APPARATUS FOR GROUPING PRODUCTS AND SEPARATING DISCRETE BATCHES, FOR PACKAGING

Abstract

An apparatus for grouping products and separating discrete batches, for packaging, which comprises a portioning device which has: a belt which can slide between a plurality of movement and transmission rollers, the arrangement of the rollers defining the transverse profile of the belt, a plurality of partitions which extend from the belt at right angles thereto, outward from the transverse profile.

The portioning device comprises at least one curved section which is curved substantially outward from the transverse profile of the belt, between two of the rollers.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. An apparatus for grouping products and separating discrete batches, for packaging, which comprises a portioning device which has: a belt which can slide between a plurality of movement and transmission rollers, an arrangement of said rollers defining a transverse profile of said belt, a plurality of partitions which extend from said belt at right angles thereto, outward from said transverse profile, wherein said portioning device comprises at least one curved section which is curved substantially outward from said transverse profile of said belt, between two of said rollers.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said portioning device comprises a shape, inside of said transverse profile of said belt, at said curved section, said shape extending between said two rollers that are arranged at ends of said curved section.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said shape has a profile shaped like a circular arc.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising, outside said transverse profile of said belt and at said curved section, a chute.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said chute has a same curvature as said shape and as said section, is arranged at a distance from said belt which is comparable to a height of said partitions, and has a width that is comparable to a width of said belt.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said chute has an upper end and a lower end, which is arranged at a portion which can be opened by horizontal sliding.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said portion is a horizontal plane and/or shutter.

21. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said belt comprises a substantially horizontal section above said curved section.

22. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of said movement and transmission rollers is a driving roller which can be actuated both in one direction of rotation and in the opposite direction.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a conveyor belt for said products.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said upper end of said chute is arranged proximate to and below said conveyor belt.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said portion which can be opened by horizontal sliding is arranged proximate to said conveyor belt, said conveyor belt having a sliding direction substantially at 90° with respect to said transverse profile of said belt of said portioning device.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said conveyor belt is swiveling.

Description

[0037] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of some preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of the apparatus for grouping products and separating discrete batches, for packaging, according to the invention, which are illustrated for the purposes of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0038] FIG. 1 is an overall view of an apparatus for grouping products and/or separating discrete batches, for packaging, according to the invention;

[0039] FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus in FIG. 1 in a first operating application,

[0040] FIG. 3 is a side view of an apparatus for grouping products and/or separating discrete batches, for packaging, according to the invention, in a second operating application,

[0041] FIG. 4 is a side view of the apparatus in FIG. 1 in a third operating application.

[0042] With reference to the figures, an apparatus for grouping products and/or separating discrete batches, for packaging, according to the invention, is generally designated by the reference numeral 1.

[0043] The apparatus 1 comprises a portioning device 10.

[0044] The portioning device 10 is arranged, in operation, downstream of a conveyor belt 11 for products 12.

[0045] The conveyor belt 11 brings the products 12 to the portioning device 10.

[0046] The portioning device 10 has: [0047] a belt 13 which can slide between a plurality of movement and transmission rollers 14, [0048] a plurality of partitions 15 which extend from the belt 13 at right angles thereto.

[0049] Advantageously the partitions 15 are all identical.

[0050] The arrangement of these rollers 14 defines the transverse profile of the belt 13.

[0051] The expression “transverse profile”, in the present description, means the projection of the belt 13 onto a plane perpendicular to the rollers 14.

[0052] One of the peculiarities of the invention consists in that the belt 13 comprises at least one curved section 16 which is curved substantially outward from the transverse profile of the belt 13, between two of these rollers 14.

[0053] This curved section 16 is directed downward.

[0054] The separator partitions 15 extend outward from the transverse profile of the belt 13.

[0055] The portioning device 10 comprises a shape 17, inside of the transverse profile of the belt 13, at the curved section 16, which is adapted to determine its curvature.

[0056] The shape 17 extends between the two rollers 14 that are arranged at the ends of the curved section 16.

[0057] Advantageously, the shape 17 has a profile shaped like a circular arc.

[0058] The portioning device 10 comprises, outside of the transverse profile of the belt 13 and at the curved section 16, a chute 18.

[0059] The chute 18 has the same curvature as the shape 17 and as the section 16, is arranged at a distance from the belt 13 which is comparable to the height of the partitions 15, and has a width that is comparable to the width of the belt 13.

[0060] The chute 18 has an upper end 19, which is arranged proximate to and below the conveyor belt 11, in a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, and a lower end 20, which is arranged at a portion 21 that can be opened by horizontal sliding.

[0061] The openable portion 21 is for example a horizontal plane and/or shutter.

[0062] In a second embodiment of the apparatus 1, shown in FIG. 3, the openable portion 21 is arranged proximate to the conveyor belt 11.

[0063] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the apparatus 1, the portioning device 10 has a belt 13 which comprises a substantially horizontal section 22, above the curved section 16.

[0064] The conveyor belt 11 can be arranged as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, in order to provide batches of products 12 in the portioning device 10 with the individual products 12 arranged vertically, or it can present a different configuration, as shown schematically in FIG. 3, in order to provide batches of products 12 in the portioning device 10 with the individual products 12 arranged horizontally, one above the other; in such case it will have a sliding direction arranged substantially at 90° with respect to the transverse profile of the portioning device 10.

[0065] Below the openable portion 21 there is, for example, a belt 23 for conveying packages 24.

