METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTS

Technical Field

The present invention concerns a method and an apparatus for wrapping confectionery products and the like.

Background Art

It is currently known the use of apparatuses which carry out the wrapping of confectionery products such as chocolates and the like. Such wrapping machines generally provide a feed line for the products to be wrapped, made up for example of a conveyor belt on which the products are fed, suitably spaced from one another. At an exit zone of the feed line, the products to be wrapped are picked in succession by transfer means which transfer them to a wrapping unit.

According to a known solution, said transfer means are suitable to grasp the single products along with a wrapping sheet, suitably fed next to the cited exit zone of the feed line. Therefore, the products associated or partially wrapped with a relative wrapping sheet are fed in succession to the feed unit.

The wrapping unit is generally made up of a turret which rotates according to a horizontal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the feed line. The wrapping unit is peripherally provided with a series of grip members angularly distributed about the above mentioned rotation axis of the turret. Such grip members are suitable to grasp the single products, with the relative wrapping sheets, and to bring them in succession at a series of working stations in which the wrapping of the wrapping sheet about the product, the closure of the wrapping and the discharge of the wrapped product are carried out.

EP913327 and EP1275583 disclose machines for wrapping confectionery products of this kind. In such wrapping machines, the wrapping unit is operated in rotation with intermittent motion, so as to bring in succession the products to be wrapped at a series of working stations in which a specific step of wrapping the wrapping sheet about each product is carried out. Such wrapping machines have a relatively low working speed and are consequently not very suitable for being used where high production performances are required.

EP733548 discloses a machine for wrapping products such as chocolates and the like, operated with intermittent motion. In particular, the machine comprises a first rotating unit provided with grip means which grasp each product along with a wrapping sheet prearranged upon it and transfer it to the grip means of a second rotating unit. Both rotating units are operated with intermittent motion. During the rotation and during the stops of the rotation, suitable fixed and mobile wrapping means arranged along the path of the grip means of the first unit partially wrap the wrapping sheet on the product, while further fixed and mobile wrapping means arranged along the path of the grip means of the second unit close the wrapping sheet on the product. Also such machine has the cited productivity limits, because of its intermittent functioning, which impose the stopping of the rotation of the wrapping units to complete the various wrapping steps of the products.

[07] Consequently, machines have been proposed able to carry out the continuous wrapping of confectionery products and the like. Wrapping machines of this sort are described in EP608823 and CH696532. Such wrapping machines comprise a first and a second wrapping drum, rotating with continuous motion according to axis parallel and tangent one another at a station in which the transferring of the products from the one to the other is carried out; the wrapping drums are peripherally provided with respective grip members for the products, to bring the same products to a series of stations in which the coupling of each product with a relative wrapping sheet is operated, as well as the folding of the same wrapping sheet about the product. Such wrapping machines further comprise a transfer device which picks the products in series from suitable conveying means and transfers them to the first wrapping drum. The transfer device comprises a further drum rotating with continuous motion according to an axis parallel to the axis of the wrapping drums and peripherally provided with grip members for the products to be transferred. In particular, such grip members provide, each, a couple of jaws which are suitable to grasp at opposite lateral sides relative products fed by the above mentioned conveying means; such grip means are angularly rotatable according to an axis substantially radial to the transfer drum, to rotate the product in the rotation step of an angle of 90°, so as to predispose the same product with its lateral sides being free in the position suitable for the grip by means of a corresponding couple of jaws of the grip members of the first wrapping drum.

[08] The continuous motion wrapping machines of such type have resulted to be able to work in a reliable manner and at a high speed and to obtain, therefore, a satisfying productivity. In the specified field, however, it is complained the difficulty of performing in an easy and fast manner the change of the shape of the packages to be manufactured.

