Cross-Reference to Related Applications

This patent application is related to Italian Patent Application No. 102022000015699 filed on July 26, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method and to a machine for manufacturing windings around respective supports.

The present invention is advantageously applied to the tobacco industry for manufacturing a wound antenna of a transponder in a component of a single-use cartridge of an electronic cigarette, to which the following disclosure will refer without thereby losing generality.

Prior Art

Normally, an electronic cigarette comprises a reusable part which is used several times and contains, among the other things, an electric battery (which provides the necessary energy for the operation of the electronic cigarette) and an electronic processor which superintends the operation of the electronic cigarette. Furthermore, the electronic cigarette comprises a single-use cartridge (i.e. disposable, which is thus used only once and is then replaced) which is coupled to the reusable part.

Recently, it has been proposed to insert in each single-use cartridge a component provided with a transponder equipped with a memory in which the characteristics of the single-use cartridge are stored and in particular the characteristics of the active (liquid or solid) substance which has to be heated for releasing the vapours to inhale; in this manner, the reusable part of the electronic cigarette can read the characteristics of the single-use cartridge coupled to it consequently adapting the heating to the characteristics of the single-use cartridge. The transponder comprises an antenna which can be wound, i.e. the antenna can be made up of a coil which is formed by winding a conductor wire around an insulating support.

A known machine which manufactures windings around respective supports comprises at least one winding station in which an externally insulated conductor wire is wound around a support for manufacturing a series of turns making up the winding; in particular, the winding station comprises a guide finger which engages the wire in a sliding manner and is spirally rotated around the support for winding the wire.

In order to increase the productivity (i.e. the number of windings manufactured in the time unit), the machine can comprise several winding stations which are arranged side by side and operate in parallel for simultaneously manufacturing several windings; in this case, one single actuator device is preferably used which moves all the guide fingers together (i.e. all the guide fingers are mounted on one single common operating support which is moved by the single actuator device).

However, in the case where a defective support (which thus has to be subsequently discarded) reaches one of the winding stations, the winding around the defective support is anyway manufactured (thus wasting wire) since it is not possible to separate the movement of a single guide finger from the movement of the other guide fingers.

Even more complex is the case where a support does not reach one of the winding stations at all (for an upstream feeding problem), since, it not being possible to separate the movement of a single guide finger from the movement of the other guide fingers, a winding would be manufactured “zn the empty space" with the risk of fastening the wire on other parts of the machine thus causing the breakage of the wire and obliging to stop the machine for allowing a human operator to manually intervene for restoring the continuity of the broken wire. In this case, the only solution possible is to totally halt the movement of all the guide fingers for a cycle giving up forming all the windings and thus having to then discard downstream all the other supports which would be per se fit.

In both cases, there is a loss of effectiveness (i.e. a reduction in the productivity) and a loss of efficiency (i.e. components which would be per se fit are discarded, and thus wasted).

Patent application JP2001179378A describes an automatic multiple winding machine.

Description of the Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and a machine for manufacturing windings around respective supports, said method and machine allowing offering high effectiveness (measured as number of pieces produced in the time unit) simultaneously maintaining high efficiency (i.e. minimizing the wastes).

In accordance with the present invention, a method and a machine are provided for manufacturing windings around respective supports, according to what claimed in the appended claims.

The claims describe preferred embodiments of the present invention forming integral part of the present description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting example embodiment, wherein:

- Figure 1 is a schematic view of a winding station of a machine for manufacturing windings around respective supports; - Figures 2, 3 and 4 are respective schematic views of the winding station of Figure 1 in different moments of standard operation;

- Figures 5-8 are respective schematic views of the winding station of Figure 1 in different moments of an operation in the presence of a defective support or of a lacking support; and

- Figures 9 and 10 are schematic views of the machine object of the present invention in two different operating configurations.

Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 indicates, as a whole, a single winding station of a machine which manufactures windings 2 (one of which is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4) around respective supports 3 (one of which is illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4).

According to what is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, the machine comprises a plurality of winding stations 1 (six winding stations 1 in the illustrated embodiment, but the number of winding stations 1 could be variable, for example from a minimum of two to a maximum of ten-twelve) operating in parallel for simultaneously manufacturing several windings 2 around corresponding supports 3.

The winding 2 makes up the antenna of a transponder, i.e. of an electronic device (passive, i.e. devoid of a power supply of its own) which is capable of storing information and is capable of communicating by means of radiofrequency. In other words, the transponder is a smart label having a small dimension which is adapted to respond to the remote interrogation by suitable fixed or portable apparatuses, called readers (or also interrogators); a reader is capable of reading and/or modifying the information contained in the transponder which is interrogating communicating with the transponder in radiofrequency. Consequently, the transponder is part of a wireless reading and/or writing system operating according to the so-called RFID ^Radio-Frequency IDenlificalion") technology.

