EQUIPMENT AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY WRAPPING A FILM AROUND AN OBJECT

Abstract

The present invention refers to an equipment and a method for wrapping a film around an object placed on a pallet. The equipment includes: a) a reel-holder carriage equipped with an outlet designed to allow the film to come out of the carriage through it; and b) at least one device suitable for blowing air, placed at the outlet and integral with the carriage, which allows the end strip of the film, once it has come out of the carriage, to spread slowly, without any tension, on the ground around the base of the object to be wrapped. The rotation around the object to be wrapped of a movable body forming part of the equipment of the present invention, or, alternatively, the rotation on itself of the object to be wound in proximity to the equipment, allows tensioning of the strip of the film and the subsequent superimposition on it of a portion of the film that gradually emerges from the carriage during rotation, so as to fix the film to the object to be wrapped.

Claims

1. Equipment (10) for wrapping a film (6) around an object (4) arranged on a pallet (15), wherein said equipment (10) comprises: a) a carriage (1) adapted to house a reel of said film (6) and wherein said carriage (1) is provided with an outlet (11) adapted to allow said film (6) to exit from the carriage (1) through said outlet (11); and b) at least one device suitable for blowing air (7) placed in correspondence with said outlet (11) and integral with said carriage (1) and able to allow the end strip (9) of said film (6), once it has come out of the carriage (1), to lie on the ground around the base of said object to be wrapped (4) with said film (6).

2. Equipment (10) for wrapping a film (6) according to claim 1 further comprising a first (7) and a second device suitable for blowing air (8), placed one on each side with respect to the film (6) at said outlet (11) of the carriage (1).

3. Equipment (10) for wrapping a film (6) according to claim 1 further comprising a movable body (12) integral with said carriage (1) able to rotate around said object to be wrapped (4).

4. Equipment (10) for wrapping a film (6) according to claim 1 further comprising a vertical column (2) along which said carriage (1) is able to slide up and/or down.

5. Equipment (10) for wrapping a film (6) according to claim 1 further comprising at least one suction element positioned at the base of said object to be wrapped (4) and able to attract said end strip (9) towards itself of the film (6) once it has come out of said outlet (11) of the carriage (1).

6. Method for wrapping an object (4) placed on a pallet (15) with a film (6) using the equipment (10) according to claim 1, wherein said method comprises the steps of: a) loading a reel of said film (6) into a special reel-holder carriage (1) equipped with a suitable outlet (11) so as to allow the end strip (9) of said film (6) to come out of the carriage (1) through said outlet (11); b) activating at least one device suitable for blowing air (7) located in correspondence with said outlet (11) and integral with said carriage (1), so as to allow said end strip (9) of said film (6) to stretch, without tension, around the base of said object to be wrapped (4); c) activating the supply of the film (6) still inside the carriage (1); d) activating the rotation of said object to be wrapped (4) on itself in proximity to said equipment (10), or, alternatively, activating the rotation of said movable body (12) of said equipment (10) around said object to be wound (4), so that said end strip (9) of said film (6) begins to wrap around said object to be wrapped (4), and with it, thereafter, also the remaining portion of film (6) gradually coming out of said carriage (1); e) continuing to carry out said rotation until an amount of film (6) has been dispensed such as to be tensioned so as to fixe said film (6) to said object to be wrapped (4).

7. Method according to claim 6 wherein, in said step e), said film (6) is tensioned when it overlaps said end strip (9) of said film (6) already wrapped to said object to be wrapped (4) or as soon as the film (6) already exited from the carriage (1) presents a certain resistance to dragging.

8. Method according to claim 7 further comprising, at the end of said step e), the step of: f) deactivating said at least one first device suitable for blowing air (7).

9. Method according to claim 8 further comprising, at the end of said step f), the step of: g) continuing said rotation and, consequently, said wrapping of said film (6) put under tension around said object to be wrapped (4), until the object to be wrapped (4) with said film has been wrapped for a number of times desired.

10. Method according to claim 6, wherein in said step b) a first (7) and a second device (8) suitable for blowing air are activated and placed one on each side with respect to the film (6) in correspondence with said outlet (11).

