TRANSFER DEVICE AND TRANSFER PROCESS

Abstract

In a transfer device and a process for discrete elements, fed in a line with a predetermined spacing, variations in the dimensions of the discrete elements resulting in a variation in a release spot included in a release segment, are absorbed by an alignment of the receiving elements. A transport device of the transfer device has receiving elements, each configured to receive a respective discrete element and moving along a transport path at a predetermined speed. The discrete elements are transported on a release device of the transfer device along a release path with a linear development. The release path has a release segment intersecting the transport path at a receiving segment of the transport path. The transport device includes a moving mechanism for the receiving elements to align the receiving elements at the receiving segment, where the release segment is superimposed on the transport path at the receiving segment.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A transfer device for discrete elements, the transfer device comprising: a transport device to which the discrete elements are configured to be fed through a line with a predetermined spacing, the transport device comprising receiving members, each configured to receive a respective discrete element, the receiving members moving along a transport path of the receiving members at a predetermined speed, and a release device, on which said discrete elements are configured to be transported, the release device comprising a release path with a linear development for the discrete elements, the release path having a release segment and crossing said transport path at a receiving segment of the transport path, wherein the transport device further comprises: a moving mechanism for the receiving members, the moving mechanism being configured to align the receiving members to each other at said receiving segment, wherein the release segment is superimposed on the transport path at said receiving segment.

14. The transfer device according to claim 13, wherein said transport path extends along a closed line, whereon said receiving members are configured to move along said transport path.

15. The transfer device according to claim 14, wherein the transport device comprises a carousel-like structure having a rotary drum, the receiving members being mounted on the rotary drum.

16. The transfer device according to claim 15, wherein the transport path is substantially circular.

17. The transfer device according to claim 13, wherein said discrete elements are fed in a continuous manner.

18. The transfer device according to claim 13, wherein said receiving members move continuously along the transport path.

19. The transfer device according to claim 13, wherein the moving mechanism comprises, for each receiving member, a rotatable articulation configured to be actuated by the transport device.

20. The transfer device according to claim 13, wherein said release path is defined by a planar strip from which said discrete elements are cut.

21. The transfer device according to claim 20, wherein the release device comprises a cylindrical feeder, and the cylindrical feeder is configured to be rotated, at said release segment, about an axis parallel with a release plane for the discrete elements.

22. The transfer device according to claim 21, further comprising: a retain and release device for retaining and then releasing the discrete elements on a surface of the retain and release device.

23. The transfer device according to claim 13, wherein each receiving member comprises a horizontal planar surface, on which said discrete elements are configured to be released.

24. A process for transferring discrete elements, comprising: feeding the discrete elements, along a line with a predetermined spacing, on a transport path defined by receiving members i) configured to receive a respective discrete element and ii) moving at a predetermined speed, wherein the feeding comprises conveying the discrete elements along a release path with a linear development, the release path having a release segment and crossing said transport path at a receiving segment of the transport path, and aligning the receiving members to each other at said receiving segment, wherein the release segment is superimposed on the transport path at said receiving segment.

25. A packaging apparatus comprising the transfer device according to claim 13.

Description

[0076] The present invention will hereinafter be described according to a preferred embodiment example thereof, which is provided for illustrative and non-limiting purposes with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0077] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an embodiment of a packaging apparatus comprising a discrete element transfer device made according to the present invention;

[0078] FIG. 2 shows a side elevation view of a transfer device made according to the present invention;

[0079] FIG. 3 shows a side perspective view of a second detail of the transfer device in FIG. 2;

[0080] FIGS. 4A and 4B show respective perspective views of another detail of the transfer device in FIG. 2, comparing two different operating situations; and

[0081] FIG. 5 shows a plan view from below of a first detail of the transfer device in FIG. 2.

[0082] With reference to the accompanying FIG. 1, an apparatus for packaging capsules for infusion type beverages, such as coffee, is referenced by 100.

