CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Italian Patent Application No. 102017000099649 filed on September 6, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention belongs to the technical field of the production of packs for smoking articles. In detail, the invention relates to a hopper for smoking articles.

PRIOR ART

As it is known, in the production of packs for smoking articles, for example cigarettes, hoppers are used to arrange masses of smoking articles so that they can be inserted, in groups or rows, into packaging material used to manufacture a pack.

A known hopper has a mainly vertical extension and comprises: an inlet portion for letting smoking articles, arranged in disorderly masses, into the hopper; a plurality of exiting mouths, each comprising, in turn, a plurality of ducts (or small channels) for letting the smoking articles out of the hopper (with the aid of suitable extracting means), and a connection area, which connects the inlet portion to the exiting mouths and is delimited by lateral walls coming into contact with the smoking articles during their exiting path.

A currently more and more pressing issue for manufacturers is that of increasing the productivity of machines for producing packs for smoking articles. Therefore, in hoppers, both the number of exiting mouths and the speed at which the smoking articled are fed to the exiting mouths have been increased. However, the aforesaid measures often cause, in known hoppers of the type described above, blockages, namely undesired obstructions of one or more exiting mouths. These obstructions are caused by an incorrect positioning or orientation of one or more smoking articles, which, during the high-speed downward movement, causes the blockage of the ducts of the exiting mouths or, anyway, slows down the downward movement of the smoking articles. The blockage or slowing down of an exiting mouth leads, in a chain reaction, to the blockage of all the other exiting mouths, since the connection area, which is shared by all the exiting mouths, is progressively subjected to a complete obstruction. This causes standstill times of the machine, which are clearly associated with high costs.

Patent application WO02083502A1 (corresponding to patent application US2004104240A1) is the closest prior art and describes a hopper for a cigarette packaging machine, wherein two mirror-like channels are provided, each having a pair of opposed lateral walls, which come into contact with cylindrical lateral walls of the cigarettes; in each channel there is a belt conveyor, which makes up one single lateral wall of the channel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks.

In order to do so, the invention offers a hopper for smoking articles according to the appended claims.

Advantageously, the hopper for smoking articles according to the invention avoids undesired obstructions, thus ensuring a high productivity even in the presence of many exiting mouths.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Other advantages will be best understood upon perusal of the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

- figure 1 is a schematic front view of a hopper for smoking articles according to the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the accompanying figure, number 1 indicates a hopper for smoking articles according to the invention. With reference to the figure, the hopper 1 has a mainly vertical extension.

The hopper 1 comprises: an inlet portion 10 for letting smoking articles S (arranged in disorderly masses) into the hopper 1 ; at least a first exiting group Gl , which comprises, in turn, at least two first exiting mouths B 1 , B2, B3, each comprising a plurality of ducts V (or small channels) for letting the smoking articles S out of the hopper 1 (by means of suitable extracting means, which are not shown herein).

The hopper 1 further comprises at least a second exiting group (G2), which is arranged beside the first exiting group Gl and comprises, in turn, at least two second exiting mouths B4, B5, B6, each comprising a plurality of ducts (or small channels) for letting the smoking articles S out of the hopper 1 (by means of suitable extracting means, which are not shown herein).

There is one single inlet channel for letting one single type of smoking articles S into the hopper 1; said (one) single inlet channel ends in the inlet portion 10. In other words, the single inlet channel and, hence, the inlet portion 10 (which is the one and only inlet to the hopper 1) let into the hopper 1 one single type of smoking articles S.

In particular, the hopper 1 comprises a first connection channel 2, which exclusively connects the inlet portion 10 to the first exiting group Gl so as to exclusively feed smoking articles S to the first exiting group Gl (namely, to the first exiting mouths Bl, B2, B3).

The hopper 1 further comprises a second connection channel 3, which is separate from the first connection channel 2 and exclusively connects the same inlet portion 10 to the second exiting group G2 so as to exclusively feed smoking articles S to the second exiting group G2 (namely, to the second exiting mouths B4, B5, B6). In other words, the second connection channel 3 does not communicate with the first connection channel 2, except for the inlet portion 10, i.e. the second connection channel 3 does in no way communicate with the first connection channel 2 downstream of the inlet portion 10.

