Search

EP-4737333-A1 - PRODUCT PACKAGING MACHINE

EP4737333A1EP 4737333 A1EP4737333 A1EP 4737333A1EP-4737333-A1

Abstract

A packaging machine (10), configured to package a bulk product, for example ground coffee, is described comprising: a carrier (15), at least one assembly (G) of receiving boxes (25), the receiving boxes of the assembly being connected to the carrier (15) and moved successively therefrom in a feed direction (A) along a preset operating path, at least one forming apparatus (50) positioned along the operating path and configured to form open packets (P) of product and release them into the receiving boxes (25), and at least one sealing apparatus (115) positioned along the operating path downstream of the forming apparatus (50) with respect to a travel direction along the feed direction (A) imposed on the packets (P) by the carrier (15) which is adapted to vacuum-seal the packets (P) brought by the receiving boxes (25), wherein said assembly of receiving boxes (25) overall provides a plurality of receiving seats, each of which is individually adapted to receive a respective packet P of product, of which at least one plurality of first seats (30) placed one after the other along the feed direction (A), and a plurality of second seats (35) placed one after the other along the feed direction (A), each first seat (30) being flanked by a respective second seat (35) with respect to a flanking direction (B) orthogonal to the feed direction (A).

Inventors

  • BINACCHI, FABIO

Assignees

  • Opem S.p.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251002

Claims (11)