[09] As a matter of facts, it has been known that, in the confectionery field and in similar fields, different kind of wrappings are used, known for example as "fancy", "bunch", "boero", "wallet", "twist" and "double twist", and the like. The manufacturing of such different types of wrappings currently requires the use of specific dedicated machines. The creation of different wrappings in the known wrapping machines would require complex modifications and supplementary adjustments, not very convenient from a productive point of view. This, however, involves a high initial economic investment, having to equip of different machines for producing different types of wrappings. Moreover, it is common experience that such different machines can remain unused for a long time, when the specific wrapping to which they are predisposed is not required to be produced. EP1357026 discloses a different type of wrapping machine, operated with continuous motion. The machine comprises a rotary unit suitable to receive the products to be wrapped from a feed device and is provided with a plurality of grip means and wrapping members arranged in succession in a direction circumferential to the rotary unit. The grip members and the wrapping members are mobile relatively one another, in such a way that the trajectory of the grip member crosses the wrapping member. The disclosed wrapping method provides to feed the product along with a wrapping sheet to a grip member end to couple the wrapping sheet with the product by means of a relative motion between the grip member and the wrapping member, in which the product together with the wrapping sheet move across the wrapping member. Anyway, this solution is complex and not very functional, since it provides so many wrapping members driven in rotation by the rotating unit as the number of the grip members. Furthermore, it is evident that such solution is able to shape a limited variety of wrappings and does not provide an easy change of the size of the products to be wrapped, thus requiring the replacement of all the wrapping members.

Disclosure

The task of the present invention is that of solving the aforementioned problems, devising a method which allows to carry out in an optimal way the wrapping of confectionery products and the like with continuous motion.

Within such task, it is a further scope of the present invention to provide a method which allows to carry out in an easy way the wrapping of a wide variety of confectionery products.

Another scope of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which carries out in an easy and effective way the above mentioned method.

Another scope of the invention is to provide an apparatus which allows to perform the wrapping of a wide variety of confectionery products through an easy and quick replacement of the accessory members.

Another scope of the invention is that of providing an apparatus of simple constructive and functional conception, provided with surely reliable functioning, versatile use, as well as relatively economic costs.

The cited scopes are achieved according to the present invention by the method and by the apparatus for wrapping confectionery products and the like according to the attached claims 1 and 6.

According to the present invention, the method for wrapping products, such as in particular confectionery products, provides to - transfer the products to be wrapped from a feed line, in which such products are arranged in support on a first base face, to grip means of a wrapping assembly operated in rotation with continuous motion, and to

- perform the angular rotation of said grip means according to an axis parallel to the rotation axis of said wrapping assembly to bring said products to be wrapped in a condition of having a second face, opposite to said base face, arranged on a plane substantially radial or parallel to a plane radial to the same wrapping assembly.

Moreover, the method provides to associate a wrapping sheet with said second face of the products to be wrapped, arranged on a plane substantially radial or parallel to a plane radial to the same wrapping assembly, and to hold said wrapping sheet against said second face through front clamping means associated with said grip means.

Furthermore, the method provides to perform the wrapping at least partial of said wrapping sheet around said product against fixed folding means extended peripherally to said wrapping assembly.

Preferably, the method provides to transfer said products to be wrapped from said feed line to said wrapping assembly through a rotating unit operated with continuous rotation motion according to an axis parallel to said axis of the wrapping assembly and peripherally provided with grip means, regularly distributed, carrying respective clamping members, suitable to grasp said products at opposite lateral sides and mounted angularly rotatable according to an axis radial to the same rotating assembly, so as to rotate said products substantially of an angle of 90°, during the transfer step.

Preferably, the method provides to transfer the products to be wrapped from said grip units of the rotating assembly to said grip means of the wrapping assembly, performing the simultaneous angular rotation of the same grip units of the rotating assembly and grip means of the wrapping assembly, on respective parallel axes, so that at transferring said grip units and said grip means have peripheral speed equal to zero.

The invention concerns as well an apparatus for wrapping products, in particular confectionery products, comprising a wrapping assembly operated with continuous rotation motion and peripherally provided with grip means for the products to be wrapped which can be operated in angular rotation according to an axis parallel to the rotation axis of said wrapping assembly, to bring said products to be wrapped to have a face arranged on a plane substantially radial or parallel to a plane radial to the same wrapping assembly. The apparatus comprises front clamping means associated with said grip means of the wrapping assembly and suitable to hold a wrapping sheet against said face of the products to be wrapped arranged on a plane substantially radial or parallel to a plane radial to the same wrapping assembly. Preferably, said grip means for the products to be wrapped and said clamping means are carried by a support body mounted tilting on said wrapping assembly, according to said axis parallel to the rotation axis of the same wrapping assembly.

