Apparatus and method for automatic packing of smoking articles

Abstract

A packaging apparatus (10) for automatically packaging smoking articles (100). The apparatus (10) comprises, arranged in succession in a processing direction (X), a first closing assembly (11) configured to close the smoking articles (100) according to a first closing mode, a cutting assembly (12) configured to cut the smoking articles (100), and a second closing assembly (13) configured to close the smoking articles (100) according to a second closing mode different from the first closing mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an apparatus and method for automatically packaging smoking articles (such as cigarettes), each smoking article comprising a housing having a front mouthpiece region possibly provided with a filter, a central region filled with a flammable smoking product (such as tobacco or other non-continuous material), and an empty rear region configured to be selectively closed. The apparatus and method according to the invention enable the closure of the rear region of each housing by twisting or folding the rear region after it has been dimensionally cut to size. Background Technology

[0002] In the automated production of smoking products such as cigarettes, especially when using machines with high productivity, an important aspect that needs to be considered and a technical problem that needs to be overcome is related to the final step of packaging the smoking products, namely, the closure of the containment material into which the smoking material (e.g., non-continuous material, such as tobacco, other flammable and smokeable substances or combinations thereof) has been inserted.

[0003] Typically, the containment material consists of very thin and light paper or other suitable materials, possibly in the form of a housing with or without a filter in the front mouthpiece area, making it difficult to process in an automated manner, especially when there is also a goal of achieving high productivity, so each operation must be performed in a very short time.

[0004] Typically, the packing step occurs after the filling or dosing step, in which the smoking material is loaded or inserted into a container. Downstream of the packing equipment, there is usually a dispensing station, and possibly also a station for packaging the finished smoking products.

[0005] International patent application WO 2019 / 183128 describes examples of equipment and methods for automatically producing smoking articles. This solution, known in the prior art, describes the steps of metering smoking material into the interior of the smoking article, and subsequent steps of sealing the rear region of the article itself after filling with the smoking material.

[0006] Regarding the technical problem of automatic packaging of smoking products, particularly the technical problem of closing the rear region of each shell made of the aforementioned containing material after the smoking material is inserted into the central region, it is known to use a closing device capable of twisting the rear region, thus creating a "twist" type closure known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, a closing device capable of folding different rear regions is used, thus creating a "Dutch crown" type closure, which is also known to those skilled in the art. It is also known to manually or with the assistance of an operator create the closure of the rear region of each shell.

[0007] Therefore, in known devices, even before manufacturing the device, it is necessary to determine whether to obtain a "torsion" type closure or a "Dutch crown" type closure, and to prepare the corresponding closure device / closure mode. The choice of closure type is not only a purely aesthetic issue, but may also be related to the filling degree of each housing.

[0008] Furthermore, it should be considered that, typically, in order to completely resolve the technical problem of sealing the casing of a smoking article after filling it with smoking material, it is also necessary to cut the rear end of each casing to size. In fact, regardless of the initial length of each casing, the rear end must be easily cut according to the amount of smoking material inserted into the central area of ​​the casing and the type of closure used.

[0009] Currently, in the prior art, there is no packaging equipment and / or method that can automatically and selectively close the housing using one of the two closure methods mentioned above (i.e., by twisting or folding the rear end of each housing). Summary of the Invention

[0010] Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a packaging device and to improve a packaging method for automatically packaging smoking products, which is capable of performing two types of closure (i.e., by twisting or folding) based on operator selection or by programming.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging device and to improve a packaging method for automatically packaging smoking products, which is very versatile, simple and reliable, and the conversion of smoking products from one type of closure to another type of closure does not require mechanical intervention on the same device, but can be easily carried out by setting the desired mode using any electronic input device (even a remote input device).

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging device and to improve a packaging method for automatically packaging smoking products, so as to allow for high productivity, for example, an expected production of approximately 7,000 smoking products per hour.

[0013] The applicant designed, tested, and implemented the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to obtain these and other objectives and advantages.

[0014] The invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims. The dependent claims describe other features or variations of the main inventive concept of the invention.

[0015] According to the above-mentioned objective, a packaging device for automatically packaging smoking articles according to the present invention includes a housing for each smoking article, the housing having a rear region configured to be closed. The device includes a first closing component, a cutting component, and a second closing component arranged sequentially in a processing direction. According to a first closing mode, the first closing component can be selectively activated to close the rear region of the housing. The cutting component is configured to selectively cut the rear region of the housing by size. According to a second closing mode different from the first closing mode, the second closing component can be selectively activated to close the rear region of the housing. The second closing component is therefore arranged downstream of the cutting component in the processing direction.

[0016] According to one aspect of the invention, the first closure mode provides for the torsion of the rear region of the housing, and the first closure assembly includes a torsion tool.