The transponder comprises an integrated circuit (i.e. a microchip) provided with a nonvolatile memory (typically EEPROM or FRAM) and the antenna which is made up of the winding 2 and is connected to the integrated circuit; in particular, the integrated circuit has two electric contacts to which two ends of the antenna are welded. In use, the antenna receives an electromagnetic signal which, by electromagnetic induction, induces in the antenna an electric potential difference which generates the circulation of an electric current in the integrated circuit for supplying the integrated circuit; the integrated circuit activated in this manner transmits the data contained in its memory by means of the antenna and possibly also modifies the data contained in its memory.

According to what is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the winding 2 is made up of a plurality of turns of an externally insulated conductor wire 4; in the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, approximately 10-15 turns are provided, but the number of turns could be different (also very different).

The machine comprises a main conveyor which advances the supports 3 during the working along an assembling path which passes through the winding stations 1. In particular, in use, the main conveyor stops each support 3 in a corresponding winding station 1 for the time necessary for manufacturing the corresponding winding 2. The main conveyor comprises a plurality of trolleys 5 which are advanced along the assembling path and house respective supports 3. The main conveyor is adapted to cyclically move each trolley 5 along the assembling path with an intermittent (step) movement which provides for cyclically alternating the motion phases in which the main conveyor moves the trolleys 5 and resting phases in which the main conveyor maintains the trolleys 5 still. Each trolley 5 can comprise two clamps (not illustrated) which are arranged side by side with respect to each other and are adapted to grasp and lock a corresponding end of the wire 4 which has been wounded around the respective support 3. In particular, in use, a clamp 6 is used for grasping an initial end of the wire 4 at the beginning of the winding of the wire 4 around the support 3, whereas the other clamp 7 is used for grasping a final end of the wire 4 at the end of the winding of the wire 4 around the support 3.

According to what is illustrated in Figure 1, in each winding station 1 two clamps 6 and 7 are arranged which are independent of the main conveyor, i.e. are mounted on the frame of the machine and thus on the outside of the main conveyor for not moving together with the trolleys 5. Each clamp 6 or 7 is adapted to grasp and lock a corresponding end of the wire 4 which is wound around the respective support 3. In particular, in use, an inlet clamp 6 is used for grasping the initial end of the wire 4 at the beginning of the winding of the wire 4 around the support 3; whereas, in use, an outlet clamp 7 is used for grasping the final end of the wire 4 at the end of the winding of the wire 4 around the support 3.

Each winding station 1 comprises a cutting device 8 which is mounted (on the frame of the machine and thus on the outside of the main conveyor for not moving together with the trolleys 5) so as not to be in the proximity of a respective outlet clamp 7. Thanks to its position, the movable cutting device 8 can cut a final end of a wire 4 which is locked by the outlet clamp 7.

Each winding station 1 comprises a guide finger 9 which is used for drawing the wire 4 close to the support 3, for winding the wire 4 around the support 3, and then for moving the wire 4 away from the support 3. The guide finger 9 has a tubular shape having a central hole which passes through the guide finger 9 from side to side and inside which the wire 4 is arranged; i.e. the wire 4 enters from a rear opening of the guide finger 9 and comes out from a front opening of the guide finger 9. For each guide finger 9, the wire 4 is progressively unwound by a coil 10, passes through a tensioning device 11 (preferably provided with at least one movable dandy roll actuated by a spring) and then reaches the guide finger 9; the tensioning device 11 is configured to apply to the respective wire 4 a tension which is always constant. Therefore, in each winding station 1, the wire 4 is moved by means of the respective guide finger 9 which engages the wire 4 in a sliding manner so that the wire 4 slides continuously inside the guide finger 9 during the manufacturing of the winding 2.

With reference to Figures 1-4, the winding of a wire 4 around a support 3 in the winding station 1 is described in the following.

Initially and as is illustrated in Figure 1, the winding station 1 is empty (i.e. is devoid of the support 3 carried by a trolley 5), an initial end of the wire 4 is locked in the outlet clamp 7, and the guide finger 9 is arranged in the proximity of the outlet clamp 7. The initial end of the wire 4 locked in the outlet clamp 7 is the initial end if referred to the new winding 2 which will be made around the next support 3 which will reach the winding station 1, whereas it was the final end of the wire 4 if referred to the previous winding 2 which was completed around the previous support 3 which first was standing in the winding station 1. When the machine is started after a replacement of the coils 10 from which the wire 4 is unwound, an operator manually arranges the initial end of the wire 4 in the outlet clamp 7.