Preferably, said clamping means comprise a clamping arm angularly rotatable between a disengagement position, substantially radial to said support body, and an active position in which the same clamping arm frontally engages the product.

Preferably, said clamping arm is suitable to cooperate with an opposed abutment member to grasp said product between said first base face and said second face.

Preferably, the apparatus comprises fixed folding members which extend peripherally to said wrapping assembly, downstream of a feed station of said wrapping sheet, and are suitable to carry out the folding of hems of said wrapping sheet on said products to be wrapped.

Preferably, said folding members comprise a hopper having openings in which said hems of the wrapping sheet are guided during the wrapping step.

Preferably, the apparatus comprises feed means for said products to be wrapped; transfer means for transferring said products to be wrapped from said feed means to said wrapping assembly; feed means of single wrapping sheets suitable to be associated with respective products, a rotating exit assembly operated in rotation with continuous motion according to an axis parallel to said axis of the wrapping assembly and peripherally provided with grip members, angularly distributed, intended to receive single products from said wrapping assembly to transfer them to an exit line.

Description of Drawings

Details of the invention shall be more apparent from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for wrapping confectionery products according to the invention, illustrated for indicative purposes in the attached drawings, wherein:

figure 1 shows a front view of the apparatus according to the invention;

figures 2 - 5 respectively show a magnified front view of different operative zones of the apparatus;

figures 6 and 7 respectively show a transversal detailed view of a detail of said operative zones of the apparatus;

figure 8 shows a longitudinal section view of folding means for the wrapping sheet.

Best Mode

With particular reference to such figures, the apparatus for wrapping products 2, in particular confectionery products such as chocolates and the like, has been indicated in its entirety with 1. The products 2 to be wrapped are fed in succession along a feed line 3, shaped for example by a common conveyor belt, operated with continuous motion in the direction indicated by arrow A; the products 2 are prearranged on said belt at regular distance from one another, in support on a base face indicated as 2b in the following. Obviously, it is possible to provide the use of conveying means for the products 2 to be wrapped of different type, known in the background art of this field.

At an exit zone of the feed line 3, the products 2 to be wrapped are picked in succession from the conveyor belt through a first rotating assembly 10 provided with first grip means 1 1 for the single products 2. The first rotating assembly 10 is supported rotatable, in the direction indicated with arrow B, according to a horizontal axis O transversal to the longitudinal plane of the feed line 3. The rotating assembly 10 is operated in rotation with continuous motion by motor members not represented.

More precisely, the first grip means 1 1 are made up of a plurality of grip units peripherally carried, angularly distributed, by the first rotating assembly 10 and suitable to grasp single products 2. In the illustrated case, such grip units 11 are five, but it is obviously possible to provide a different number of them.

The grip units 11 provide respective clamping members constituted by a couple of jaws 12 which are suitable to grasp each product 2 at opposite lateral sides. The jaws 12 of the clamping units are suitable to be operated in opening and in closure on a respective head element 13 which is associated with a body 14, of substantially cylindrical shape, mounted tilting on the rotating assembly 10, according to an axis parallel to the rotation axis O of the rotating assembly 10. The head element 13 of the clamping members 12 is mounted, angularly rotatable, on the body 14, according to an axis radial to the same body 14, so as to rotate the product 2 for an angle substantially of 90°, during a transfer step.

The products 2, so rotated, are transferred by said grip means 1 1 of the first rotating assembly 10 to a wrapping assembly 20 constituted by a second rotating assembly through which the wrapping of the products 2 is carried out. The wrapping assembly 20 is supported rotatably, in the direction indicated by arrow C, according to a rotation axis 01 parallel to the axis O of the transfer rotating assembly 10. The wrapping assembly 20 is operated in rotation with continued motion by motor members, not represented.

The wrapping assembly 20 is suitable to bring in succession the products 2 to be wrapped, received from the transfer rotating assembly 10, at a plurality of operative stations distributed peripherally to the same wrapping assembly 20, as it is better described in the following.

