the drawing system formed by the flexible members 62 and the combs 61 defining the seats 59, at opposite side with respect to the position of the insertion members 9 in the packaging station 6 a stop 63 is provided, which is adjustable according to the double arrow f63 (figures 1 and 2) and whose position is set according to the dimension of the groups of rolls R to be packaged.

Figures 5 and 6 schematically show just by way of example a minimum and a maximum dimension of two groups of rolls indicated as a whole with G l in figure 5 and G2 in figure 6. The group Gl of rolls R of figure 5 has a lower transverse dimension D l , while the group G2 of rolls R of figure 6 has a greater transverse dimension D2.

So that the groups G l and G2 are always positioned in a centered manner with respect to the elevator 1 1 (that may have an interchangeable plane to adapt to the dimensions of the groups Gl , G2 of products R), the stop 63 is adjusted according to the double arrow f63 so as to be each time at a distance from the median plane P of the elevator 1 1 equal to half of the cross dimension (Dl or D2) of the group G l or G2 of products. The distance of the stop 63 from the median plane P is therefore equal to ½(D 1 ) in the case of Fig. 5 and to ½(D2) in the case of Fig. 6.

The adjusting movement according to the double arrow f63 is imparted to the stop 63 by a motor 69, advantageously different than the motor 49 moving the slide 43. In the illustrated embodiment the motor 69 drives into rotation a threaded bar 71 with which a nut 73. integral with the stop 63, engages. The motor 69, rotating the threaded bar 71 in one direction or in the other, moves the stop 63 towards or away from the median plane P according to the cross dimension (D l , D2) of the groups G 1 , G2 of products R.

Advantageously, the motors 49 and 69 are interfaced with a control unit 75, schematically represented in the drawing, and may be associated with respective encoders informing the electronic control unit 75 about the position of the slide 43 and the stop 63. It is therefore possible, by means of the electronic control unit 75, to move the slide 43 through the only motor 49 (to open or close the access space S), or to control in a mirror-like coordinated manner the motors 49 and 69 to position correctly the insertion members 9 and the stop 63 with respect to the median plane P, according to the cross dimension of the groups Gl , G2 of products to be packaged.

The embodiments described below and illustrated in the drawings have been explained in detail as examples of embodiment of the invention. It will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications, variants, additions and omissions are possible, without however departing from the principles, the scope of the concept and the teachings of the present invention as defined in the attached claims. The scope of the invention shall be therefore determined exclusively based upon the widest interpretation of the attached claims, wherein these modifications, variants, additions and omissions are included within this scope . The terms "comprising" "to comprise" and the like do not exclude the presence of further elements or steps in addition to those specifically listed in a claim. The term "a" or "an" before an element, means or feature of a claim does not exclude the presence of a plurality of these elements, means or features. If a claim of a device claims a plurality of "means", some or all these "means" can be actuated by a single component, member or structure. The enunciation of given elements, features or means in distinct depending claims does not exclude the possibility of combining said elements, features or means together. When a method claim lists a sequence of steps, the sequence with which these steps are listed is not binding and can be changed, if the particular sequence is not indicated as binding. Any reference numerals in the appended claims are provided to facilitate reading of the claims with reference to the description and to the drawing, and do not limit the scope of protection represented by the claims.