FEEDING DEVICE FOR FEEDING PRODUCTS, SUCH AS TABLETS, PILLS, CAPSULES, INTO THE BELL-SHAPED CONTINUOUS BELT

Description

Title POWER SUPPLY DEVICE FOR THE FEEDING OF PRODUCTS, SUCH AS TABLETS, PILLS, CAPSULES, INSIDE THE ALVEOLUS OF A CONTINUOUS ALVEOLAR BELT FEEDING DEVICE FOR FEEDING PRODUCTS, SUCH AS TABLETS, PILLS, CAPSULES, INTO THE BELL-SHAPED CONTINUOUS BELT On behalf of: MARCHESINI GROUP SpA Headquartered in: PIANORO (BO) - Via Nazionale, 100 DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention falls within the technical sector relating to the packaging of products, in particular pharmaceutical, parapharmaceutical and food products, inside corresponding pockets of a continuous honeycomb belt. In particular, the invention concerns a feeding device for feeding products, such as tablets, pills, capsules, into the cells present in a continuous honeycomb belt moved along a forward direction. In this sector, the use of continuous belts, made of different materials, is well known. These are unwound from reels and subjected to various processes to form a continuous honeycomb belt comprising a series of cells, arranged according to predetermined and reciprocal orientations and arrangements, intended to receive, within them, corresponding products, such as tablets, pills, capsules. Continuous belts can be made of thermoformable plastic material, such as PVC; in this case, the continuous belts are subjected to thermoforming processes to create the cavities. Continuous strips can also be made of aluminum, and in this case the continuous strips are subjected to drawing processes to create the cavities. For continuous plastic belts, the thermoforming process allows for the creation of cells with shapes and dimensions that can substantially correspond to those of the products to be packaged inside them. However, in the case of continuous aluminum strips, this is not possible due to the different structure of the material and the drawing process that must be performed to form the cavities. Therefore, when using continuous aluminum strips, it is not possible to create cells with a shape and size that substantially correspond to those of the products to be packaged inside them, but rather cells that have a shape and size that are larger than those of the products. Furthermore, continuous belts made of aluminum are more delicate than those made of thermoformable plastic material, and can therefore be damaged in the event of scraping or impacts. Therefore, the methods with which the product feeding operations must be carried out vary depending on the type of material from which the continuous honeycomb belt is made. Furthermore, the shape and size of the products also influence the type of feed that must be chosen to correctly fill the cells of the continuous honeycomb belt, whether it is made of thermoformable plastic material or aluminum. Therefore, from time to time, depending on the shape and size of the products to be packaged, as well as the type of material from which the continuous honeycomb belt is made, it is necessary to prepare corresponding types of feeding devices. For example, a first feeding technique used is the accumulation type, which involves the use of tanks or boxes, into which the products are fed to create product accumulation areas above a transit area of ​​the continuous honeycomb belt. Using shaving systems, such as rotating brushes, the upper surface of the continuous honeycomb belt is "shaved", facilitating the insertion of the products into the cells. This feeding technique, however, cannot be used for belts made of aluminum, as the rotation of the brushes could damage them. Furthermore, depending on the actual size of the products in relation to the size of the pockets, incorrect product placement may occur, as more than one product may fall into a single pocket, or even some pockets may not receive any products. Another technique currently used involves the use of product descent channels, placed side by side, which are positioned above a transit area of ​​the continuous honeycomb belt: a descent channel for a respective honeycomb to be filled present in the continuous honeycomb belt. This technique is used for both continuous honeycomb belts made of thermoformable plastic material and aluminium. The products, falling by gravity along the channels, are deposited inside their respective alveoli. The shape of the channels, in particular their cross-section, must however be designed and built according to the actual dimensions and morphology of the products. Therefore, in case of product format changes, the channels must be dismantled and replaced with others. Furthermore, in this solution, to prevent multiple products from accidentally entering the same tray, mechanisms, either mechanical or pneumatic, must be provided to stop the products from falling into the respective trays along the channels above the one falling into each tray. These mechanisms, however, can cause damage to the products, scratching or damaging them. Furthermore, especially in the case of continuous aluminum honeycomb belts, where the dimensions of the honeycombs are excessive compared to those of the products, there remains the risk that more than one product at a time may fall into, and be inserted into, the same honeycomb. Another type of feeding technique currently used involves the use of a drum element that can be rotated around an axis of rotation included in a plane vertical to the direction of travel of the continuous honeycomb belt. The drum element comprises, along the entire length of its lateral surface, a continuous and indistinct series of seats, each sized to accommodate a respective product