FEED UNIT FOR ARTICLES

Abstract

A feed unit for articles includes a guide extending along a guide longitudinal axis to define a linear feed path for such articles. The guide is for accommodating articles arranged in a row one after the other and to guide the articles as the articles move along the linear feed path. The articles have a characteristic length corresponding to their size along the longitudinal axis. At least one segment of the guide is progressively rotated about the guide longitudinal axis by a total angle greater than 180° and with an angular variation per unit of linear measurement such that, substantially for each portion of the linear feed path equal to the characteristic length of the articles, the guide is rotated about the longitudinal axis by an angle greater than 4°.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A feed unit for articles, comprising a guide with at least one guide segment, wherein: the guide extends along a guide longitudinal axis to define a linear feed path for said articles, the guide is configured to accommodate a plurality of said articles arranged in a row one after the other and to guide the articles as the articles move along said linear feed path, said articles having a characteristic length corresponding to a size of each of said articles measured along said guide longitudinal axis, and the at least one guide segment is configured to progressively rotate about said longitudinal axis by a total angle greater than 180° and with an angular variation per unit of linear measurement such that, for substantially the entirety of said at least one guide segment, for each portion of said linear feed path equal to said characteristic length, said guide is configured to rotate about said longitudinal axis by an angle greater than 4°.

17. The feed unit according to claim 16, wherein for each portion of said linear path equal to said characteristic length, said guide, in said at least one guide segment, is configured to rotate about said longitudinal axis by an angle of less than 30°.

18. The feed unit according to claim 16, wherein for each portion of said linear path equal to said characteristic length, said guide, in said at least one guide segment, is configured to rotate about said longitudinal axis by an angle between 4° and 20°.

19. The feed unit according to claim 16, wherein said at least one guide segment is configured to progressively rotates about said longitudinal axis by a total angle greater than 360°.

20. The feed unit according to claim 16, wherein said angular variation per unit of linear measurement is constant within said at least one guide segment.

21. The feed unit according to claim 16, wherein said at least one guide segment comprises at least one curve of said linear feed path.

22. The feed unit according to claim 16, further comprising, on said guide, movement devices to push said articles along said linear feed path.

23. The feed unit according to claim 22, wherein said movement devices comprise a plurality of nozzles connected to a pneumatic circuit and arranged along said linear feed path to deliver a jet of air to said articles.

24. A method for preventing packing of articles conducted along a guide with at least one guide segment, the articles extending along a longitudinal axis of the guide that defines a linear feed path for said articles, the method comprising: providing a plurality of said articles in a row, one after the other, on said guide, identifying a characteristic length of said articles corresponding to a size of each of said articles measured along said longitudinal axis, progressively rotating said guide, for the at least one guide segment, about said longitudinal axis with an angular variation per unit of linear measurement such that, for substantially the entirety of said segment, for each portion of said linear path equal to said characteristic length of said articles, said guide rotates about said longitudinal axis by an angle greater than 4°, and moving said articles on said guide.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said guide, in said at least one guide segment, is progressively rotated about said longitudinal axis by a total angle greater than 180°.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein for each portion of said linear path equal to said characteristic length, said guide, in said at least one guide segment, is rotated about said longitudinal axis by an angle between 4° and 20°.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein in said at least one guide segment, said linear feed path comprises a curve.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein said articles have a slab shape, the method comprising: identifying two prevalent dimensions, defining a length and a width of said article, identifying a third dimension substantially smaller than said two dimensions, defining a total thickness of said article, and positioning said articles in said guide so that said longitudinal axis is substantially perpendicular to said third dimension.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein said articles have a curved shape with a substantially constant thickness.

30. An apparatus for preparing food products, comprising a plurality of containers, and the feed unit of claim 16 for articles to be coupled to said plurality of containers.

Description

[0070] The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the detailed description of an embodiment example illustrated, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings wherein:

[0071] FIG. 1 is a schematic view in side perspective of a feed unit for articles made in accordance with the present invention;

[0072] FIG. 2 is a schematic view from above of the feed unit in FIG. 1,

[0073] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the arrangement of the articles conducted within the feed unit of FIG. 2,

[0074] FIG. 4 is a side view on enlarged scale of some of the articles represented in FIG. 3,

[0075] FIG. 5 is a front view of the articles in FIG. 4, and

[0076] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a detail of the feed unit of FIG. 1.

[0077] With reference to the accompanying figures, 1 indicates overall a feed unit for articles 2 constructed in accordance with the present invention.

