U.S. patent application number 11/399125 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-01 for equipment and method for the packaging of packets of products in bags.
This patent application is currently assigned to CT PACK S.r.I. Invention is credited to Giorgio Coreggioli, Daniele Davi.
Application Number | 20070044436 11/399125 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37487624 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070044436 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Davi; Daniele ; et
al. |
March 1, 2007 |
Equipment and method for the packaging of packets of products in
bags
Abstract
Equipment (10) for the packaging of packets (11) in bags (12)
comprises a bag forming device (13), a transfer line (14) of the
formed bags by means of a conveyor with independent trolleys or
drawers or independent compartments, a feeding line of packets of
products (15), an accumulation and desynchronization area (20), a
filling station (30) operating by means of an insertion device (40)
of the packets into bags, and a closing station (50) of the bags
filled with packets.
Inventors: |
Davi; Daniele; (Ferrara,
IT) ; Coreggioli; Giorgio; (Ferrara, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HEDMAN & COSTIGAN P.C.
1185 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK
NY
10036
US
|
Assignee: |
CT PACK S.r.I
|
Family ID: |
37487624 |
Appl. No.: |
11/399125 |
Filed: |
April 6, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/455 ;
53/284.7; 53/459; 53/469; 53/562; 53/570 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 5/067 20130101;
B65B 5/105 20130101; B65B 43/56 20130101; B65B 5/022 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
053/455 ;
053/562; 053/459; 053/469; 053/570; 053/284.7 |
International
Class: |
B65B 43/04 20060101
B65B043/04; B65B 43/26 20060101 B65B043/26 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 29, 2005 |
IT |
MI2005A 001608 |
Claims
1. Equipment (10) for the packaging of packets of products (11) in
bags (12), characterized in that it comprises a bag forming device
(13), a transfer line (14) of the formed bags by means of a
conveyor with independent trolleys or drawers or independent
compartments, a feeding line of packets of products (15), an
accumulation and desynchronization area (20), a filling station
(30) operating by means of an insertion device (40) of the packets
into bags, and a closing station (50) of the bags filled with
packets.
2. Packaging equipment (10) according to claim 1, wherein the bag
forming station is predisposed for operating in continuous, the
filling station batchwise, the closing station in continuous.
3. Packaging equipment (10) according to claim 1, wherein said
packets (11) are of the soft type.
4. Packaging equipment (10) according to claim 1, wherein said bags
(12) are made of a plastic material such as polyethylene for food
or similar, and have a limited rigidity which allows
self-sustainment in an open position and in elevation.
5. Packaging equipment (10) according to claim 1, wherein said bags
(12) are preferably produced in a substantially parallelepiped
form.
6. Packaging equipment (10) according to claim 1, wherein said
filling station (30) is integrated with an insertion device (40) of
packets into bags, equipped with squaring and stiffening means (42)
aimed at squaring the mouth of the bag and effecting the necessary
stiffening for allowing the rapid and precise introduction of the
packets (11) and a pneumatic system (41) for the seizure and
transfer of the packets suitable for inserting them into the
bags.
7. A method for packaging packets of products into bags operating
by means of equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that
it comprises the following phases: a) advantageously forming bags
(12) in continuous; b) positioning the formed bags (12) on
independent trolleys (16) integral with a transfer line (14) of the
formed bags which allows them to be accumulated; c) feeding packets
(11) of products to a feeding line (15) of packets (11) of
products; d) transferring bags (12) and packets (11) to an
accumulation and desynchronization area (20); e) feeding packets
(11) and bags (12) to said accumulation and desynchronization area
(20) until a predefined number is reached; f) filling the bags (12)
by means of an insertion device (40) of the packets into said bags;
g) sending the filled bags (12) to a closing station (50) of the
bags.
8. The packaging method according to claim 7, wherein said packets
(11) are of the soft type.