inside it which must be inserted into a corresponding cell of the continuous honeycomb belt. The products are fed in bulk into the upper part of the drum element, to create a product accumulation area, and using a shaving system, such as rotating brushes, an attempt is made to make the products enter, individually, into the various locations. The rotation of the drum element brings the products present in the seats into a release area which is located below the drum element and above a transit area of ​​the honeycomb belt. On the side of the drum element, between the upper loading zone and the lower release zone, in the direction of rotation of the drum element, there is a rigid product retaining element, with a shape complementary to the shape of the lateral surface of the drum element, to prevent the products present inside the seats from falling outside of them during the rotation of the drum element. Even in this case, however, there are several drawbacks. First of all, the number of seats present on the lateral surface of the drum element is excessive compared to the number of pockets that pass through the release zone, this is to avoid that some pocket may remain empty following the passage of the honeycomb strip through the release zone. Furthermore, the presence of the rigid containment element, which acts as a sort of casing, can cause damage to the products, since the products, during the rotation of the drum element, tend to come out of their respective seats and can remain trapped between a wall of the seat and the rigid containment element. Such a circumstance may cause the products to slide along the rigid containment element, resulting in their deterioration. Furthermore, there are problems of synchronization between the rotation of the drum element and the advancement of the honeycomb belt, and consequently problems of centering between the seats and the honeycombs as the honeycombs pass through the release zone. The aim of the present invention is therefore to propose a new feeding device for feeding products, such as tablets, pills, capsules, inside the cells of a continuous honeycomb belt, capable of overcoming the drawbacks previously described. In particular, the aim of the invention is to propose a new feeding device that can be used independently of the material from which the continuous honeycomb belts are made, therefore, for example, both in the case of continuous honeycomb belts made of thermoformable plastic material and in the case of continuous honeycomb belts made of aluminum, and also independently of the type and morphology of the products to be packaged, and which can therefore be considered a "universal" feeding device. The aforementioned purposes are achieved in accordance with the contents of the claims. The features of preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of the power supply device which is the subject of the present invention are described below with reference to the attached drawing tables in which: - figure 1 illustrates, schematically and according to a partially sectioned front view, the feeding device of the invention; - figure 2 illustrates, schematically and according to a lateral view in vertical section, some significant components of the feeding device of the invention; - figure 3 illustrates, schematically and according to a perspective view, a possible preferred embodiment of a particular component of the feeding device of the invention shaped in such a way that it can be used for feeding products to a continuous honeycomb belt having a series of consecutive belt portions, in which each belt portion comprises honeycombs which are mutually arranged according to a first possible arrangement and configuration of honeycombs; - figure 4 illustrates, schematically and according to a perspective view, a possible other preferred embodiment of the component of figure 3 of the feeding device of the invention, which is shaped in such a way as to be able to be used for feeding products to a continuous honeycomb belt having a series of consecutive belt portions, in which each belt portion comprises honeycombs which are mutually arranged according to a further other possible arrangement and configuration of honeycombs; - Figures 5A to 5F illustrate, according to respective schematic front views, a possible operating mode of the feeding device of the invention for the successive release of products inside at least two consecutive rows of pockets present in a section of the continuous honeycomb belt during the transit of the section of the continuous honeycomb belt in a release zone below the feeding device; - figure 6 represents the view, on an enlarged scale, of the detail indicated by K in figure 5D; - figure 7 illustrates, according to a schematic perspective view, a possible use of the feeding device of the invention; - figure 8 illustrates, according to a respective schematic perspective view, a further possible use of the feeding device of the invention; - figure 9 illustrates, according to a schematic front view, some other components of the power supply device of the invention; - figure 10 illustrates, in an extremely schematic way, portions of continuous honeycomb belts made of different materials, for example thermoformable plastic material and aluminium, with the different conformation of the respective honeycombs. With reference to the attached drawing tables, the reference (100) indicates the feeding device for feeding products (P), such as tablets, pills, capsules, inside the alveoli of a continuous alveolar belt (N), which is the object of the present invention, as a whole. The feeding device (100) of the invention is suitable and is