The wrapping assembly 20 peripherally carries, regularly distributed, a relative series of second grip means 21 suitable to grasp the products 2, provided in succession by the rotating transfer assembly 10. In the illustrated case, such grip means 21 are ten, but it is obviously possible to provide that their number is different according to the exigencies and according to the size of the apparatus 1. The grip means 21 provide respective clamping members constituted by a couple of jaws 22 which are suitable to grasp each product 2, rotated during the transfer step so as to have the opposite free sides turned outwards, that is transversal to an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating assembly 10.

The jaws 22 are pivoted, at respective pivots 23, on a respective head element 24 which is associated with a support body 25, having substantially cylindrical shape, mounted tilting on the wrapping apparatus 20, according to an axis parallel to the rotation axis 01 of the same wrapping assembly 20. Between the jaws 22 an abutment member 26 is placed, being fixed with respect to the assembly 24, against which the product is suitable to be brought in support during the step of grasping by means of the same jaws 22.

On the support body 25 an arm 27 for clamping the product is pivoted according to an axis parallel to the rotation axis 01 of the wrapping assembly 20, and is provided at its free end with a suitable pad 28. The clamping arm 27 is angularly rotatable between a disengagement position, substantially radial to the support body 25, and an active position in which the pad 28 frontally engages the product 2, as it is better described in the following. The clamping arm 27 is suitable to shape, together with the fixed abutment member 26, a front clamp intended to grasp the product 2 between opposite faces, for example the base face and the top face.

The wrapping assembly 20 is suitable to bring the product 2 to be wrapped, held by the jaws 22, at a feed station 4 for a sheet 5 of wrapping material. In the station 4 there are working means 6, known per se, which provide to cut, from a sheet of wrapping material, single portions of sheet intended to shape the above mentioned sheets 5 of wrapping material and to feed such sheets 5 according to a direction substantially radial to the wrapping assembly 20.

During the transfer step to the station 4 for feeding of the sheets 5, as it is better described in the following, an angular rotation of the support body 25 of the second grip means 21 with respect to the wrapping assembly 20 occurs, in order to bring the product 2, held by the jaws 22, to have its top face 2a opposite to the base face 2b, in a position substantially radial to the same wrapping assembly 20.

Downstream of the feed station 4 for the sheets 5 of wrapping material, the angular rotation of the clamping arm 27 causes the tightening of a relative sheet 5 against the above mentioned face 2a of the product 2, according to the direction C of rotation of the wrapping assembly 20; in this way the product 2 is grasped by the first clamp constituted by the abutment member 26 and by the clamping arm 27. This allows the release of the product 2 by means of the jaws 22.

The angular rotation of the wrapping assembly 20 and of the clamping arm 27 is commanded by suitable cam means, connected with the fixed framework of the apparatus, for simplicity not represented. The products 2, with the relative wrapping sheets 5 held between the abutment member 26 and the clamping arm 27, engage in succession suitable fixed folding members 7, which carry out the folding of respective hems 5a of the sheet 5 on the opposite sides of the product 2. The folding members 7 extend in arc-shaped manner, for a tract of suitable largeness, peripherally to the wrapping assembly 20; for example the folding members 7 have extension equal to about one quarter of circumference.

The folding members 7 have a shape different according to the type of wrapping to be produced. In the case illustrated for exemplary purpose in figure 7, such folding members 7 comprise a hopper 8 having openings 9 in which the hems 5a of the sheet 5 are guided in the wrapping step. The illustrated folding members 7 allow for example to produce so called "bunch" wrappings.

In figure 8 an embodiment of the folding members specifically intended for the creation of so called "wallet" wrappings is shown. Also in this case the folding members, for simplicity indicated with 7, provide a hopper suitable to guide the protruding hems 5a of the sheet 5, so as to cause the progressive folding on the lateral faces of the products 2. In particular, such hopper provides, on opposite longitudinal sides, a plurality of shaped plates 17 which cooperate to shape channels 19 in which the protruding hems 5a of the sheet 5 are guided, after the folding of the sheet 5 in U-shape by means of the hopper against the product. At the exit from the folding members 7, the wrapping has the folded hems of the sheet 5 protruding with respect to the base face of the product, as it is possible to see in figure.