Subsequently and as is illustrated in Figure 2, the trolley 16 carries the support 3 into the winding station 1, the inlet clamp 6 opens, the guide finger 9 moves for making the initial end of the wire 4 pass through the inlet clamp 6, and finally the inlet clamp 6 closes for locking the initial end of the wire 4, whereas the outlet clamp 7 opens for freeing the wire 4.

Subsequently and as is illustrated in Figure 3, the guide finger 9 starts rotating around the support 3 for winding the wire 4 around the support 3 and accomplishes a series of rotations around the support 3 for manufacturing with the wire 4 a series of turns around the support 3.

After ending the winding of the wire 4 around the support 3 and as is illustrated in Figure 4, the guide finger 9 makes the final end of the wire 4 pass through the open outlet clamp 7 which closes immediately after locking the final end of the wire 4 and the manufacturing of the winding ends with the action of the cutting device 8 which cuts the final end of the wire 4 after the final end of the wire 4 has been locked by the outlet clamp 7 and with the opening of the inlet clamp 6 for completely releasing the winding 2 just manufactured from the winding station 1. As mentioned in the foregoing, each trolley 5 of the main conveyor comprises two clamps of its own which hold the ends of the winding 2 until the ends of the winding 2 are definitively locked (for example by means of welding) in their final position.

According to what is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, the machine comprises a common operating body 12 on which all the movable guide fingers 9 are mounted for moving, still together and with the same identical law of motion, all the guide fingers 9; in particular, all the guide fingers 9 always move integrally with the operating body 12. The operating body 12 is moved by a single actuator device 13 provided with (at least) an independent electric motor of its own.

According to what is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, each guide finger 9 is mounted in a movable manner on the operating body 12 so as to move between a work position or active position (also illustrated in Figures 1-5) in which the guide finger 9 is arranged in the proximity of a support 3 that is standing (or should be standing) in the winding station 1 (i.e. the guide finger 9 is arranged inside a housing zone of the support 3) and a neutral position or passive position (also illustrated in Figures 6-8) in which the guide finger 9 is arranged (relatively) distant from a support 3 that is standing (or should be standing) in the winding station 1 (i.e. the guide finger 9 is arranged outside of the housing zone of the support 3). In other words, each guide finger 9 is mounted in a movable manner on the operating body 12 so as to move between the work position or active position in which the guide finger 9 is arranged so as to cooperate with a support 3 that is standing or should be standing in the respective winding station 1 (therefore, is closer to the support 3 so that, by moving, it can rotate around the support 3) and the neutral position or passive position in which the guide finger 9 is arranged so as not to cooperate with a support 3 that is standing or should be standing in the respective winding station 1 (therefore, is farther from the support 3 so that, by moving, it cannot rotate around the support 3).

According to a preferred embodiment, each guide finger 9 is arranged on a support body 14 which translates (or alternatively rotates or rotates-translates) with respect to the operating body 12 under the thrust of an actuator device 15 so as to move the guide finger 9 between the work position and the neutral position. In Figure 9 all the guide fingers 9 are standing in the work position, whereas in Figure 10 all the guide fingers 9 except one are standing in the work position and a single guide finger 9 is standing in the neutral position.

According to what is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, in each winding station 1 the two clamps 6 and 7 are mounted in a movable manner so as to move between a work position or active position (illustrated in Figures 1-5) in which the clamps 6 and 7 are standing in the proximity of a support 3 that is standing (or should be standing) in the winding station 1 (i.e. the clamps 6 and 7 are arranged inside the housing zone of the support 3) and a neutral position or passive position (illustrated in Figures 6-8) in which the clamps 6 and 7 are standing (relatively) distant from a support 3 that is standing (or should be standing) in the winding station 1 (i.e. the clamps 6 and 7 are arranged outside of the housing zone of the support 3). In other words, in each winding station 1 the two clamps 6 and 7 are movable so as to move between the work or active position in which the two clamps 6 and 7 are arranged so as to cooperate with a support 3 that is standing or should be standing in the respective winding station 1 (therefore, are closer to the support 3) and the neutral or passive position in which the two clamps 6 and 7 are arranged so as not to cooperate with a support 3 that is standing or should be standing in the respective winding station 1 (therefore, are farther from the support 3).

According to a preferred embodiment, in each winding station 1 the two clamps 6 and 7 are arranged on a support body 16 which translates (or alternatively rotates or rotates- translates) under the thrust of an actuator device 17 so as to move the two clamps 6 and 7 between the work position and the neutral position.

According to what is illustrated in Figure 5, it can occur that in a winding station 1 a trolley 5 of the main conveyor carries a defective support 3 (i.e. that it has to be subsequently discarded since it has defects which prevent its use) or does not carry any support 3 at all (i.e. the support 3 is absent due to a problem in the previous feeding of the supports 3). In other words, it can occur that in a “ temporarily unserviceable’" winding station 1 the winding 2 is not to be manufactured due to a defective or lacking support 3, whereas in all the other winding stations 1 the corresponding windings 2 have to be regularly manufactured.