intended to be used for the feeding of products (P), such as for example tablets, pills, capsules, in all those cases in which the continuous honeycomb belt (N) is moved along a forward direction (V), based on a predefined forward motion, and comprises a series of portions of belt (N1) consecutive and spaced from each other, with each portion of belt (N1) comprising a group of honeycombs (A1;A2) which are mutually arranged with a predetermined arrangement and configuration of honeycombs (D1;D2). The strip portions (N1) are spaced apart in such a way as to allow their separation by cutting, once the relevant groups of cells have been filled with the respective products. For example, in figure 3, by way of example only, a continuous honeycomb strip (N) is illustrated having a series of portions (N1) consecutive and spaced apart from each other, in which each portion of the strip (N1) comprises a group of honeycombs (A1) which are mutually arranged according to an arrangement and configuration of honeycombs (D1) comprising at least one row, in this case two parallel rows, of five honeycombs. Instead, for example in figure 4, again by way of example, a continuous honeycomb strip (N) is illustrated having a series of portions (N1) consecutive and spaced apart from each other, in which each portion of the strip (N1) comprises a group of honeycombs (A2) which are mutually arranged according to an arrangement and configuration of honeycombs (D2) comprising two parallel rows of honeycombs, in which a first row comprises three honeycombs and a second row comprises two honeycombs. It is specified that the feeding device (100) is designed and made, in relation to its own respective characteristic aspect described below, to be applicable to any arrangement of groups of alveoli that may be present in a continuous alveolar belt, independently of the type of material with which the continuous alveolar belt is made, as well as the typology and morphology of the products. The feeding device (100) comprises a drum element (1), which can be rotated around a rotation axis (H), and which can be positioned with respect to the continuous honeycomb belt (N) in such a way that the rotation axis (H) is arranged in a plane vertical to the continuous honeycomb belt (N) in correspondence with a transit zone (Z) of the continuous honeycomb belt (N) and with a lower end (10) of the drum element (1) arranged above the transit zone (Z) of the continuous honeycomb belt (N) to define a product release zone (F). A peculiarity of the feeding device (100) of the invention consists in the fact that the drum element (1) is shaped in such a way as to comprise, annularly along the respective lateral surface, a series of operating sectors (S) which are distinct and spaced apart from each other. In more detail, depending on the arrangement of the groups of pockets in the various portions of the continuous honeycomb belt, the drum element (1) is made and configured with each operating sector (S) of the series of operating sectors (S) comprising a group of housings (S1;S2) which are mutually arranged with an arrangement and configuration of housings (E1; E2) which corresponds to the predetermined arrangement and configuration of pockets (D1; D2) which are present in the series of belt portions (N1) of the continuous honeycomb belt (N). Furthermore, each housing of the housing group (S1; S2) is shaped and sized to receive a respective single product (P) inside it. In other words, the drum element present in the feeding device of the invention is from time to time made and configured so that, on the various sectors arranged, spaced from each other, annularly along the lateral surface of the drum element, there are groups of housings having a reciprocal arrangement that exactly replicates the arrangement of the groups of pockets present in the various spaced portions of the continuous honeycomb belt. For example, as shown in figure 3, in the case where the series of consecutive and spaced portions (N1) of the continuous honeycomb belt (N) comprises a group of honeycombs (A1) which are mutually arranged according to a honeycomb arrangement and configuration (D1) comprising two parallel rows of five honeycombs, then in each sector (S) present annularly along the lateral surface of the drum element (1) there will be groups of housings (S1) having a honeycomb arrangement and configuration (E1) comprising two parallel rows of five housings. Instead, for example as illustrated in figure 4, in the case in which the series of consecutive and spaced portions (N1) of the continuous honeycomb belt (N) comprises a group of honeycombs (A2) which are mutually arranged according to an arrangement and configuration of honeycombs (D2) comprising two parallel rows of honeycombs, in which a first row comprises three honeycombs and a second row comprises two honeycombs, then in each sector (S) present annularly along the lateral surface of the drum element (1) there will be groups of housings (S2) having an arrangement and configuration of honeycombs (E2) comprising two parallel rows of housings, in which a first row comprises three honeycombs and a second row comprises two honeycombs. The feeding device (100) then comprises a product accumulation chamber (2), which is arranged above the drum element (1) and which is shaped to receive and accumulate within it products (P) which must be transferred and fed into the cells of the continuous honeycomb belt (N). The accumulation chamber (2) is open at the bottom so that the products (P) accumulated in it are in contact, during the rotation of the drum element (1), with the series of operating sectors (S) present annularly along