US-12623805-B2 - System for assembling and filling two groups of electronic cigarettes

US12623805B2US 12623805 B2US12623805 B2US 12623805B2US-12623805-B2

Abstract

A system for assembling and filling two groups of electronic cigarettes, includes first and second working stations for assembly/inspection operations on a first group of electronic cigarettes and disposed upstream and downstream of a first conveying path, respectively. Third and fourth working stations perform assembly/inspection operations on a second group of electronic cigarettes and are disposed upstream and downstream of a second conveying path, respectively. A single filling station receives the first group at a first loading zone and the second group at a second loading zone to fill the first group and the second group with a filling product; and releases the first group of filled electronic cigarettes at a first unloading zone and the second group of filled electronic cigarettes at a second unloading zone towards the second working station and towards the fourth working station, respectively.

Inventors

Luca Testoni
Massimo Sartoni
Luca Federici

Assignees

G.D S.P.A.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20231211
Priority Date: 20170629

Claims (6)

1 . A system for assembling and filling two groups of electronic cigarettes, comprising: a first working station and a second working station configured to perform assembly and/or inspection operations on a first group of electronic cigarettes; the first working station and the second working station being disposed upstream and downstream of a first conveying path, respectively; and at least a third working station and a fourth working station configured to perform assembly and/or inspection operations on a second group of electronic cigarettes; the third working station and the fourth working station being disposed upstream and downstream of a second conveying path, respectively; and a single filling station configured to receive, at a first loading zone, the first group of electronic cigarettes from the first working station and, at a second loading zone, the second group of electronic cigarettes from the third working station; to fill the first group of electronic cigarettes and the second group of electronic cigarettes with at least one filling product; and to release the first group of filled electronic cigarettes at a first unloading zone and the second group of filled electronic cigarettes at a second unloading zone towards the second working station and towards the fourth working station, respectively; a plurality of support containers for supporting the electronic cigarettes of the first group of electronic cigarettes and of the second group of cigarettes while they are being filled in the filling station; a first auxiliary path which connects the first unloading zone to the first loading zone, on the outside of the filling station; and a second auxiliary path which connects the second unloading zone to the second loading zone, on the outside of the filling station, wherein the support containers being conveyed along the first auxiliary path and along the second auxiliary path after the first group of electronic cigarettes and the second group of electronic cigarettes have been removed, wherein the filling station comprises at least a first row of housings and at least a second row of housings, parallel to each other, in order to receive, respectively, the first group of electronic cigarettes and the second group of electronic cigarettes, wherein the first row of housings and the second row of housings are movable translationally in a first translation direction and in a second translation direction, opposite to the first translation direction; wherein the filling station comprises a first group of filling heads to fill the first group of electronic cigarettes, and a second group of filling heads to fill the second group of electronic cigarettes; the first group of filling heads and the second group of filling heads being movable translationally in the first translation direction and in the second translation direction.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first group of filling heads fills the electronic cigarettes of the first group of electronic cigarettes during a forward stroke in the first translation direction and the second group of filling heads fills the electronic cigarettes of the second group of electronic cigarettes during a forward stroke in the second translation direction.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first group of filling heads and the second group of filling heads fill the electronic cigarettes of the first group and of the second group of electronic cigarettes during a forward stroke in the first translation direction.
4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one filing product includes a plurality of filling products and wherein the first group of filling heads and the second group of filling heads dispense different ones of the plurality of filling products.
5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first conveying path and the second conveying path each define a C-shaped profile and are symmetrical to each other about an axis passing through the filling station.
6 . The system according to claim 1 , comprising: a first pickup device, for picking up the first group of electronic cigarettes and the second group of electronic cigarettes leaving the first working station and the third working station, respectively, and for placing them in the support containers; and a second pickup device, for picking up the first group of electronic cigarettes and the second group of electronic cigarettes from the support containers leaving the filling station.

Description

This application is a divisional application of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 16/617,988 filed Nov. 27, 2019 which is a National Phase of International Application PCT/IB2018/054742 filed Jun. 27, 2018 which designated the U.S. These applications claim priority to Italian Patent Application No. 102017000072733 filed Jun. 29, 2017, which application is incorporated by reference herein. TECHNICAL FIELD This invention addresses the technical field of electronic cigarettes. More specifically, the invention relates to a system for assembling and filling two groups of electronic cigarettes. BACKGROUND ART As is known, electronic cigarettes are made up of different components which are assembled to each other. In recent times, the production of electronic cigarettes has become more and more automated; in particular, automatic stations are dedicated to operations which differ greatly from each other: for example, assembling the electronic components, filling the cartridges with the liquid to be vaporized, inspecting the assembled groups, etc. In many cases, therefore, an electronic cigarette production installation occupies a great deal of space. The filling station in particular has considerably large overall dimensions. This often limits overall productivity because it is not possible to set up more than one assembly and filling line on the same factory floor. Moreover, productivity is often limited by the relatively low speed of the assembly lines, or by their relatively reduced flexibility. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION This invention has for an aim to overcome the drawbacks described above. This aim is achieved by proposing a system for assembling and filling two groups of electronic cigarettes according to the accompanying claims. Advantageously, the system proposed allows increasing overall productivity not only because it allows assembling and filling two groups of electronic cigarettes simultaneously but also because it offers a high level of flexibility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further advantages are more apparent in the specification which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a system according to the invention; FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the system of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of FIG. 3; FIGS. 5-8 are views similar to those of FIGS. 1-4 but illustrate a second embodiment of a system according to the invention; FIGS. 9-12 are views similar to those of FIGS. 1-4 but illustrate a third embodiment of a system according to the invention; and FIG. 13 shows a portion of the machine using support containers. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a system according to this invention, for assembling and filling two groups of electronic cigarettes. The two groups of electronic cigarettes (not illustrated in the accompanying drawings) may be the same or different, as will become clearer as this description continues. The expression “electronic cigarettes” is used to mean electronic cigarettes or components (parts) of electronic cigarettes, in both cases comprising cartridges (which need to be filled). Thus, reference to filling the electronic cigarettes in this specification and in the claims means filling the respective cartridges. The system 1 according to the invention comprises (at least) a first working station S1 and (at least) a second working station S2 configured to perform assembly and/or inspection operations on a first group of electronic cigarettes. The first working station S1 and the second working station S2 are disposed, respectively; upstream and downstream of a first conveying path P1 of the first group of electronic cigarettes. Clearly, it is understood that other assembly and/or inspection stations may be provided along the first conveying path P1. The system 1 also comprises at least a third working station S3 and a fourth working station S4 configured to perform assembly and/or inspection operations on a second group of electronic cigarettes. The third working station S3 and the fourth working station (S4) are disposed, respectively, upstream and downstream of a second conveying path P2 of a second group of electronic cigarettes. Clearly, it is understood that other assembly and/or inspection stations may be provided along the second conveying path P2. The system 1 further comprises a single filling station S5 configured to receive, at a first loading zone 2, the first group of electronic cigarettes from the first working station S1 and, at a second loading zone 4, the second group of electronic cigarettes from the third working station S3; to fill the first group of electronic cigarettes and the second group of electronic cigarettes with at least one filling product; and to release the first group of filled electronic cigarettes (that is, with the respective filled c