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EP-4739585-A2 - PACKAGING MACHINE FOR MAKING CAPSULES FOR VISCOUS PRODUCTS

EP4739585A2EP 4739585 A2EP4739585 A2EP 4739585A2EP-4739585-A2

Abstract

A packaging machine for making capsules for viscous products comprises a feed station (2), a movement group (3) operatively arranged downstream of the feeding station (2) and comprising an orderly succession of receiving seats (7) movable along a movement direction (A), a dosing unit (4) comprising a plurality of dosing nozzles (10, 11) arranged along the movement direction (A) so that, in at least one filling position each dosing nozzle (10, 11) is facing a corresponding receiving seat (7), a closing station (5) operatively arranged downstream of the dosing unit (4), with reference to the movement direction (A) and configured to apply a closing film (F) to each capsule, and a control unit (6) associated with the feed station (2), the movement group (3) and the closing station (5) to operate them in a coordinated manner with a predetermined duty cycle.

Inventors

  • MAINI, MASSIMILIANO
  • MAGNANI, FRANCO

Assignees

  • T.M.E. S.p.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240701

Claims (20)

  1. 1. Packaging machine for making capsules for viscous products, comprising: - a feed station (2) configured to feed a plurality of capsules and to arrange said plurality of capsules in an orderly succession; - a movement group (3) operatively arranged downstream of the feed station (2) and comprising an orderly succession of receiving seats (7) movable along a movement direction (A); each receiving seat (7) being configured to receive therein a capsule of said plurality of capsules; - a dosing unit (4) comprising a plurality of dosing nozzles (10, 11 ) arranged along the movement direction (A) so that, in at least one filling position, each dosing nozzle (10, 11 ) faces a corresponding receiving seat (7); - a closing station (5) operatively arranged downstream of said dosing unit (4), relative to the movement direction (A) and configured to apply a closing film (F) to each capsule; - a control unit (6) associated with the feed station (2), the movement unit (3) and the closing station (5) to operate them in a coordinated manner with a predetermined duty cycle; characterised in that said dosing unit (4) comprises a removable carriage (14) comprising: - a support frame (14a) configured to support at least one tank (12, 13) containing a viscous product and associated with said dosing nozzles (10, 11 ); - a drive module (15) configured to govern the dosing nozzles (10, 11 ), reversibly connected to the control unit (6) and configured to communicate therewith while performing the duty cycle, wherein: said control unit (6) is configured to send a start signal (SS) to the drive module (15) representative of a receiving seat (7) having reached a filling position; - said drive module (15) is configured for: o starting, upon the receipt of said start signal (SS), a pre-set dosing cycle, o sending an end-of-filling signal (EOF) to said control unit (6) at the end of said pre-set dosing cycle; o said control unit (6), upon the receipt of said end-of-filling signal (EOF), is configured to impart a predefined advancement to the movement group (3) along said movement direction (A).
  2. 2. The machine according to claim 1 , comprising a main structure (1 a) provided with a side compartment (V) accessible transversally to said movement direction (A), wherein said carriage (14) of the dosing unit (4) is shaped to be housed in said side compartment (V).
  3. 3. The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a position detection system (17) associated with said carriage (14), configured to determine the presence or absence of the dosing unit (4).
  4. 4. The machine according to claim 3, wherein said position detection system (17) comprises a micro-controller with a magnetic presence sensor.
  5. 5. The machine according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said carriage (14) of the dosing unit (4) comprises at least one pneumatic socket and at least one electrical socket reversibly connected to corresponding pneumatic and electrical connectors of the main structure (1 a).
  6. 6. The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said carriage (14) of the dosing unit (4) comprises a control panel (18) associated with said drive module (15) and accessible to an operator; said drive module (15) being configured to activate, following a command imparted by the operator by means of said control panel (18), a test mode wherein said dosing nozzles (10, 11 ) are activated even in the absence of connection to the main structure (1a).
  7. 7. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein said control unit (6) is configured to detect the presence of the dosing unit (4) before sending said start signal (SS) to the drive module (15).
  8. 8. The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said receiving seats (7) of the movement group (3) are arranged in succession on a first row (F1 ) and a second row (F2) parallel to each other and extending along said movement direction (A), so that each receiving seat (7) of the first row (F1 ) is placed side by side to a corresponding receiving seat (7) of the second row (F2).
  9. 9. The machine according to claim 8, wherein said dosing unit (4) comprises two first dosing nozzles (10) and two second dosing nozzles (11 ) associated with the first (F1 ) and second (F2) row of the movement group (3), respectively.
  10. 10. The machine according to claim 9, wherein said first dosing nozzles (10) and said second dosing nozzles (11 ) are offset from each other along the movement direction (A).
  11. 11. The machine according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said receiving seats (7) are each placed at a predetermined distance, or pitch (P), from the following and/or previous receiving seat (7) and wherein: - said first dosing nozzles (10) are placed at a mutual first distance (D1 ), measured along the movement direction (A), corresponding to a multiple of said pitch (P); - said second dosing nozzles (11 ) are placed at a mutual second distance (D2), measured along the movement direction (A), corresponding to a multiple of said pitch (P).
  12. 12. The machine according to claim 11 , wherein said first distance (D1 ) is less than said second distance (D2).
  13. 13. The machine according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said first distance (D1 ) corresponds to said pitch (P).
  14. 14. The machine according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein said second distance (D2) corresponds to a multiple of said pitch (P), preferably three times said pitch (P).
  15. 15. The machine according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein each first dosing nozzle (10) is offset by a corresponding second dosing nozzle (11 ), along the movement direction (A), by a distance corresponding to said pitch (P).
  16. 16. The machine according to any one of claims 8 to 15, wherein said control unit (6) is configured to move said movement group (3) alternatively at: - a single pitch, with advancement of the receiving seats (7) along the movement direction (A) equal to said pitch (P); - a double pitch, with advancement of the receiving seats (7) along the movement direction (A) equal to twice said pitch (P).
  17. 17. The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a sanitising device (23) arranged: - along the movement direction (A) between the feed station (2) and the dosing unit (4) and facing at least one of said plurality of receiving seats (7) to sanitise the capsule contained therein and/or - at a sanitising section of a feed unit (19) of a closing film (F) of the closing station (5).
  18. 18. The machine according to claim 17, wherein said sanitising device (23) comprises at least: - a first UV lamp (23a) arranged above a section of the movement group (3) between the feed station (2) and the dosing unit (3) and/or - a second UV lamp (23b) facing a section of the closing film (F) near an application section, wherein a portion of said closing film (F) faces at least one of said receiving seats (7).
  19. 19. The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closing station (5) comprises: - a feeding group (19) for feeding a closing film (F) up to an application section (AS) wherein a portion of said closing film (F) faces at least one of said receiving seats (7); - a welding group (20) placed at said application section (AS) of the feeding group (19) and configured to weld at least a portion of the closing film to a corresponding capsule housed in the respective receiving seat (7).
  20. 20. The machine according to claim 19, wherein said welding group (20) comprises one or more ultrasonic welding heads (21 , 22).