the lateral surface of the drum element (1) for the insertion of the products (P) into the respective housings of the groups of housings (S1;S2) present in the operating sectors (S). The feeding device (100) then has a product retention system (3), to retain the products (P) within the respective housings of the housing groups (S1, S2) during the rotation of the drum element (1) from the accumulation chamber (2) to the product release area (F). A further peculiarity of the feeding device (100) of the invention consists in the fact that the product retention system (3) comprises, starting from the product accumulation chamber (2), and up to the product release area (F), in the direction of rotation of the drum element (1) (see for example figure 1, or the sequence of figures from 5A to 5F), a first retention element (31) in flexible elastomeric material, which is arranged in a counter-facing position, and which has a complementary shape, to a first part (11) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1) and a second rigid containment element (32), consecutive to the first containment element (31), which is arranged in a counter-facing position, and which has a complementary shape, to a second part (12) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1). In particular, as visible from the above figures, the first containment element (31) has an annular extension that covers most of the lateral surface of the drum element (1) between the accumulation chamber (2) and the lower part (10) of the drum element where the product release area (F) is located. The flexible elastomeric material with which the first containment element (31) is made prevents, during the rotation of the drum element (1) from the accumulation chamber (2) to the product release area (F), a fall of the products (P) which are present in the housings of the housing groups (S1, S2), at the same time providing a soft and flexible support in case of contact with the products (P) which tend to come out of the respective housings due to the rotation of the drum element, avoiding their damage. Finally, according to further peculiarities, the power supply device (100) of the invention comprises an optical sensor (4) and a control unit (5). The optical sensor (4) is positioned upstream of the transit area (Z) of the continuous honeycomb belt (N) below the drum element (1) and is configured to detect the actual position of a group of honeycombs (A1; A2) present in a respective portion of the belt (N1) which is advancing, according to the predefined advancement motion, towards the lower part (10) of the drum element (1), and therefore towards the product release area (F). The control unit (5) is interfaced with the optical sensor (4) and the drum element (1), and is configured to receive information from the optical sensor (4) on the detected position of the group of cells (A1; A2) present in the portion of the belt (N1) which is advancing towards the lower part (10) of the drum element (1), and towards the product release area (F). In more detail, the control unit (5) is configured, based on the information received and the predefined advancement motion of the continuous honeycomb belt (N), to rotate the drum element (1) with a respective rotation speed so that a respective operating sector (S), having a respective group of housings (S1;S2) containing respective products (P), passes through the lower part (10) of the drum element (1), in correspondence with the product release area (F), at the same time as the passage of said group of honeycombs (A1;A2) through the product release area (F) so that the products (P) present in the housings (S1;S2) fall and are inserted inside the respective honeycombs (A1;A2). The feeding device (100), therefore, thanks to the combined presence of the optical sensor (4) and the control unit (5), is able to detect in real time the actual position of the various groups of cells present in the various and successive portions of the continuous cell-shaped belt that are arriving, based on the type of advancement motion of the cell-shaped belt (which can be an alternating, or continuous, or mixed advancement motion) so as to be able to operate the drum element (1) with an adequate rotation speed so that a group of housings (S1; S2) transits in the release area (F) produced at the same time as a corresponding group of cells (A1; A2) in order to be able to precisely release the products contained in them into their respective cells. Therefore, with the feeding device it is possible to correctly feed the products into the respective pockets of the continuous honeycomb belt regardless of possible deviations in the position of the pockets due to elongations of the continuous honeycomb belt during the honeycomb forming processes, or due to other causes. The feeding device of the invention can therefore be used independently of the type of material with which the continuous honeycomb belt is made. Therefore, the feeding device of the invention can be used, see for example figure 10, both in the case of continuous honeycomb belts (TP) made of thermoformable plastic material, in which the honeycombs (AP) can have different shapes and dimensions substantially corresponding to the actual shape and size of the products, as well as in the case of continuous honeycomb belts (NA) made of aluminium, in which the respective honeycombs (AA) have, instead, a shape and size larger than the actual shape and size of the products. Furthermore, thanks to the presence of the first containment element made of flexible elastomeric material, and to the arrangement of the groups of housings present in the various sectors along the lateral