9. The packaging method according to claim 7, wherein said bags
(12) are made of plastic materials such as polyethylene for food or
similar, and have a limited rigidity and substantially
parallelepiped form which allows self-sustainment in an open
position and in elevation.
10. The packaging method according to claim 7, wherein said filling
phase f) is effected inside said filling station (30) integrated
with an insertion device (40) of packets into bags, equipped with
squaring and stiffening means (42) aimed at squaring the mouth of
the bag and effecting the necessary stiffening for allowing the
rapid and precise introduction of the packets (11) and a pneumatic
system (41) for the seizure and transfer of the packets suitable
for inserting them into the bags.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to equipment and a method for
the packaging of packets of products in bags.
[0002] The packaging of products grouped into sealed packets, is
currently effected using boxes, for example made of cardboard, in
which the formed and sealed packets are inserted.
[0003] For reasons linked to preserving the product fragrance,
which, in the case of aromatic or spicy products, such as tea, is
of fundamental importance, the use of bags for the external
packaging, instead of boxes, has become widely diffused.
[0004] In some countries, moreover, regulations relating to the
disposal of waste products, due to the imposition of taxations at
times extremely high, limit the possibility of diversifying the
packing used for packaging.
[0005] The packaging of containers which are limitedly rigid or
semi-soft, such as a bag, however, causes considerable problems,
for example in the insertion phase of the pack or in the
arrangement of several packets in a bag.
[0006] This problem is particularly felt with respect to a rapid
and effective seizure and handling and also to the necessity of an
orderly arrangement of the packets inside the bag, in addition to
the time necessary for the insertion of the packet which must allow
the contemporaneous discharge of air contained in the bag.
[0007] For the optimization of the packaging operations, it is
therefore necessary to synchronize the forming of the bags with the
filling operations, taking into account the production demands.
[0008] In the current state, the necessity is consequently felt for
effecting packaging by the insertion of packets into bags and
producing adequate equipment for the packaging and providing an
operative method suitable for allowing the packaging of packets of
products, in particular for packets of the soft type and with a
varying configuration, inside bags.
[0009] One of the main objectives of the present invention consists
in providing equipment and a method for the automated and optimized
packaging of packets of products into bags.
[0010] The Applicant has found that it is possible to effect the
packaging of packets inside bags by means of equipment for the
packaging of packets of products in bags comprising a bag forming
device, a transfer line of the formed bags by means of a conveyor
with independent trolleys or drawers or independent compartments, a
feeding line of packets of products, an accumulation and
desynchronization area, a filling station operating by means of an
insertion device of the packets into bags, and a closing station of
the bags filled with packets.
[0011] The use of the conveyor with independent trolleys for the
transfer of bags also allows the desynchronization between the
forming, filling and closing equipment of the bags which, however,
can operate continuously or batchwise in relation to the specific
necessities.
[0012] An aspect of the present invention relates to equipment for
the packaging of packets of products into bags, according to what
is specified in claim 1.
[0013] Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for the
packaging of packets of products into bags according to what is
indicated in claim 7.
[0014] Further characteristics of the invention are object of the
dependent claims.
[0015] The characteristics and advantages of equipment and a method
for the packaging of packets of products into bags according to the
present invention will appear more evident from the following
illustrative and non-limiting description referring to the
schematic drawings wherein:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the packaging equipment
according to the invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a partial raised section which represents the
insertion phase of a packet inside a bag, in the equipment
according to the invention.
[0018] With reference to the figures, these illustrate equipment 10
for the packaging of packets 11 of products into bags 12, which
comprises, following the production direction F of FIG. 1, a bag
forming device 13 advantageously operating in continuous, a
transfer line 14 of the formed bags by means of a conveyor with
independent trolleys or drawers or independent compartments, a
feeding line 15 of packets 11 of products, an accumulation and
desynchronization area 20, a filling station 30 operating by means
of an insertion device 40 of the packets into bags, and a closing
station 50 of the bags 12 filled with packets 11.