[0066] In this manner, it is possible to package a batch of products 12, arranged on the openable portion 21, by opening such portion 21 and making the batch fall, by gravity, into the packaging 24 arranged below.

[0067] In particular, at least one of the rollers 14 is a driving roller and can be actuated both in one direction of rotation and in the opposite direction.

[0068] In this manner it is possible to adapt the portioning device 10 of the apparatus 1 to different applications and to the packaging of different types of product 12.

[0069] One of the peculiarities of the invention consists in that the apparatus 1 comprises a portioning device 10 and a swiveling conveyor belt 11.

[0070] The term “swiveling” in the present description means that the conveyor belt 11 is capable of lifting and/or lowering its end that is proximate to the portioning device 10, as indicated by the arrow 30 in the figures.

[0071] The swiveling of the conveyor belt 11 is achieved by way of lifting means that are conventional, which are synchronized with the movement of the portioning device 10 and controlled by software for controlling the entire apparatus 1.

[0072] Operation of the apparatus 1 according to an application shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 is as follows.

[0073] The products 12 are conveyed by the conveyor belt 11 toward the portioning device 10.

[0074] When they reach the upper end 19 of the chute 18, they enter a space 25 created between two consecutive partitions 15 of the belt 13, which advances, in steps, with a speed comparable to the speed of the product 12 falling into the space 25 of the belt 13.

[0075] As the products 12 enter the space 25 of the belt 13, the latter advances one step, in the direction of the arrow 31.

[0076] The products 12, on entering the chute 18, are compacted, arranging themselves beside each other by virtue of gravity, and by virtue of the presence of the partitions 15 batches are formed with a predetermined number of products 12 arranged vertically.

[0077] In this manner it is possible to obtain compact batches, without the need for individual pockets for each individual product.

[0078] These batches, thus formed, advance toward the openable portion 21.

[0079] Once a batch fully occupies the openable portion 21, the latter is opened, allowing the batch to fall into an underlying package 24, which is brought into position by the belt 23 for conveying packages.

[0080] If the time to unload the batch is greater than the time for conveying the portioning device 10, it is possible to allow the unloading of the batch while continuing to feed the portioning device 10, in the following manner.

[0081] During the stop phase of the belt 13, for unloading the batch through the openable portion 21, the belt 11 is directed vertically, and is lifted one step upward in order to feed the portioning device 10.

[0082] Then, the openable portion 21 is closed and the belt 13 moves two steps forward.

[0083] At this point the belt 11 is lowered by one step in order to continue feeding the new space 25 of the portioning device 10, returning to the starting configuration, with the belt 13 advancing once again, one step at a time.

[0084] In this manner, the apparatus 1 makes it possible to carry out packaging at speeds comparable to those of the apparatuses now on the market, but using a single portioning device.

[0085] Operation of the apparatus 1 according to a different application, shown in FIG. 3, is as follows.

[0086] The products 12 are conveyed by the conveyor belt 11 toward the portioning device 10, into a space beside the openable portion 21, the space on the right in FIG. 3.

[0087] The sliding direction of the conveyor belt 11 is substantially at 90° with respect to the transverse profile of the belt 13, and is proximate to the openable portion 21.

[0088] In this case, the swiveling of the conveyor belt 11 is carried out in order to stack the products, one over the other, within a single space 25.

[0089] The conveyor belt 11 is lifted one step, if necessary, for each product in the stack, starting from the starting level.

[0090] When the stack is complete, the belt 13 advances by one step in the direction of the arrow 32, and the belt 11 is lowered by a number of steps equal to the number performed in order to build the previous stack in the space 25, from the lower level.

[0091] Then the operation begins again, in order to fill a new space.

[0092] The swiveling is reduced, or not necessary, if the conveyor belt 11 is at a higher level than the level of the openable portion 21.

[0093] Once a predefined number of these stacks makes up the predetermined batch, fully occupying the openable portion 21, the latter is opened, allowing the batch to exit.

[0094] The batch exiting from the openable portion 21 falls, for example, into an underlying package 24, which is brought into position by the belt 23 for conveying packages.

[0095] In every embodiment, the batches made up, which exit from the openable portion 21, can be packaged according to any conventional method.

[0096] When it is necessary to vary the size or the shape of the spaces of the portioning device 10, for a new type of product, it is sufficient to loosen the tension on the tensioner of the belt, which is conventional and not shown in the figures, replace the belt 13 with one that has partitions at a suitable distance and of a suitable size, reapply the tension to the tensioner of the belt, and bring it to the starting position.

[0097] In this manner, the apparatus according to the invention can be used for grouping products and separating discrete batches of different types of product, from snacks and biscuits to body care and perfumery products.

[0098] The apparatus 1, according to the invention, is managed and controlled by software.

[0099] In practice it has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects by providing an apparatus for grouping products and/or separating discrete batches, for packaging, that eliminates the need to have two portioning devices for the operations to package the products.

[0100] According to the invention, an apparatus for grouping products and/or separating discrete batches, for packaging, has been devised that eliminates the need to have individual pockets for the formation of batches of products and which reduces the overall number of pockets, for the same number of products conveyed.

[0101] In addition, with the invention an apparatus for grouping products and/or separating discrete batches, for packaging, has been provided that can be easily adapted to different types of product.

[0102] The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

[0103] In practice the materials employed, provided they are compatible with the specific use, and the contingent dimensions and shapes, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

[0104] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. 102019000001979 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.