surface of the drum element, which correspondingly replicate the arrangement of the groups of pockets present in the various portions of the belt, the feeding device of the invention is suitable for use regardless of the type of product, whether they consist of thermosensitive tablets or capsules or gummy tablets. The distance between the various sectors, in which there are respective groups of housings, annularly along the lateral surface of the drum element can be different, and preferably, but not exclusively, greater than the distance existing between the various portions of the belt, having respective groups of pockets, present along the continuous pocket belt. This allows the rotation speed of the drum element to be more effectively adjusted so that a group of housings, containing respective products, transits the product release area at the same time as the passage of a corresponding group of pockets, allowing the products to be released precisely into the pockets. Further other particular aspects of the feeding device (100) of the invention are described below. Preferably, the first retaining element (31) made of flexible elastomeric material comprises at least one mat (310) made of flexible elastomeric material which is fixed, at a first end, to a first anchoring point (33) arranged inside the product accumulation chamber (2), and fixed, at a second end, to a second anchoring point (34), in a position external to the drum element (1) and in proximity to the second retaining element (32). In this way, the flexible elastomeric material mat (310) can take on a complementary shape to the first part (11) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1) and be arranged in a counter-faced position, and flush with, the first part (11) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1) to avoid, during the rotation of the drum element (1) from the product accumulation chamber (2) towards the product release area (F), the products (P) present in the housings of the housing groups (S1, S2) from falling, at the same time providing a soft and flexible support in the event of contact with the products (P) thus avoiding their damage. Furthermore, the flexible elastomeric material mat (310) is maintained in a complementary shape to the first part (11) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1), and arranged opposite, and skimming, such first part (11) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1), by means of transmission elements (35) which are arranged between the first anchoring point (33) and the second anchoring point (34) (see figure 1). Another preferred and advantageous aspect of the feeding device (100) of the invention consists in the fact that the product accumulation chamber (2) is mounted above the drum element (1) in such a way as to be angularly rotatable with respect to the drum element (1), for example around an axis coinciding with or parallel to the rotation axis of the drum element (see for example figure 9). In this way it is possible to vary the accumulation position of the products with respect to the operating sectors (S) of the drum element (1), in which the housing groups (S1, S2) are present, to facilitate the insertion of the products into the housings of the housing groups (S1, S2) during the rotation of the drum element (1). This measure is particularly useful depending on the particular type and shape of the products that must be fed into the pockets of the continuous honeycomb belt. Furthermore, according to another preferred aspect, the feeding device (100) can comprise discharge elements (50) of any electrostatic charges that may accumulate on the drum element (1) during its rotation (see for example figure 1). For example, according to a possible embodiment, the electrostatic charge discharge elements (50) may comprise ionising elements or blowing elements, which may be arranged downstream of the product release area, considering the direction of rotation of the drum element. The drum element (1), as illustrated for example in figure 2, can be mounted on a corresponding flange (15) mounted coaxially to a drive shaft (16) to be rotationally actuated following rotational actuation of the drive shaft (16). Finally, the feeding device (100) may comprise a system (8) to facilitate the insertion of the products into the housings of the housing groups (S1, S2) during the rotation of the operating sectors (S) of the drum element (1) through the product accumulation chamber (2). For example, the system (8) to facilitate the insertion of the products into the housings of the housing groups (S1, S2) may comprise rotating brushes (81) and / or agitator elements (82). Figures 5A to 5F illustrate a possible operating sequence of the feeding device (100) of the invention having as reference the products (P) which are fed into the accumulation chamber (2) and which, during the rotation of the drum element (1), are inserted into a corresponding group of housings (S1; S2) present in a sector (S) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1) which passes below the accumulation chamber (2) (sequence of figures 5A, 5B, 5C). The further rotation of the drum element (1), in the direction indicated, from the accumulation chamber (2) towards the product release area (F), causes the products (P), inserted in the respective housings of the housing group (S1; S2), to pass in correspondence with the first containment element (31) in elastomeric material, for example a carpet (310) arranged in a counter-facing position and skimming the lateral surface of the drum element, see for example figures 5D and 6. The first containment element (31) in flexible elastomeric