[0083] These capsules consist of a substantially rigid cup-shaped container, inside which a filter and a coffee powder preparation is placed, and then they are sealed with a lid and sent to a subsequent apparatus where they are boxed for distribution and sale.

[0084] In general, the cup-shaped containers are supplied by a feeding station 110, from which they proceed in a line with a continuous motion after being extracted from a set of cup-shaped containers provided by a supplier.

[0085] The packaging apparatus 100 comprises a release station 120 of discrete elements, which will be indicated in the following figures by 1, which in the present example comprise flat discs of a material suitable for shaping a filter for infusion type beverages.

[0086] Thus, the release station 120 comprises a release device 121 which, in the present example, is a device for cutting said discs from a continuous strip of filter material.

[0087] The release device 120 thus provides discrete elements 1, in the form of discs, which are fed individually, i.e. one by one, after a cutting step, in a single line with a predetermined spacing between one discrete element and a subsequent discrete element.

[0088] The packaging apparatus therefore comprises a filter shaping station, indicated by 130, which comprises a carousel-like transport device 131, which will be described in greater detail later.

[0089] The transport device 131 is part of a more complex station, in which said discrete elements 1, once transferred from the release device 121 to the transport device 131, undergo a filter shaping process, which is then inserted inside a target cup-shaped container, which will possibly contain on its bottom a spacer element inserted inside it in the feed station 110.

[0090] After the filter has been inserted into the respective container, the filter is fixed, e.g. by welding, to the inside walls of the cup-shaped container.

[0091] In this connection, the transport device 131 transfers the cup-shaped containers with filters to a first transfer wheel 132, and from this they pass to a filter fixing wheel 133, then to pass to a second transfer wheel 134 which transfers the cup-shaped containers to a filling station 140, where they are filled with a predetermined dose of coffee powder.

[0092] In this regard, the filling station comprises a carousel-like filling device 145 from which the cup-shaped containers are transferred, by means of a third transfer wheel 146, to a carousel-like weighing device 147, performing a check on the amount of powder supplied to each container.

[0093] Upon leaving the weighing device 147, the containers are transferred by a fourth transfer wheel 158 to a sealing station 150. The apparatus 100 thus comprises a cutting station 160 for lids that are formed from a continuous strip by a cutting device 162.

[0094] The lids, which have a disc shape, are transferred, by means of a fifth transfer wheel 161, to a sealing device 159, also structured as a carousel, which receives the containers to be sealed from said fourth wheel 158 and which provides for the extraction of the gases from the cup-shaped container and for its sealing by applying on its upper opening a disc-shaped lid made from continuous strip.

[0095] Note how the cutting device 162 could constitute, in an alternative version of the apparatus, an additional release device.

[0096] Once sealed, the containers are sent to an outlet station 170, equipped with a linear transport device 173.

[0097] With reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, the transfer device described herein, and referred to as a whole as 200, which embodies the present invention, comprises said release device 121 and said transport device 131, having a carousel-like structure.

[0098] The release device 121 comprises a first roller-like drum 122 receiving a continuous strip 123 from a feeding reel, not shown and of a substantially conventional type.

[0099] A second roller-like drum 124 receives the strip 123 from the first roller-like drum 122: on it are formed cutting elements 125 shaped as discs which act on the strip 123.

[0100] In particular, the two roller-like drums 122, 124 are arranged side by side and rotate around parallel rotation axes; they roll, creating a contact zone through which the strip 123 is passed.

[0101] The first roller-like drum 122 acts as a contrast element for the cutting elements 125 which, in said contact zone, score the strip 123 and thus create the discrete elements 1.

[0102] They remain attached to the second roller-like drum 124 which, for this purpose, incorporates a suction device with suction openings 126 arranged on its cylindrical surface.

[0103] The suction ceases in the zone of the second roller-like drum 124 facing downwards: along a release path with a linear development 127, which is part of a release path defined by a flat strip 123 from which the discrete elements 1 are cut.