The inlet portion 10 receives the smoking articles S from the inlet channel and divides the smoking articles S into two distinct and separate flows, each consisting of the same type of smoking articles S: a first flow of smoking articles S coming from the first inlet portion 10 is fed to the first connection channel 2 and a second flow of smoking articles S coming from the inlet portion 10 is fed to the second connection channel 3 (which is separate from the first connection channel 2). In other words, the first connection channel 2 receives the first flow of smoking articles from the inlet portion 10 and exclusively connects the inlet portion 10 to the first exiting group Gl so as to exclusively supply the first exiting group Gl with smoking articles S of the first flow, and the second connection channel 3 is separate from the first connection channel 2, receives the second flow of smoking articles S from the inlet portion 10 and exclusively connects the inlet portion 10 to the second exiting group G2 so as to exclusively supply the second exiting group G2 with the smoking articles S of the second flow.

Advantageously, the fact that the first connection channel 2 exclusively feeds smoking articles S to the first exiting group Gl and, independently, the second connection channel 3 exclusively feeds smoking articles S to the second exiting group G2 ensures a high productivity, this avoiding undesired obstructions of the exiting mouths Bl, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6. In this way, indeed, the first exiting group Gl and the second exiting group G2 are completely independent of one another, as if they were two systems arranged in parallel. As a consequence, first of all, the speed at which the smoking articles S are fed from the inlet portion 10 to the exiting mouths Bl, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6 can be significantly reduced, preferably cut by half, compared to prior art hoppers, so as to obtain the same levels of productivity within a given amount of time (and avoiding the obstructions due, in the prior art, to the excessively high speed of the smoking articles S).

Secondly, in the highly unlikely case that there were an obstruction or a slowing down of an exiting mouth Bl, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, this would not jeopardize the entire productivity of the hopper 1 (which was the case in the prior art), but would only affect the productivity of one single exiting group Gl, G2.

With reference to the accompanying figure, the first connection channel 2 and the second connection channel 3 each comprise a pair of opposed lateral walls 20, 30, which come into contact with the smoking articles S during the relative exiting path, in an exiting direction D, from the top to the bottom.

The first connection channel 2 and the second connection channel 3 each comprise a first tract 21, 31 and a second tract 22, 32. With reference to figure 1, the first tract 21, 31 and the second tract 22, 32 are adjacent to one another and consecutive.

In detail, the second tract 22, 32 of each channel 2, 3 is interposed between the corresponding first tract 21, 31 and the corresponding exiting group Gl, G2 (whereas the first tract 21, 31 of each channel 2, 3 is interposed between the inlet portion 10 and the corresponding second tract 22, 32). In other words, the second tract 22, 32 is arranged downstream of the first tract 21, 31, taking into account the exiting direction D in which the smoking articles S are led from the inlet portion 10 towards the respective exiting mouths Bl, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6. The lateral walls 20, 30 of the first connection channel 2 and of the second connection channel 3 delimit the path of the smoking articles S exclusively to the respective exiting group Gl, G2.

With reference to the preferred embodiment, the first connection channel 2 and the second connection channel 3 each comprise at least a pair of belt conveyors 4, 5, 40, 50, which are opposed to one another and make up, for each channel 2, 3, the side walls 20, 30 of the respective first tract 21, 31.

Advantageously, with the operation of the belt conveyors 4, 5, 40, 50, the feeding of the smoking articles S to the exiting mouths Bl, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6 of the hopper 1 turns out to be particularly controlled, further avoiding a possible incorrect orientation or "cross arrangement" of the smoking articles S. With reference to figure 1, the belt conveyors 4, 5, 40, 50 are closed-ring conveyors. Hence, each first tract 21, 31 of the lateral walls 20, 30 of the first connection channel 2 and of the second connection channel 3 are defined by a branch of a respective closed-ring conveyor 4, 5, 40, 50.