material prevents the products (P) present in the housings of the housing group (S1, S2) from falling, but above all, as clearly visible in figure 6, it provides a soft and flexible support in case of contact with the products (P) which tend to come out of their respective housings, due to the rotation of the drum element, thus avoiding their damage. The further rotation of the drum element (1) (figure 5E) causes the products, present in the housings of the group of housings (S1, S2), to pass in correspondence with the second rigid containment element which is located in proximity to the product release area (F), and, at the same time, the optical sensor (4) detects the actual position of a group of cells (A1; A2) to be filled present in a portion of the belt (N1) of the honeycomb belt (N) which is advancing towards the product release area (F), below the lower part of the drum element (1). The control unit (5) then, based on the information received from the optical sensor (4) on the actual position of the group of cells (A1; A2), and based on the type of advancement motion (for example alternating, continuous or mixed) of the continuous celled belt (N), rotates the drum element (1) with a suitable rotation speed so that the group of housings (S1, S2) containing the products (P) arrives in the product release area (F) at the same time as the passage of this group of cells (A1; A2) so that the products contained in them fall and are inserted into corresponding cells (A1; A2) (figure 5F). Figure 7 illustrates a possible way of using the power supply device (100) of the invention. According to the illustrated modality, two drum elements (1) can be arranged coaxially so as to be able to feed products to two continuous honeycomb belts arranged parallel to each other, in order to increase productivity. The two continuous honeycomb belts can also have different arrangements of groups of honeycombs between them, just as the two drum elements can have groups of housings with a different arrangement and each corresponding to the arrangement of the groups of honeycombs present in the two continuous honeycomb belts. Possibly, according to another possible embodiment of the invention not illustrated in the figures, the drum element can be made with a longitudinal extension, i.e. in the direction of the rotation axis, such that the groups of pockets present in each sector can be arranged and used to feed the products to at least two continuous, adjacent and parallel pocket belts, having the same arrangement of groups of pockets and advancing according to the same advancement motion. Furthermore, according to another possible embodiment of the invention not illustrated in the figures, the drum element can be made with a longitudinal extension, i.e. in the direction of the rotation axis, such that the groups of cells present in each sector can be arranged and used to feed the products to groups of cells present in series of parallel and adjacent belt portions of a single continuous celled belt. In figure 8, however, two drum elements (1) are arranged consecutively so that they can both be used to feed products to a single continuous honeycomb belt that passes underneath them. This last solution can be suitable and usable in cases where the belt advancement speed is particularly high.

Claims

CLAIMS 1) Feeding device (100) for feeding products (P), such as tablets, pills, capsules, into the pockets of a continuous pocket belt (N), wherein the continuous pocket belt (N) is moved along a forward direction (V) according to a predefined forward motion and comprises a series of consecutive and spaced portions of belt (N1), with each portion of belt (N1) comprising a group of pockets (A1;A2) which are mutually arranged with a predetermined arrangement and configuration of pockets (D1;D2), wherein the feeding device (100) comprises: a drum element (1), which can be rotated around a rotation axis (H), wherein the drum element (1) is arranged with respect to the continuous honeycomb belt (N) in such a way that the rotation axis (H) is arranged in a plane vertical to the continuous honeycomb belt (N) in correspondence with a transit zone (Z) of the continuous honeycomb belt (N) and with a lower end (10) of the drum element (1) arranged above the transit zone (Z) of the continuous honeycomb belt (N) to define a product release zone (F), wherein the drum element (1) is shaped in such a way as to comprise, annularly along the respective lateral surface, a series of operating sectors (S) distinct and spaced from each other, wherein each operating sector (S) of the series of operating sectors (S) comprises a group of housings (S1;S2) which are mutually arranged with an arrangement and configuration of housings (E1,E2) corresponding to the predetermined arrangement and configuration of pockets (D1, D2) present in the series of belt portions (N1) of the continuous honeycomb belt (N), with each housing of the group of housings (S1; S2) being shaped and sized to receive within it a respective single product (P);a product accumulation chamber (2), arranged above the drum element (1) and shaped to receive and accumulate within it products (P) which must be transferred and fed into the pockets of the continuous honeycomb belt (N), in which the accumulation chamber (2) is open at the bottom so that the products (P) accumulated in it are in contact, during the rotation of the drum element (1), with the series of operating sectors (S) present annularly along the lateral surface of the drum element (1) for the insertion of the products (P) into the respective housings of the groups of housings (S1;S2) present in the operating sectors (S);a product