[0104] Therefore, the second roller-like drum 124 acts as a cylindrical feeder which is rotated, at said release segment 127, about an axis parallel to a plane on which the discrete elements 1 are released, and which has on its surface a device for retaining and then releasing discrete laminar elements, which is realised by said suction device.

[0105] In the present example, considering that the roller-like drums rotate at a predetermined speed while performing the cutting operation described above, the discrete elements 1 are then continuously fed.

[0106] The transport device 131 has a plurality of receiving elements 2, each apt to receive a respective discrete element 1, which are movable by moving along a transport path at a predetermined speed and continuously.

[0107] The transport device is of the carousel structure with a rotary drum 3 on which the receiving elements 2 are mounted.

[0108] The rotary drum 3 comprises a cylindrical body 31 rotating about a vertical axis, defined by a hub 30, and supported by a base 32 fixed and integral with a frame not shown, and thus the receiving elements 2 move in a substantially horizontal plane on which said transport path lies.

[0109] Each receiving element 2 comprises a horizontal flat surface, on which said discrete elements are released, which has a surface knurling 4 to realise the friction between discrete element 1 and receiving surface which, in subsequent shaping operations, concur to form a surface pleat of the filter.

[0110] In order to retain the discrete element 1 in a fixed reference position, the receiving element 2 may comprise a vacuum forming suction system between the receiving surface and the discrete element.

[0111] In this embodiment, the transport path of the receiving elements 2 develops along a closed line, in which said receiving elements circulate on the transport path, and in particular the transport path is substantially circular because it is formed on the periphery of said rotary drum 3.

[0112] In view of the foregoing, said discrete element release path 1, and in particular release segment 127, intersects said receiving element transport path 2 at a receiving segment thereof, located in proximity to release device 121.

[0113] The transport device 131 comprises a movement mechanism of the receiving elements 2 that operates to achieve a step whereby the receiving elements 2 are aligned with each other at said receiving segment.

[0114] In this way, the release segment 127 overlaps with the transport path at the receiving segment, overlapping it along its entire length.

[0115] Thus, the receiving elements 2 are movable and the movement mechanism comprises, for each receiving element 2, a rotatable articulation which is driven by the transport device 131 because it is integral with the rotary drum 3.

[0116] Said articulation comprises a system of levers articulated with each other, capable of moving the receiving element with three degrees of freedom, i.e., capable of raising and lowering it with respect to the rotary drum, of rotating it on itself around an axis perpendicular to it, and of roto-translating it thanks to a main lever 5 movable around a fulcrum 6 which is connected to a mechanism of rotation of the lever 5 around its fulcrum 6.

[0117] This rotation mechanism can be realised in many ways, for example by an electric motor adjusting the position of the lever 5 by making a so-called electronic cam.

[0118] Otherwise, it is possible to realise such a mechanism with only mechanical parts. For example, the rotational mechanism comprises a cam follower which is connected to said lever 5 at its fulcrum 6.

[0119] The aforesaid cam follower is therefore dragged by the rotary drum but interacts with a cam, integral with the base 32, moving on it.

[0120] The shape of the cam is such as to determine a rotation of the lever 5 such that the alignment of the transport elements 2 at the receiving segment, i.e. said release segment 127 of the release device 121, is determined.

[0121] Other cams may preside over the movement of the remaining two degrees of freedom.

[0122] With reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, a variation of the release spot in said release segment 127 of the release device 121 is illustrated: a change of format, achieved by changing the format of the cutting elements 125 on the second roller-like drum 124, causes a shift in the point at which the discrete element 1 is released.

[0123] In any case, this spot falls in the receiving segment in which the receiving elements 2 are aligned to each other, although they continue to rotate continuously, driven by the rotary drum 3.

[0124] This alignment ensures that the transfer of discrete elements 1 is successful whatever the point of release in the release segment.

[0125] To the above-described transfer device, a person skilled in the art may, in order to meet additional and contingent requirements, make numerous further modifications and variations, all of which are, however, within the scope of protection of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.