PACKAGING DEVICE FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES INTO BOXES

Abstract

A packaging device for packaging articles into boxes including a mandrel, a handling unit, a first retaining device, and a closing unit. The mandrel is adapted to be wrapped at least partially by panels of a blank to form a partially closed box. The handling unit is configured to move said mandrel along a feed trajectory. The first retaining device is configured to retain at least a first panel of the blank wrapped at least partially on the mandrel. The closing unit is arranged to at least partially overlap and fix an outer panel onto an inner panel of the blank. The closing unit includes a hitting element movable along a displacement trajectory between a rest position, wherein the hitting element is in a position far from the mandrel, and a pressure position, wherein the hitting element is in a position such to press the outer panel on the inner panel and against a second abutment surface of the mandrel, and a displacement member configured to displace the hitting element between the rest position and the pressure position.

Claims

1.-16. (canceled)

17. A packaging device for packaging articles into boxes comprising: a mandrel configured to accommodate therein one or more of said articles and configured to be at least partially wrapped by panels of a blank to allow a formation of a partially closed box, a handling unit configured to move said mandrel along a feed trajectory; a first retaining device configured to cooperate with the mandrel along a first section of said feed trajectory by retaining at least a first panel of the blank at least partially wrapped on the mandrel against a first abutment surface of the mandrel, said first abutment surface extended parallel to the feed trajectory, and a closing unit arranged to at least partially overlap and fix an outer panel of the blank onto an inner panel of the blank when the blank is at least partially wrapped onto the mandrel, the closing unit comprising: a hitting element extended along a prevailing longitudinal direction and movable along a displacement trajectory between a rest position, wherein the hitting element is in a position far from the mandrel, and a pressure position, wherein the hitting element is in a position to press the outer panel on the inner panel and against a second abutment surface of the mandrel when said mandrel cooperates with said first retaining device; and a displacement member configured to displace the hitting element between the rest position and the pressure position, said hitting element comprising: a front wall comprising at least one contact surface adapted to abut said second abutment surface of the mandrel, a first wall adjacent to the front wall and intended to be facing said first retaining device, at least a portion of a longitudinal extension of the hitting element having at least a first connecting wall between said front wall and said first wall tilted with respect to said front wall and said first wall by an angle between 0 and 20 with respect to said displacement trajectory; wherein, when said hitting element moves along said displacement trajectory between the rest position and the pressure position, said first connecting wall of said hitting element passes at a distance of 2 cm or less from said first retaining device.

18. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 17, wherein: said first retaining device comprises a main body and an extension extending away from said main body in a direction opposite to said feed trajectory, said extension configured such that, when said hitting element moves along said displacement trajectory between the rest position and the pressure position, said first connecting wall of said hitting element passes at a distance of 2 cm or less from said extension of said first retaining device, a longitudinal dimension of said first connecting wall being at least equal to a transverse dimension of said extension of said first retaining device.

19. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 17, said packaging device further comprising: a second retaining device upstream of said first retaining device with respect to said feed trajectory, the second retaining device configured to cooperate with the mandrel along a second section of said feed trajectory upstream of said first section of said feed trajectory by retaining said at least one first panel of the blank at least partially wrapped on the mandrel against said first abutment surface of the mandrel, said second retaining device being separated from said first retaining device to allow passage of said hitting element between the rest position and the pressure position along said displacement trajectory.

20. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 19, wherein said hitting element further comprises at least a second connecting wall opposite to said first connecting wall and tilted with respect to said front wall and said first wall by an angle between 0 and 20 with respect to said displacement trajectory, wherein, when said hitting element moves along said displacement trajectory between the rest position and the pressure position, said second connecting wall of said hitting element passes at a distance of 2 cm or less from said second retaining device.

21. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 20, wherein said first connecting wall and second connecting wall of said hitting element are parallel.

22. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 20, wherein: said second retaining device comprises a main body and an extension extending away from said main body in a direction concordant with said feed trajectory, said extension configured such that, when said hitting element moves along said displacement trajectory between the rest position and the pressure position, said second connecting wall of said hitting element passes at a distance of 2 cm or less from said extension of said second retaining device, a longitudinal dimension of said second connecting wall being at least equal to a longitudinal dimension of said extension of said second retaining device.

23. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according claim 19, wherein at least one of said first retaining device and said second retaining device comprises a plate-shaped element.

24. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 23, wherein each of said first retaining device and second retaining device comprises a plate-shaped element, said plate-shaped elements being coplanar.

25. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 24, wherein each of said first retaining device and second retaining device are fixed with respect to said feed trajectory.

26. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 24, wherein each of said first retaining device and second retaining device are fixed with respect to said feed trajectory and engaged to a fixed structure of said packaging device.

27. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 17, wherein said displacement trajectory is a straight trajectory with respect to said mandrel.

28. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 27 wherein said displacement trajectory is tilted at an angle in the range from 10 to 60 with respect to such second abutment surface of the mandrel.

29. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 28 wherein the angle is in the range from 20 to 45.

30. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 17, wherein the closing unit is assembled on said handling unit.

31. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 17, wherein said handling unit is configured to move both the mandrel and the closing unit along a circular-type feed trajectory.

32. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 30, wherein said handling unit comprises a carousel.

33. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 31, wherein said handling unit comprises a carousel.

34. The packaging device for packaging articles into boxes according to claim 17, wherein the packaging device comprises: a plurality of mandrels and a closing unit for each mandrel of said plurality of mandrels.

Description

[0151] The features and advantages of the present solution will become clearer from the detailed description of an embodiment thereof shown, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0152] FIG. 1 is a partial schematic and perspective view from above of an example of packaging device for packaging articles into boxes made in accordance with this solution in a first operative configuration;

[0153] FIG. 2 is a partial schematic and perspective view from above of a detail of the device of FIG. 1;

[0154] FIG. 3 is a partial schematic and perspective view from above of the detail of the device of FIG. 2 in a second operative configuration;

[0155] FIG. 4 is a partial schematic and left side perspective view of a component of the device of FIG. 1;

[0156] FIG. 5 is a partial schematic and right side perspective view of the figure component;

[0157] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a blank;

[0158] FIG. 7 is a partial schematic and left side perspective view from above of a detail of the device of FIG. 1;

[0159] FIG. 8 is a partial schematic and right side perspective view from above of the detail of FIG. 7;

[0160] FIG. 9 is a partial schematic and right side perspective view from below of the detail of FIG. 7;

[0161] FIGS. 10a to 10f are respective schematic representations of a method for packaging articles into boxes made with the device in accordance with this solution.

[0162] With initial reference to FIG. 1, an example of a packaging device made in accordance with this solution is indicated overall with 100.

[0163] The packaging device 100 is arranged to package one or more articles 1 inside boxes 2.

[0164] The articles 1 are, in this preferred embodiment, bags of granular, loose or bulk food products, for example corn flakes, in particular bags with a longitudinal dimension of about 300 mm (exemplary value).

[0165] The packaging device 100 comprises a plurality of mandrels and a handling unit 50 for handling such mandrels 10, not shown in FIG. 1. Such a handling unit 50 preferably comprises a carousel 51 rotatable about a vertical axis.

[0166] The handling unit 50 moves the plurality of mandrels 10 along a feedtrajectory F defining a substantially circular path.

[0167] Each mandrel 10 has its own closing unit 30 and each closing unit 30 is assembled on the handling unit 50, so that said handling unit 50 moves both each mandrel 10 and the corresponding closing unit 30 along the feed trajectory F.

[0168] The mandrel 10 is configured to accommodate therein one or more of said articles 1. It is furthermore adapted to be wrapped at least partially by a blank 20 of cardboard so as to form a partially closed box 210.

[0169] The blank 20, an example of which is shown in FIG. 6, provides for a series of panels 23 adapted to form as such the sides of the box 2 and of the panels 24, 241, 242 adapted to overlap with other panels 24, 241, 242.