[0019] The equipment according to the invention can naturally be
used for any kind of products, packed inside a package 11 of the
rigid or soft type, and can operate in combination with any
insertion apparatus, operating from above.
[0020] The equipment according to the invention can be electively
used in the field of the packaging of fragrant and aromatic food
products, such as tea which, once inserted in bags, is first sealed
inside packets 11 and is then packed into bags 12 having a limited
rigidity.
[0021] In particular, the bags 12 are made of plastic materials
such as polyethylene for food or similar, and have a limited
rigidity which allows self-sustainment in an open position and in
elevation.
[0022] In this respect, the bag 12 preferably has a substantially
parallelepiped form with side walls 12a positioned parallel to the
translation direction of the bags and front walls 12b, transversal
to said direction.
[0023] The equipment according to the invention is described with
reference to a single production line, in industrial applications,
however, it can be made up of a series consisting of parallel
production lines, and various rows of overlying packets can be
inserted inside the bags.
[0024] The number of lines or packets to be inserted into each bag
can obviously vary according to the production demands and in
relation to the dimensions of the products.
[0025] The bag forming device 13 produces bags in continuous
availing of one or more forming heads in relation to the production
demands.
[0026] The formed bags 12 are then positioned on independent
trolleys 16 integral with the transfer line 14 and reach an
accumulation and desynchronization area 20 where they are
accumulated until they reach the necessary number.
[0027] The sealed packets 11 already containing the products are
contemporaneously fed in a substantially similar manner onto the
feeding line 15.
[0028] Said feeding line 15 envisages the accumulation of packets
in a number equal to the bags which are accumulated along the line
14.
[0029] The accumulation area 20 allows a number of products and
bags to be accumulated, which is higher than the number of products
and bags contemporaneously processed by the filling station 30 so
as to form a lung which allows the asynchronous functioning of the
bag forming station 13, of the packet feeding line 15 and filling
station 30.
[0030] This system makes it possible to operate contemporaneously
on a high number of packets and bag to effect the filling of the
bags with packets.
[0031] The filling station 30 operates by means of an insertion
device 40 of the packets inside bags, which, by contemporaneously
processing the series of packets and bags reaching the station,
allows all the necessary opening and squaring operations of the
bags, together with the seizure, transporting and insertion
operations of the packets into the bags without having to slow down
the forming of the bags and/or production of sealed packets of
products.
[0032] In this respect the insertion device 40 of the packets
inside the bags comprises a pneumatic system 41 for the seizure and
transfer of the packet and squaring and stiffening means 42 which
are mainly aimed at squaring the mouth of the bag and effecting the
necessary stiffening for allowing the rapid and precise
introduction of the packets (11) and which also act as insertion
guides for the pneumatic system 41 and are envisaged at the mouth
of the bag to facilitate the insertion of the packet.
[0033] Once the filling of the whole series of bags envisaged has
been completed, these are transferred to a second accumulation area
20' and are subsequently sent individually to the closing station
50 of the bags 12 filled with packets 11, in which folding or
sealed closure is effected according to production
requirements.
[0034] A continuous movement is then re-established, which operates
with the same optimized forming rate of the bags and production of
sealed packets.
[0035] The packaging method of packets of products into bags
according to the present invention therefore envisages the
following phases:
[0036] a) advantageously forming bags 12 in continuous;
[0037] b) positioning the formed bags 12 on independent trolleys 16
integral with a transfer line 14 of the formed bags which allows
them to be accumulated;
[0038] c) feeding packets 11 of products to a feeding line 15 of
packets 11 of products;
[0039] d) transferring bags 12 and packets 11 to an accumulation
and desynchronization area 20;
[0040] e) feeding packets 11 and bags 12 to said accumulation and
desynchronization area 20 until a predefined number is reached;
[0041] f) filling the bags 12 by means of an insertion device 40 of
the packets into said bags;
[0042] g) sending the filled bags 12 to a closing station 50 of the
bags.
* * * * *