Description

PACKAGING MACHINE FOR MAKING CAPSULES FOR VISCOUS PRODUCTS The present invention relates to a packaging machine for making capsules for viscous products. The main application of the present invention is in the food sector, more specifically in the technical field of making capsules for viscous products such as jams, honey, spreads and similar food products. Over the last few decades, the technical field of packaging machines for disposable infusion products, such as capsules and pods, has undergone considerable acceleration, mainly due to the market's increasing focus on both the quality and recyclability of products. It is no coincidence that many companies in the industry have developed various solutions which optimise and speed up both the filling and closing of such products. However, similar developments have not occurred in the viscous food products sector, where the rate of innovation has been much lower in recent years. It is no coincidence that to date the market does not provide capsule packaging machines for viscous products which combine the performance of packaging machines for granular infusion products with the dispensing and cleaning requirements which have always characterised viscous product machinery. The Applicant has therefore invested intellectual and economic resources to solve such problems, studying which features were necessary to make a packaging machine for granular or infusion products suitable for treating viscous products. Such studies revealed that the main critical issues were related to the difficulty of cleaning and testing and/or the inherent slowness of product dispensing. The aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a packaging machine for making capsules for viscous products which is capable of overcoming the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above. In particular, the aim of the present invention is to provide a packaging machine for making capsules for viscous products which is highly productive and easy to clean. Further, the aim of the present invention is to make a packaging machine for making capsules for viscous products which is easy to set and highly versatile. Said aims are achieved by a packaging machine for making capsules for viscous products having the features of one or more of the following claims. In particular, the packaging machine comprises a feed station for a plurality of capsules, a movement group, a dosing unit, a closing station and a control unit. Preferably, the feed station is configured to arrange said plurality of capsules in an orderly succession. Preferably, the movement group is operatively arranged downstream of the feed station. Preferably, the movement group comprises an orderly succession of movable receiving seats along a movement direction and each configured to receive therein a capsule of said plurality of capsules. Preferably, the dosing unit comprises a plurality of dosing nozzles arranged along the movement direction so that, in at least one filling position, each dosing nozzle faces a corresponding receiving seat. Preferably, the closing station is operatively arranged downstream of said dosing unit, with reference to the movement direction. Preferably, the closing station has a feeding group of a closing firm up to an application section. Preferably, in the application section, the portion of said closing film faces at least one of said receiving seats. Preferably, the closing station also has a welding group. Preferably, the welding group is located at the application section of the feeding group. Preferably, the welding group is configured to weld at least one portion of the closing film to a corresponding capsule housed in the respective receiving seat. Preferably, the control unit is associated with the feed station, the movement group and the closing station in order to operate them in a coordinated manner at a predetermined duty cycle. According to an aspect of the present invention, the dosing unit comprises a removable carriage. Advantageously, it is thereby possible to remove the dosing unit, replacing it with an auxiliary one already prepared for dispensing the same or a new product, allowing the one in use to be taken out for a cleaning step. Preferably, the removable carriage comprises a support frame of said dosing nozzles and at least one tank containing a viscous product. The tank is preferably a receptacle or hopper which can be connected to a viscous product loading duct. The removable carriage further comprises a (local) drive module of the dosing nozzles. The drive module is preferably reversibly connected to the control unit and configured to communicate with said control unit during the execution of said work cycle. Advantageously, the arrangement of an autonomous control unit makes the removable carriage a stand-alone component which can be used independently of the machine for set-up and testing steps. Furthermore, any product variations which lead to changes in the filling time can