Description

[0058] Further features and advantages of the present invention will be better highlighted by examining the following detailed description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments, illustrated only by way of indication and not limited to, with the support of the attached drawings. In particular, in such drawings:

[0059] FIG. 1a is an axonometric view of a semi-automatic equipment known in the art to wrap a film around an object placed on a pallet, wherein the latter rotates around the equipment, which is instead fixed;

[0060] FIG. 1b is an axonometric view of a semi-automatic equipment known in the art for wrapping a film around an object placed on a pallet, wherein the equipment rotates around the object to be wrapped with the film, which is instead fixed;

[0061] FIG. 1c is an axonometric view of a semi-automatic equipment known in the art for wrapping a film around an object placed on a pallet, wherein the apparatus rotates around the object to be wrapped by means of a rotating arm;

[0062] FIG. 2a is an axonometric view of a hybrid equipment known in the art to wrap a film around an object placed on a pallet, wherein the latter rotates around the equipment, which is instead fixed;

[0063] FIG. 3 is an axonometric view of a detail of an embodiment of an automatic equipment of the present invention for wrapping a film around an object placed on a pallet, wherein there are two devices suitable for blowing air;

[0064] FIG. 3b is an axonometric view of a detail of a second embodiment of an automatic equipment of the present invention for wrapping a film around an object placed on a pallet, wherein there is only one device suitable for blowing air;

[0065] FIG. 4a is an axonometric view of a system consisting of the equipment of the present invention of FIG. 3 and of an object placed on a pallet to be wrapped with the film, wherein the object to be wrapped rotates on itself near the equipment;

[0066] FIG. 4b is an axonometric view of a system consisting of the equipment of the present invention of FIG. 3 and an object placed on a pallet to be wrapped with the film, wherein a movable body of the equipment rotates around the object to be wrapped;

[0067] FIGS. 5-9 schematically show from above the movable body of the equipment of FIG. 4b during various phases of rotation around the object to be wrapped, wherein the progressive supply of the film and the relevant progressive wrapping of the object to be wrapped can be seen.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] The following detailed description refers to particular embodiments of the device of the present invention, without limiting its content.

[0069] With reference to FIGS. 3, 4b, 5-9, a first embodiment of an automatic equipment 10 of the present invention is shown for wrapping a film 6 around an object 4 placed on a pallet 15 arranged on the ground.

[0070] The equipment 10 comprises a carriage 1 adapted to house a reel of film 6; the carriage 1 is equipped with an outlet 11 that allows the film 6 to come out of the carriage 1. The equipment 10 also includes a vertical column 2 along which the carriage 1 slides upwards and/or downwards. At the outlet 11 there are two devices 7,8 suitable for blowing air, placed one on each side with respect to the film 6 and integral with the carriage 1.

[0071] Finally, the equipment 10 is also provided with a movable body 12 integral with the carriage 1 and able to rotate around the object to be wrapped 4; the movable body 12 is provided with at least one wheel 13 to facilitate its movement.

[0072] The movement of the movable body can be managed by means of an electronic card placed inside the movable body 12 itself and manageable via a keyboard and a display 14 arranged on the external surface of the movable body itself to allow programming. In another alternative embodiment, the movable body 12 can also be managed remotely, without limiting the invention to such solutions.

[0073] The movement of the carriage 1 along the vertical column, the speed with which the film 6 comes out of the carriage, the power of the devices 7,8 suitable for blowing air can also be managed and programmed by means of this electronic card, via keyboard or remotely, without limiting the invention to such solutions.