In a “temporarily unserviceable” winding station 1, the two clamps 6 and 7 are moved from the work position or active position (illustrated in Figures 1-5) to the neutral position or passive position (illustrated in Figures 6-8) and simultaneously also the corresponding guide finger 9 is moved from the work position or active position (illustrated in Figures 1-5) to the neutral position or passive position (illustrated in Figures 6-8). In this manner, when the guide finger 9 of the “temporarily unserviceable” winding station 1 accomplishes (together with the other guide fingers 9 of the other winding stations 1 to which it is bound by the common operating body 12) all the movements necessary for winding the wire 4 around a support 3, these movements do not produce any winding of the wire around the support 3, both if there is the (defective) support 3, and if the support 3 is absent. In other words, the guide finger 9 of the “temporarily unserviceable” winding station 1 is moved away from the zone in which the support 3 is arranged (or should be arranged) and thus the movements of the guide finger 9 imposed by the common operating body 12 do not produce any type of winding of the wire 4 around the support 3 (if present).

It is important to observe that the idle movements of the guide finger 9 of the “temporarily unserviceable’" winding station 1 produce only a greater unwinding of the wire 4 from the coil 10, since the wire 4 is in some moments pulled without anyway winding around anything; however, this greater unwinding of the wire 4 from the coil 10 is absorbed (compensated) by the tensioning device 11 which stores inside it a greater quantity of wire 4.

When in the “temporarily unserviceable” winding station 1 a trolley 5 carrying a fit support 3 returns, the two clamps 6 and 7 are moved from the neutral position or passive position (illustrated in Figures 6-8) to the work position or active position (illustrated in Figures 1-5) and simultaneously also the corresponding guide finger 9 is moved from the neutral position or passive position (illustrated in Figures 6-8) to the work position or active position (illustrated in Figures 1-5). At this point, the situation returns to be normal and everything restarts as described in the foregoing for manufacturing the windings 2 around the supports 3.

According to a preferred embodiment, both the guide fingers 9, and the clamps 6 and 7 are movable (when necessary, i.e. for putting a single “temporarily unserviceable” winding station 1) between the work position or active position (illustrated in Figures 1- 5) and the neutral position or passive position (illustrated in Figures 6-8); this solution allows minimizing the additional and “useless” unwinding of the wire from the coil 10 since it still maintains the clamps 6 and 7 closer to the corresponding guide finger 9.

According to an alternative embodiment, only the guide fingers 9 are movable (when necessary, i.e. for putting a single “temporarily unserviceable” winding station 1) between the work position or active position (illustrated in Figures 1-5) and the neutral position or passive position (illustrated in Figures 6-8), whereas the clamps 6 and 7 never move from their position; this solution is constructively simpler but increases the additional and “useless” unwinding of the wire from the coil 10 since the clamps 6 and 7 are in average farther from the corresponding guide finger 9.

In the above-described non-limiting embodiment, the support 3 is part of a single-use cartridge of an electronic cigarette, but the above-described assembling method can be applied to the production of supports equipped with a winding for articles of any type (i.e. of any commodity class). For example, the above-described assembling method can be applied to the production of supports equipped with a winding for a machine, a plant, a construction, for example, but not only, of the tobacco, pharmaceutical, food or entertainment sector; more in general, the above-described assembling method can be applied to the production of supports equipped with a winding for applications of any type.

The embodiments described herein can be combined with each other without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

The above-described method has numerous advantages.

Firstly, the above-described method allows achieving high effectiveness (measured as number of pieces produced in the time unit) enabling using a plurality of winding stations 1 in parallel.

Furthermore, the above-described method also allows reaching high efficiency since it minimizes the wastes; in fact, in the case of an absent or defective support 3 it is possible to make “temporarily unserviceable’" only the winding station 1 in which the absent or defective support 3 is standing, whereas all the other winding stations 1 operate regularly producing respective windings 2.

Especially, the above-described method allows preventing that in the case of an absent or defective support 3 there is the risk of breaking the corresponding wire 4, situation which forces to stop the machine for allowing a human operator to manually intervene for restoring the continuity of the broken wire 4 (with a relevant loss of effectiveness due to the prolonged stop of the machine).

Finally, the above-described method is relatively simple and not very expensive to implement.

LIST OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS OF THE FIGURES

1 winding station

2 winding

3 support

4 wire

5 trolleys

6 inlet clamp

7 outlet clamp

8 cutting device

9 guide finger

10 coil

11 tensioning device

12 operating body

13 actuator device

14 support body

15 actuator device 16 support body

17 actuator device