  1. A packaging machine (10), configured to package a bulk product, comprising: - a carrier (15), - at least one assembly (G) of receiving boxes (25), the receiving boxes of said assembly (G) being connected to the carrier (15) and moved successively therefrom in a feed direction (A) along a preset operating path, - at least one forming apparatus (50) positioned along the operating path and configured to form open packets (P) of product and release them into the receiving boxes (25), and - at least one sealing apparatus (115), positioned along the operating path downstream of the forming apparatus (50) with respect to a travel direction along a feed direction (A) imposed on the packets (P) by the carrier (15), which is adapted to vacuum-seal the packets (P) brought by the receiving boxes (25), wherein said assembly (G) of receiving boxes (25) overall provides a plurality of receiving seats each of which is individually adapted to receive a respective packet (P) of product, of which at least one plurality of first seats (30) placed one after the other along the feed direction (A) and a plurality of second seats (35) placed one after the other along the feed direction (A), each first seat (30) being flanked by a respective second seat (35) with respect to a flanking direction (B) orthogonal to the feed direction (A).
  2. The packaging machine (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein each receiving box (25) provides at least one of said first seats (30) and at least one of said second seats (35).
  3. The packaging machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the sealing apparatus (115) comprises: - a casing (120) comprising two parts (125) provided with a relative movement between an open position, in which they are mutually spaced, and a closed position, in which they are mutually brought into contact to define a hermetically closed sealing chamber adapted to accommodate one or more receiving boxes (25) simultaneously, - means for generating a vacuum connected to the casing (120) to vacuum-seal the sealing chamber, and - a sealing device (130,135) arranged inside the sealing chamber to seal the packets (P) brought by said receiving boxes (25).
  4. The packaging machine (10) according to claim 3, wherein said sealing device comprises three heating plates, of which a central plate (130) and two opposite side plates (135) each facing a respective face of the central plate (130), the side plates (135) each being movable towards/away from the central plate (130) for selectively clamping with the central plate (130) itself the upper end (45) of a respective packet (P) for the sealing thereof.
  5. The packaging machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the forming apparatus (50) comprises a shaping device (55) configured to make a tubular shape starting from a belt, notch the tubular shape, making a plurality of tubular pieces, seal a lower end of each tubular piece so as to define one of said packets (P) with a closed lower end and with an open upper end (45), fill the packet (P) with a dosed amount of product by inserting the product through the open upper end (45).
  6. The packaging machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the forming apparatus comprises a distributor device arranged above the carrier (15) and configured to receive the packets (P) made by the shaping device (55), said distributor device being movable along the feed direction (A) and selectively positionable in a plurality of different positions, each of which corresponding to a vertical alignment between a packet (P) formed by the shaping device (55) and a respective seat for accommodating a plurality of accommodating seats for the packets (P) provided by the distributor device.
  7. The packaging machine (10) according to claim 6, wherein the distributor device comprises a plurality of channels arranged in succession one after the other along the feed direction (A), each of which provides an accommodating seat and a bottom associated with said channels and movable between a holding position in which it closes a lower end of said channels so as to retain packets P within the accommodating seats and a rest position in which it frees said lower ends of said channels.
  8. The packaging machine (10) according to claim 6, wherein the forming apparatus (50) further comprises a sorting device (80) arranged above the carrier (15) and adapted to receive the packets (P) from the distributor device (55) and convey each of them to a respective receiving seat (30,35), said sorting device (80) being movable between a first position in which it is adapted to be superimposed in plan on a first receiving seat (30) and a second position in which it is adapted to be superimposed in plan on a second receiving seat (35).
  9. The packaging machine (10) according to claim 8, wherein said sorting device (80) comprises: - a plurality of tubular sleeves (85) each of which defines a sliding chute for a packet (P) towards a respective receiving seat (30,35), said tubular sleeves (85) being arranged in a row and aligned along the feed direction (A), and - a hatch (90) connected to said tubular sleeves (85) and movable between a first position in which it closes a lower end thereof, to lock the respective packets (P) therein, and a second position in which it frees the lower end thereof to allow the packets (P) to exit.
  10. The packaging machine (10) according to claim 5, wherein the forming apparatus (50) comprises two distinct shaping devices (55), said shaping devices (55) being arranged one after the other along the operating path and furthermore offset with respect to the flanking direction (B) and each adapted to be superimposed in plan on the first receiving seats (30) or the second receiving seats (35), respectively.
  11. The packaging machine (10) according to claim 7, comprising two separate forming apparatuses arranged along the operating path, each of which is adapted to send the packets (P) to the first seats (30) and second seats (35) of a respective assembly (G) of receiving boxes (25).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a packing machine. In particular, the present invention relates to a packaging machine that can be particularly used for making packets of powdered products, such as coffee. PRIOR ART Packaging machines are known for making packages of products in powder form, such as coffee. Such packaging machines are generally provided with a forming apparatus that is configured to shape the package, fill it with the product, e.g. in powder form, make the vacuum inside the package and seal it. In order to carry out said operations, such forming apparatuses are generally provided with a shaping device that makes the package starting from a belt, leaving it open at the top and fills it with product. The forming apparatus then comprises a carrier, for example in the shape of a catenary, which carries a succession of boxes placed one after the other, each of which provides a single receiving seat for a package. The boxes in the succession are moved one by one at the shaping device to receive a respective package, and then the succession of boxes is brought to a vacuum chamber where the packages can be sealed at the top. A need felt in the sector is to increase the hourly productivity of such forming assemblies and said packaging machines in general. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION An aim of the present invention is to meet such a need felt in the sector. It is a further aim of the present invention to achieve such an object within the scope of a simple, rational and relatively affordable solution. These and other aims are achieved by the features of the invention reported in the independent claims. The dependent claims outline preferred and/or particularly advantageous aspects of the invention but not strictly necessary for implementing it. In particular, the invention provides a packaging machine configured to package a bulk product, e.g. ground coffee, said packaging machine comprising: a carrier,at least one assembly of receiving boxes, wherein the receiving boxes of said assembly are connected to the carrier and moved successively therefrom in a feed direction (e.g. horizontal or substantially horizontal) along a preset operating path,at least one forming apparatus positioned along the operating path and configured to form open packets of product and release them into the receiving boxes, andat least one sealing apparatus, positioned along the operating path downstream of the forming apparatus with respect to a travel direction along the feed direction imposed on the packets by the carrier, which is adapted to vacuum-seal the packets brought by the receiving boxes, wherein said assembly of receiving boxes overall provides a plurality of receiving seats each of which is individually adapted to receive a respective packet of product, of which at least one plurality of first seats placed one after the other along the feed direction, and a plurality of second seats placed one after the other along the feed direction, each first seat being flanked by a respective second seat with respect to a flanking direction orthogonal to the feed direction. Thanks to this solution, a larger amount of packets can be loaded with each movement cycle of an assembly of receiving boxes along the operating path, thus enabling the hourly productivity of the packaging machine to be increased, e.g. substantially doubled. For example, an aspect of the invention provides that the packaging machine can comprise a plurality of assemblies of receiving boxes, each of which can consist of an equal number of receiving boxes, and that said assemblies of receiving boxes can be brought by the carrier successively one after the other with respect to the travel direction, i.e. one after the other along the operating path. Thanks to this solution, the packaging machine can essentially be operated continuously, i.e. while one assembly of receiving boxes is brought at the sealing apparatus, the other can simultaneously be brought at the forming apparatus, thus allowing the hourly productivity of the packaging machine to be increased. Another aspect of the invention is that each receiving box of the assembly (i.e. for example of each assembly) can provide at least one of said first seats and at least one of said second seats. Thanks to this solution, the number of elements in the packaging machine is minimised, making the architecture thereof particularly lean. Furthermore, another aspect of the invention provides that each receiving box can alternatively provide a first seat or a second seat, and that the assembly of receiving boxes (i.e., each assembly of receiving boxes) can comprise a plurality of pairs of receiving boxes, that said pairs of receiving boxes can be arranged one after the other along the feed direction, and that the receiving boxes of each pair can be mutually flanked with respect to said flanking direction. Thanks to this solution, in the event of the need for maintenance, whether ordinary or extraord