[0170] The panels 24, 241, 242 and the panels 23 may be creased along a folding line 25, 251, 252 so as to be more easily folded to form the box 2.

[0171] In particular, the blank 20 is shaped such that, once wrapped at least partially around the mandrel 10, the two panels 241, 242 are overlappable on each other when folded towards each other along the corresponding folding line 251, 252.

[0172] The blank 20 is of such a shape that, once wrapped at least partially around the mandrel 10, the two panels 241, 242 overlap on each other abutting the mandrel 10 on a second abutment surface 10a thereof, as shown in FIG. 10c.

[0173] The panel 241, once this overlap has been made, will be located outside the partially closed box 210; said panel 241 is the so-called outer panel 241.

[0174] In a completely similar way, the panel 242, once this overlap has been made, will be located between the outer panel 241 and the inside of the partially closed box 210; said panel 242 is the so-called inner panel 242.

[0175] At least one of the two panels 241, 242 further bears an adhesive 40 on an overlapping surface 222 with the other panel 241, 242, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0176] The adhesive 40 is a glue 41 distributed in glue points 411.

[0177] Still with reference to FIG. 6, the glue points 411 are spaced apart stepwise along an axis X parallel to the folding lines 251 and 252.

[0178] In some embodiments, the glue points 411 can only be located at the end regions of the panels 241, 242.

[0179] Still with reference to FIG. 6, it is the outer panel 241 that bears, on its overlapping surface 222, such glue points 411.

[0180] The device 100 further comprises two retaining devices 60,70 arranged spaced apart and in series along the feed trajectory F, as visible in FIGS. 1-3.

[0181] In particular, the first retaining device 60 is arranged along the feed trajectory F after the second retaining device 70.

[0182] The blank 20, once wrapped at least partially around the mandrel 10, is retained in such a wrapped form by means of such retaining devices 60,70.

[0183] The first retaining device 60 comprises a main body 610 and an extension 611 extending away from the main body 60 in the direction opposite to the feed trajectory F, towards the second retaining device 70, while the second retaining device 70 comprises a main body 710 and an extension 711 extending away from the main body 70 in a direction concordant with the feed trajectory F, towards the first retaining device 60.

[0184] The transverse dimension with respect to the feed trajectory of the extension of the first retaining device and of the extension of the second retaining device is approximately 79 mm, while the dimension parallel to the feed trajectory is approximately 42 mm.

[0185] With reference to FIGS. 1-3, said retaining devices 60,70 are two plates 61,71, coplanar to each other and parallel to the feed trajectory F and engaged to a fixed structure 80.

[0186] Both plates 61,71 cooperate with the mandrel 10 by retaining a first panel 23a of the blank against a first abutment surface 10b of the mandrel 10 extended parallel to the feed trajectory F.

[0187] FIGS. 4 and 5 relate to a detail of the packaging device 100 in which the closing unit 30 and the mandrel 10 are visible.

[0188] Each closing unit 30 comprises a displacement member 32 and a hitting element 31 movable with respect to the mandrel 10 between a rest position, in which the hitting element 31 is in a position far from the mandrel 10 and a pressure position, in which the hitting element 31 is in a position such to press the outer panel 241 on the inner panel 242 and against the second abutment surface 10a of the mandrel 10.

[0189] The displacement member 32 moves the hitting element 31 between the rest and pressing positions.

[0190] Said displacement member 32 comprises an articulated arm 321 which actuates the displacement of the hitting element 31 between the rest and pressure positions along a displacement trajectory D.

[0191] With reference to FIGS. 7-9, the hitting element 31 comprises a front wall 311 on which a contact surface 311a is defined which is adapted to abut the second abutment surface of the mandrel 10a when the hitting element 31 is in a pressure position, a first wall 312 adjacent to the front wall 311 and intended to be facing the two retaining devices 60,70, a second wall 315 adjacent to the front wall 311 and opposite to said first wall 312, a rear wall 316 adjacent to the second wall 315 and to the first connecting wall 311 and opposite to the front wall 311.