[0074] Operationally, a reel of film 6 is first loaded onto the reel-holder carriage 1, so that the end strip 9 (or “tail”) of the film 6 is passed through the appropriate outlet 11 to come out of the carriage 1. The equipment 10 and the object to be wrapped 4 are then brought close to each other to start the wrapping cycle. Then, the two devices 7,8 suitable for blowing air are activated, placed at the outlet 11, one on each side with respect to the film 6 and integral with the carriage 1, to allow the extraction of the film 6. At the same time, the rotation of the mobile body 12 of the equipment 10 is activated around the object to be wrapped 4; therefore, while the movable body 12 rotates (and with it all the equipment 10 integral with it), the reel-holder carriage 1 extracts and dispenses the film. The air flow generated by the devices 7,8 runs parallel to the terminal strip 9 that, due to the effect of the air flow, initially remains horizontal, and then moves away from the air puffs 7,8 and naturally descends downwards, leaning slowly, without tension, in correspondence with the object to be wrapped 4 (FIG. 5).

[0075] In a preferred form, although not essential for the purposes of the invention, the film 6 delivered by the carriage 1 has a length slightly shorter than the path traveled by the mobile body 12 while the latter rotates around the object to be wrapped 4. In this way, the film 6 is kept as tensioned as possible and close to the object to be wrapped 4. As the movable body 12 rotates around the object to be wrapped 4 (clockwise, in FIGS. 5-9), the end strip 9 of the film 6 is tensioned while it wraps around the object 4 itself and with it, consequently also the portion of film 6 as it exits from the carriage 1. In one embodiment, the film 6 is tensioned as soon as, upon completion of the first round of the film 6 around the object to be wrapped 4, a portion of the film 6 overlaps the end strip 9 itself. In another alternative embodiment, it is not necessary to wait for the overlapping of the end strip 9 by the film 6 to occur, but the tensioning of the film 6 can be activated as soon as the film 6 already exiting the carriage 1 has a certain drag resistance. In any case, the tensioning of the film 6 allows the fixing of the film 6 itself around the object to be wrapped 4. The rotation of the mobile body 12 can continue until it has completed the number of rounds programmed around the object to be wrapped 4.

[0076] With reference to FIGS. 3,4a, a second embodiment of an automatic equipment 10 of the present invention is shown for wrapping a film 6 around an object 4 placed on a pallet 15 that, in turn, is placed on a rotating base 3. This second embodiment differs from the first one seen above with reference to FIGS. 4b, 5-9 in that, in this case, the object to be wrapped 4 rotates on itself in proximity to the equipment 10, which is instead fixed. Furthermore, in this second embodiment there is no mobile body 12 of the equipment 10, no movement of the equipment 10 being necessary.

[0077] Operationally, in this second embodiment, the strip 9 of the film 6 exits from the carriage 1 in the same manner as seen above with reference to the first embodiment, using the devices 7,8 to blow the air, and then fall without tension on the swivel base 3. The latter, by rotating, tensions and pulls away the strip 9 around the object to be wrapped 4 up to bring it back to the starting point, and wedges it between the object to be wrapped 4 and the new portion of film 6 coming out of the carriage 1. Also in this case, at the end of the first round of the object to be wrapped 4 around the equipment 10, the film 6 overlaps the flap 9, thus fixing the film 6 around the object to be wrapped 4. The rotation of the object to be wrapped 4 around the equipment 10 can continue until it has completed the number of rounds programmed around the object to be wrapped 4.

[0078] Of course, many modifications and variations of the preferred embodiments described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art, still remaining within the scope of the invention.

[0079] For example, the equipment of the present invention can be provided with further devices to facilitate the wrapping and fixing of the film around the object to be wrapped, such as: suction elements capable of attracting the terminal strip of the film towards them once it has come out of said carriage outlet; devices designed to increase the friction between the film and the object to be wrapped; a system for spreading the film on the object to be wrapped; a device suitable for dispensing adhesive tape or glue between the film and the object to be wrapped.

[0080] Furthermore, in another alternative embodiment of the present invention, the equipment 10 of the present invention can be provided with a single device 7 suitable for blowing air, as shown in FIG. 3b, instead of having two devices 7,8 as shown in FIG. 3. In this case, the only device 7 suitable for blowing air is positioned under the outlet of the film 6, so that the air flow is distributed to the two sides of the film 6 itself. The air jet is thus directed in the direction of outlet of the film 6 and slightly inclined upwards to give a vertical support function.

[0081] Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described, illustrated only by way of non-limiting example, but is defined by the following claims.