When outgoing from the folding members 7, the products 2 partially wrapped with the sheet 5 are grasped again by the jaws 22 of the grip members 21 and at the same time released by the front clamp shaped by the abutment member 26 and by the clamping arm 27. The products 2, partially wrapped, are then transferred to a third rotating assembly 30 through which the shaping of the wrapping is completed and the wrapped products 2 are conveyed towards the exit. The exit rotating assembly 30 is rotatable, in the direction indicated with arrow D, according to an axis 02 parallel to the axes O, 01 of the transfer rotating assembly 10 and of the wrapping assembly 20. The exit rotating assembly 30 is operated in rotation with continuous motion by motor members not represented.

The exit rotating assembly 30 peripherally has a series of respective third grip members 31 , angularly distributed, intended to receive single products 2 to be transferred, after the wrapping is completed, to an exit line, for simplicity not represented. The grip members 31 provide respective clamping members constituted by a couple of jaws 32 which are pivoted, at respective pins 33, on a support body 34, of substantially cylindrical shape, mounted tilting on the exit rotating assembly 30, according to an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the same assembly 30. Between the jaws 33, an abutment member 35 is placed, against which the product 2 is suitable to be brought in support during the step of grip by means of the same jaws 32. The abutment member 35 can alternatively be mobile or fixed with respect to the support body 34, according to the exigencies.

[53] Along the arc shaped between the receiving zone of the products 2 from the wrapping assembly 20 and the release zone of the same wrapped products 2 to the exit zone, the rotating assembly 30 is peripherally provided with further folding means 36 suitable to carry out the complete closure of the wrapping. Such further folding means 36 provide for example, in the illustrated case, a tilting folding member 37 suitable to perform the folding of a bottom hem of the sheet 5 before the intervention of a fixed folding member 38 which completes the folding of the opposite hem.

[54] The method for wrapping confectionery products by means of the disclosed apparatus provides to pick the products 2 fed in succession along the feed line 3 and to transfer them, through the first rotating assembly 10, to the wrapping assembly 20. In particular, the first grip means 11 associated with such first rotating assembly 10 grasp in succession between the jaws 12 respective products 2 to be wrapped, grasping them at the sides arranged transversally to the feed direction A. It is to be observed that, during the grip step, the grip means 1 1 brought in rotation by the rotating assembly 10, rotatable with continuous motion in the direction B, are suitably tilting in such a manner that, at the grip, the same grip means 1 1 have peripheral speed equal to the feed speed of the feed line 3. In this way, at the grip, the grip means 1 1 have a relative speed which is null with respect to the feeding product 2 to be grasped, fed on the feed line 3, so as to ensure the best grip conditions.

[55] The product 2 to be wrapped is transferred by the first rotating assembly 10 to the wrapping assembly 20, which is rotatable to bring the same product 2 at the feed station 4 for the sheets 5 and of the fixed folding members 7, which carry out the folding of respective hems of the sheet 5 on the product 2. During this transfer step, the orthogonal rotation of the head element 13, which carries the jaws 12 of the clamping members, with respect to the cylindrical body 14, is performed. In this way the products 2 arrive to the zone in which the transfer to the wrapping assembly 20 is performed with their free sides turned transversally to the rotation axis of the assembly 20, so that they can be grasped by the second grip means 21 of such assembly 20 (see figure 2).

[56] In the above mentioned transfer zone, the products 2 are picked in series by the jaws 22 of the relative second grip means 21 of the wrapping assembly 20, rotatable with continuous motion in a direction opposite with respect to the rotating transfer assembly 10. It is to be underlined that, during the transfer step, both the body 14 of the grip unit 1 1 of the first rotating assembly 10 and the body 25 of the grip means 21 of the wrapping assembly 20 are operated in rotation angularly on respective axes, so that, in the action of transfer, said grip means 11 , 21 have equal peripheral speed and thus null relative speed, so as to ensure the best grip conditions. It is to be observed that, at the grip by means of the grip means 21 of the wrapping assembly 20, the product 2 is brought in support, at its top face 2a, against the abutment member 26 arranged in position transversal and median with respect to the jaws 22 (figure 6).