[0192] The hitting element 31 has a first connecting wall 313 extended between the front wall 311 and the first wall 312; said first connecting wall 313 is tilted with respect to the front wall 311 and said first wall 312 by an angle of 70 with respect to the front wall.

[0193] This angle makes the first connecting wall substantially parallel to the displacement trajectory D.

[0194] The connecting wall has a longitudinal dimension of approximately 100 mm and has a rectangular shape.

[0195] The hitting element 31 further has a second connecting wall 314 extended between the rear wall 316 and the second wall 315 and opposite to the first connecting wall 313 and tilted with respect to the rear wall 316 and said second wall 315 by an angle of 70 with respect to the rear wall 316.

[0196] The blank 20 is preliminarily wrapped around the mandrel 10 so as to be able to form a partially closed box (FIG. 10a) and kept in such position by the second retaining device 70 (FIG. 10b) while advancing along a first section of the feed trajectory F.

[0197] In particular, the retaining device 70 retains the panel 23a of the blank 20 against the first abutment surface 10b of the mandrel 10.

[0198] Subsequently, in a second section of the feed trajectory F, the blank 20 is kept in such position by the first retaining device 60 (FIG. 10c) while advancing along the feed trajectory F.

[0199] In particular, the first retaining device 60 retains the panel 23a of the blank 20 against the first abutment surface 10b of the mandrel 10. The hitting element 31, in passing from the rest position to the pressure position, moves along the displacement trajectory D approaching the mandrel 10 from the side of the outer 241 and inner 242 panels of the blank 20 (FIG. 10a) until it meets the outer panel 241.

[0200] The approach of the hitting element 31 to the mandrel 10 from the rest position to the pressure position takes place with a displacement trajectory D that with respect to the abutment surface 10a of the mandrel 10, is rectilinear and tilted by an angle of about 20 with respect to the abutment surface 10a of the mandrel 10, as visible in FIG. 10c.

[0201] By continuing its approach towards the mandrel 10, the hitting element 31 folds the outer panel 241 against the mandrel 10 along a corresponding folding line 251. The outer panel 241, by folding against the mandrel 10 along the folding line 251, meets the inner panel 242, which is already preliminarily at least partially folded along a corresponding folding line 252 towards the mandrel 10 itself (FIG. 10d).

[0202] By continuing further in its approach to the mandrel 10, the hitting element 31 continues to fold the outer panel 241 towards the mandrel 10; the outer panel 241 in turn, in its folding movement, further folds the inner panel 242 against the mandrel 10 until it abuts the mandrel 10 itself on the abutment surface 10a (FIG. 10e).

[0203] In particular, the hitting element 31 passes from the rest position to the pressure position until it abuts the mandrel 10 in the second abutment surface 10a passing at a close distance from both the retaining device 70 and the retaining device 60 and in particular passing at a close distance from both the extension 711 of the retaining device 70 and the extension 611 of the retaining device 60, as visible in FIG. 3.

[0204] More particularly, the first connecting wall 313 of the hitting element 31 passes at a close distance from the extension 611 and the second connecting wall 314 of the hitting element 31 passes at a close distance from the extension 711, for example at a distance not greater than 2 cm, preferably not greater than 1 cm, more preferably less than 0.5 cm.

[0205] In this way the distance between the extension 611 of the first retaining device 60 and the extension 711 of the second retaining device 70 can be particularly reduced, so as to ensure on the one hand the passage of the hitting element 31 and on the other hand the continuous retaining of the first panel 23a of the blank 20 by means of the retaining devices 60,70 against the first abutment surface 10b of the mandrel 10 until the hitting element 31 has arrived at the pressure position.

[0206] It goes without saying that, in order to meet specific and contingent application needs, a person skilled in the art will be able to make further modifications and variants to the solution described above that are nevertheless within the scope of protection as defined by the following claims.