In detail, when the hopper 1 is in use, the belt conveyors 4, 5, 40, 50 are fed (i.e. operated) so as to move in the same direction as the smoking articles S during their path in the exiting direction D from the inlet portion 10 towards the exiting mouths Bl, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6. In other words, the belt conveyors 4, 5, 40, 50 are fed with a speed corresponding to the feeding speed of the smoking articles S moving inside the first tract 21, 31 of the respective first 2 and second 3 channel.

Preferably, during the use, the belt conveyors 4, 5, 40, 50 are fed at the same speed as the smoking articles S, so as to move in synchronous with the smoking articles S. By so doing, the downward movement of the smoking articles S is eve more controlled. For example, each connection channel, i.e. the first one 2 and the second one 3, comprises two belt conveyors 4, 5, 40, 50 (of the type described above), which can be operated in a conveying direction and are arranged upstream and downstream, respectively, of the path of the smoking articles S from the inlet portion 10 towards the respective exiting mouths Bl, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6 (for example inclined relative to one another, preferably by 45°, see in detail figure 1). This solution allows for a better management of hoppers with large-sized connection portions.

According to the preferred embodiment shown herein, the first connection channel 2 and the second connection channel 3, in the area of the relative second tract 22, 32, branch off so as to direct the smoking articles S towards each exiting mouth Bl, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6 of the corresponding exiting group Gl, G2. In other words, each channel 2, 3, splits up "like a delta" in proximity to the corresponding exiting mouths Bl, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, namely it originates further auxiliary channels. Advantageously, by so doing, the risk of a possible obstruction of an exiting mouth is further reduced. Preferably, each channel 2, 3 (and/or the respective auxiliary channels) has a cross section with the shape of an "upside-down funnel", which increases in the area of the relative exiting mouths Bl, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6.

With reference to figure 1, again, the first exiting group Gl comprises three first exiting mouths B l, B2, B3 (i.e. the first connection channel 2 connects the inlet portion 10 to three first exiting mouths B 1 , B2, B3), and the second exiting group G2 comprises three second exiting mouths B4, B5, B6 (i.e. the second connection channel 3 connects the inlet portion 10 to three second exiting mouths B4, B5, B6). Clearly, a larger number of exiting mouths can be provided for each exiting group.

With reference to figure 1, the first connection channel 2 and the second connection channel 3 are inclined with respect to a vertical longitudinal axis Y of the hopper 1 (preferably inclined by 45°). In this way, the smoking articles S move in a more controlled manner along the connection channels.

With reference to accompanying figure, again, the first connection channel 2 and the second connection channel 3 are arranged in a mirror-like manner with respect to the aforesaid vertical longitudinal axis Y, namely they are arranged on the right and on the left of the aforesaid axis Y.

The hopper 1 can further comprise first sensor means (not shown), which are associated with the first connection channel 2 so as to detect an accumulation of smoking articles S in the first connection channel 2 (preferably in the second tract 22 of the first connection channel 2, with reference to what described above). According to this embodiment, the hopper 1 further comprises second sensor means (also not shown), which are associated with the second connection channel 3 so as to detect an accumulation of smoking articles S in the second connection channel 3 (preferably in the second tract 32 of the second connection channel 3, with reference to what described above).

The first sensor means and the second sensor means (which comprise, for instance, optical means) can coincide with or be physically distinct from one another.

Furthermore, the hopper 1 can comprise at least a control unit (also not shown), which is connected to the first sensor means and to the second sensor means so as to control and adjust (in feedback) the feeding of the smoking articles S in the first connection channel 2 and/or in the second connection channel 3 in an independent manner, based on the possible accumulation detected in the first connection channel 2 and/or in the second connection channel 3.

Advantageously, this completely eliminates the possibility of an undesired obstruction of one of the exiting mouths Bl, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6. Indeed, the first sensor means and the second sensor means detect possible accumulations of smoking articles S building up in the first connection channel 2 and/or in the second connection channel 3 and adjust accordingly, in an independent manner, the feeding of the smoking articles S in the two channels 2, 3.

In the preferred embodiment described above, wherein each connection channel 2, 3 comprises at least a pair of belt conveyors 4, 5, 40, 50, the control unit controls and adjusts the operation, namely the moving speed of the belt conveyors 4, 5, 40, 50.