retention system (3), for retaining the products (P) within the respective housings of the housing groups (S1, S2) during the rotation of the drum element (1) from the accumulation chamber (2) up to the product release area (F), wherein the product retention system (3) comprises, starting from the product accumulation chamber (2), and up to the product release area (F), in the direction of rotation of the drum element (1), a first retention element (31) made of flexible elastomeric material, arranged in a counter-faced manner and having a shape complementary to a first part (11) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1) and a second rigid containment element (32), consecutive to the first containment element (31), arranged in a counter-faced manner and having a shape complementary to a second part (12) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1);an optical sensor (4), arranged upstream of the transit area (Z) of the continuous honeycomb belt (N) below the drum element (1), in which the optical sensor (4) is configured to detect the position of a group of honeycombs (A1; A2) present in a respective portion of the belt (N1) which is advancing, according to the predefined advancing motion, towards the lower part (10) of the drum element (1), and therefore towards the product release area (F); a control unit (5), interfaced with the optical sensor (4) and the drum element (1), in which the control unit (5) is configured to receive from the optical sensor (4) information on the detected position of the group of honeycombs (A1; A2)A2) present in the portion of the belt (N1) which is advancing towards the lower part (10) of the drum element (1), and towards the product release area (F) and, depending on the information received and the predefined advancement motion of the continuous honeycomb belt (N), to rotate the drum element (1) with a respective rotation speed so that a respective operating sector (S), having a respective group of housings (S1;S2) containing respective products (P), passes through the lower part (10) of the drum element (1), in correspondence with the product release area (F), at the same time as the passage of said group of honeycombs (A1;A2) through the product release area (F) so that the products (P) present in the housings (S1;S2) fall and are inserted inside the respective honeycombs (A1;A2).; 2) Feeding device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first retaining element (31) made of flexible elastomeric material comprises at least one mat (310) made of flexible elastomeric material which is fixed, at a first end, to a first anchoring point (33) arranged inside the product accumulation chamber (2), and fixed, at a second end, to a second anchoring point (34), in a position external to the drum element (1) and in proximity to the second retaining element (32), in such a way that the mat (310) made of flexible elastomeric material assumes a shape complementary to the first part (11) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1) and is arranged in a counter-faced manner, and skimming, with respect to such first part (11) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1) in such a way as to avoid,during the rotation of the drum element (1) from the product accumulation chamber (2) towards the product release area (F), the products (P) present in the housings of the housing groups (S1, S2) fall, providing a soft and flexible support in case of possible contact with the products (P) avoiding their damage. 3) Feeding device (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flexible elastomeric material belt (310) is maintained in a shape complementary to the first part (11) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1), and arranged opposite, and skimming, such first part (11) of the lateral surface of the drum element (1), by means of transmission elements (35) arranged between the first anchoring point (33) and the second anchoring point (34). 4) Feeding device (100) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the product accumulation chamber (2) is mounted above the drum element (1) so as to be rotatable with respect to the drum element (1) to vary the accumulation position of the products with respect to the operating sectors (S) of the drum element (1), in which the groups of housings (S1, S2) are present, to facilitate the insertion of the products into the housings of the groups of housings (S1, S2) during the rotation of the drum element (1). 5) Feeding device (100) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, comprising discharge elements (50) of electrostatic charges that accumulate on the drum element (1) during rotation of the drum element (1). 6) Power supply device (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the electrostatic discharge elements (50) comprise ionizing elements or blowing elements. 7) A feeding device (100) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the drum element (1) is mounted on a related flange (15) mounted coaxially to a drive shaft (16) and rotationally actuated by rotational actuation of the drive shaft (16). 8) Feeding device (100) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, comprising a system (8) to assist the insertion of the products into the housings of the housing groups (S1, S2) during the rotation of the operating sectors (S) of the drum element (1) through the product accumulation chamber (2). 9) Feeding device (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the system (8) for aiding the insertion of the products into the housings of the housing groups (S1, S2) comprises rotating brushes (81) and / or agitator elements (82).