The product 2, grasped between the jaws 22 of the second grip means 21 , is brought, by means of the rotation of the wrapping assembly 20, towards the feed station 4 for the sheets 5 of wrapping materials, in which the coupling of the product 2 with a relative wrapping sheet 5 is carried out. During such rotation step of the wrapping assembly 20, the support body 25 of the grip means 21 is angularly rotated with respect to the wrapping assembly 20 to bring the products 2 held by the jaws 22 in a condition of having the top face 2a, opposite to the base face 2b, in a position substantially radial to the wrapping assembly 20 or arranged on a plane substantially parallel to a plane radial to the same wrapping assembly (see figure 3).

During such rotation step of the wrapping assembly 20, the angular rotation of the clamping arm 27 is as well performed in suitable step relationship in a direction opposite to the one of the support body 25 of the grip means 21. In this way, the sheet 5 is tightened against the above mentioned face 2a of the product 2; in particular the product 2 is grasped by the front clamp constituted by the abutment member 26 and by the clamping arm 27, allowing the release of the product 2 by means of the jaws 22 (see figure 4).

The products 2 with the relative wrapping sheets 5, held between the abutment member 26 and the clamping arm 27, subsequently engage the suitable fixed folding members 7, which perform the folding of respective hems of the sheet 5 at opposite sides of the product 2 (see again figure 4). The folding members 7 have a shape suitably different according to the kind of wrapping to be manufactured. In the illustrated case, the folding members 7 comprise a hopper 8 which extends in arc-shaped manner peripherally to the wrapping assembly 20; during the wrapping step, the hems 5a of the sheet 5 are guided along the openings 9 of the hopper 8, so as to create the head folds of the desired wrapping (see figures 7 and 8).

At the exit from the hopper 8, the inverse rotation of the front clamp 26, 27 is operated to bring the product partially wrapped in a position substantially radial with respect to the wrapping assembly 20, so as to allow its grip by means of the grip members 31 of the third rotating assembly (see figure 5).

The closure of the wrapping is completed by the further folding means 36 associated with the third rotating assembly 30. The wrapped products are then conveyed to known exit means, not represented. The method and the apparatus according to the invention achieve the scope of performing in an optimal way the wrapping with continuous motion of products, in particular confectionery products such as chocolates and the like. In particular, the apparatus working according to the disclosed method allows to perform in an easy manner the wrapping of a wide variety of confectionery products. In practice, the production of any kind of wrapping currently in use is allowed with a single apparatus.

Such a result is made possible by the specific kind of grip and of arrangement of the products to be wrapped on the wrapping assembly. In innovative way, in fact, the products to be wrapped are prearranged with a respective face in a position substantially radial to the wrapping assembly, so as to be able to associate the relative wrapping sheet to said face; in particular such face of the product is arranged above along the feed line, that is opposite to the base face on which the products are in support during the feed step. The sheet is held against such face of the product through suitable front clamping means. In this way the product is prearranged so that the suitable folding members perform, in known way, the folding of the wrapping sheet on the same product.

In practice, in order to change the type of wrapping, it is sufficient to substitute only the folding members, avoiding modification to the constructive and functional structure of the apparatus. This makes the apparatus considerably versatile and economic.

A feature of the method and of the apparatus according to the invention is that of working continually at high speed, to the benefit of productiveness.

Such result is achieved also thanks to the possibility to use folding members which extend for an arc of relatively wide length about the wrapping assembly, as it was illustrated by the hopper previously described. The length of the folding members allows, in fact, to extend the step of engaging the sheet of wrapping material for a time sufficient for ensuring the achievement of the desired folding also at high speed.

The apparatus described for indicative purpose is susceptible of numerous modifications and variants according to the different exigencies.

In practice, the embodiment of the invention, the materials used, as well as the shape and dimensions, may vary depending on the requirements.

Should the technical characteristics mentioned in each claim be followed by reference signs, such reference signs were included strictly with the aim of enhancing the understanding 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.