[0078] In the embodiment example described herein, the feed unit 1 is inserted within an apparatus for preparing and packaging capsules for infusion type beverages, in particular coffee, and is provided to feed a plurality of protection discs at the bottom of respective empty capsules prior to their filling with coffee powder.

[0079] The articles 2 are then formed by the protection discs.

[0080] The latter have a slab shape, with a large central hole and a plurality of small holes evenly that are distributed throughout the rest of the surface. The protection discs are identical between them and have a circular shape with a diameter D of about 30 to 40 mm and a thickness S of about 1 to 3 mm, which is substantially constant.

[0081] The discs also have a slightly convex shape, so that the total thickness S1 of the articles 2 defines a footprint of about 3 to 6 mm.

[0082] In the articles 2, there are therefore two prevalent dimensions, measuring equal to the diameter D, and a third dimension with a significantly lower measurement corresponding to the total thickness S1 of the article.

[0083] The feed unit 1 comprises a guide 3 in which the articles 2 are arranged in a row one after the other to be moved and guided between an inlet station 4a and an outlet station 4b.

[0084] In particular, the inlet station 4a (shown schematically only in FIG. 1) comprises a first delivery device (e.g. of the ball feeder type) in which the articles 2 introduced in bulk are fed in an orderly manner and with a predefined orientation within the guide 3, while the outlet station 4b comprises a second delivery device which is provided to supply the articles 2 to a working unit in which the articles are inserted one by one into respective empty capsules.

[0085] The guide 3 extends along a longitudinal axis X thereof, to define a linear feed path for the articles 2, which extends for a length of about 3-4 metres, with a difference in height of about 20 cm, passing through a pair of curves 5a, with a wide radius, a central segment 5b substantially rectilinear and a curve 5c with a short radius. The latter, in particular, has a radius of curvature of about 30 cm, which is about 10 times the diameter of an article 2.

[0086] The guide 3 is delimited by a bottom wall 6, by a pair of flanks 7 rising from sides of the bottom 6 and by a bar 8 extending parallel to the flanks 7 on opposite sides to the bottom 6, which together form retention walls for the articles 2 accommodated within the guide 3. In particular, the retention walls delimit a chamber of substantially rectangular cross section in which the articles 2 are accommodated with a clearance between 0.5 and 5 mm.

[0087] The articles 2 are positioned in the guide 3 resting on the bottom 6, so that their diameter is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X. In this arrangement, the articles 2 have a characteristic length, i.e. a length measured parallel to the longitudinal axis X, substantially equal to their diameter.

[0088] The articles 2 are conducted as they slide along the guide 3 by the gravitational force and by a plurality of nozzles 9 connected to a pneumatic circuit 10 and arranged in steps at the bottom of the guide 3 to deliver a jet of air towards the articles 2 and to push them along the linear feed path (see FIG. 6).

[0089] The articles 2 accommodated within the guide 3 are about 100 and are conducted as they slide inside the same at a speed such as to deliver about 1500 per minute.

[0090] In order to avoid phenomena of packing of the articles 2, also due to their formation, the configuration of the linear feed path and the speed with which they are guided along this path, the guide 3 is advantageously twisted about the longitudinal axis X, so as to assume a spiral configuration.

[0091] In particular, the entire guide 3 is continuously rotated about its longitudinal axis X with a substantially constant angular variation per unit of linear measurement and such that for each guide segment of a length equal to the diameter of the articles 2 (i.e. their characteristic length) the guide is rotated by an angle A of about 7°.

[0092] In this way, each article 2 conducted along the guide 3 is angularly staggered by about 7° with respect to the article preceding it and by further 7° with respect to the article following it, as clearly shown in FIG. 5.

[0093] Thanks to this characteristic, it is substantially prevented that an article 2 can be placed side by side even only partially with the article 2 that precedes it. In consideration of the length of the guide 3 and of the angular variation per unit of linear measurement defined above, the guide 3 is rotated about its own longitudinal axis by a total angle which is much greater than 180°, equal to about 650°. Naturally, by maintaining the same angular variation per unit of linear measurement, the total angle of rotation will vary as a function of the overall length of the guide 3.

[0094] The feed unit 1 then continuously receives the articles 2 at the inlet station 4a and receives them inside the guide 3 where they are arranged in a row one after the other, where, pushed by the gravitational force and the action of the nozzles 9, they quickly slide towards the outlet station 4b.

[0095] Along the linear feed path, the articles 2 travel descents, rectilinear and curved segments, always continuing to rotate about the longitudinal axis X following the spiral trajectory defined by the twisted guide 3.

[0096] Thanks to these characteristics, the articles 2 are conducted along the guide 3 in a safe and continuous way without incurring packing along the path.