[0017] According to another aspect of the invention, for each smoking article, the twisting tool includes a closed device provided with a rotating tool configured to be activated during rotation in order to twist one end of the rear region of the housing.

[0018] According to another aspect of the invention, for each smoking article, the first closure assembly further includes a first gripping element configured to selectively grip the corresponding smoking article and displace it toward the first closure assembly, particularly toward the closure device of the twisting tool.

[0019] According to another aspect of the invention, the second closure mode provides at least one fold of at least one flap of the rear region of the housing, and the second closure assembly includes a folding tool configured to close the rear region by folding at least one flap of the rear region.

[0020] According to another aspect of the invention, the second closure assembly further includes a second gripping element for each smoking article, the second gripping element being configured to selectively grip the respective smoking article and displace it toward the second closure assembly, particularly toward the folding tool contained therein.

[0021] According to another aspect of the invention, each of the housings further includes a front mouthpiece region and a central region located between the front region and the rear region, the central region being filled with an ignitable and snorkelable product, the cutting assembly including a cutting tool for selectively cutting the rear region of the housing at a desired height, the height being understood as the distance from the end of the central region, the cutting assembly also including a suction tool configured to suction any debris generated by the cutting tool.

[0022] According to another aspect of the invention, the device includes a control unit operatively connected at least to the first closure assembly and the second closure assembly, and programmed to activate operation of only one of the first closure assembly or the second closure assembly for each smoking article.

[0023] According to another aspect of the invention, a packaging method for automatically packaging smoking articles is provided, each smoking article comprising a housing having at least one rear region configured to be closed. The method includes at least one closing step and a cutting step, wherein in the closing step, the rear region of the housing is selectively closed by a first closing component according to a first closing mode, or by a second closing component according to a second closing mode different from the first closing mode; and in the cutting step, the rear region is selectively cut to size by a cutting component.

[0024] According to another aspect of the invention, the first closure mode provides torsion of the rear region of the housing via a torsion tool.

[0025] According to another aspect of the invention, the second closure mode provides at least one fold of at least one flap in the rear region of the housing via a folding tool.

[0026] According to another aspect of the invention, when the closing step is performed according to the first closing mode, the cutting step is performed after the closing step; on the other hand, when the closing step is performed according to the second closing mode, the cutting step is performed before the closing step.

[0027] According to another aspect of the invention, the method includes the step of gripping and displacing the housing toward the first sealing assembly when the sealing step is performed according to the first sealing mode, or the step of gripping and displacing the housing toward the second sealing assembly when the sealing step is performed according to the second sealing mode. Attached Figure Description

[0028] These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, which are given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0029] - Figure 1 This is a front view of an apparatus for automatically packaging smoking articles according to the present invention, showing a first operating state;

[0030] - Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A 3D view of the first enclosed component;

[0031] - Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The front view of the device shows the second operating state;

[0032] - Figure 4 Is included Figure 1 and Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of the second enclosed component in the device shown;

[0033] - Figure 5 It includes Figure 1 A block diagram of the equipment / machinery;

[0034] - Figure 6 Is Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional side view of a smoking article before it is processed in the equipment, the smoking article being inserted into the base of a transport element;

[0035] - Figure 7 yes Figure 6 The front view of the smoking product after it has been closed by twisting in its rear area (at the top of the figure);

[0036] - Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A front view of a smoking product after its rear area has been cut to size, which has been twisted.

[0037] - Figure 9 yes Figure 6 The front view of a smoking product after it has been cut to size in its rear region (at the top of the drawing);

[0038] - Figure 10 yes Figure 9 The front view of the smoking product after its rear area (at the top of the figure) is closed by folding its ends;

[0039] - Figure 11 yes Figure 1 A schematic simplified side view of the first enclosed component of the device;

[0040] - Figure 12 yes Figure 1A schematic simplified side view of the cutting components of the equipment;

[0041] - Figure 13 yes Figure 1 A schematic simplified side view of the second enclosed component of the device;

[0042] - Figure 14 yes Figure 1 An example block diagram illustrating the operation of the electronic control unit of the device.

[0043] We must clarify that the wording and terminology used in this specification and claims, such as the terms “horizontal,” “vertical,” “front,” “back,” “high,” “low,” and “inner,” and their inclination, serve only to better illustrate the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, and should not be used in any way to limit the scope of the invention itself or the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

[0044] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain dimensions or features in the accompanying drawings may have been enlarged, distorted, or shown in an unconventional or disproportionate manner to provide a more readily understandable version of the invention. When dimensions and / or numerical values ​​are specified in the following description, such dimensions and / or numerical values ​​are provided for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the invention unless such dimensions and / or numerical values ​​appear in the appended claims.

[0045] Before describing embodiments of the invention, it must be clarified that its application should not be limited to the details of the construction and arrangement of the components described in the accompanying drawings. In fact, the invention can be implemented in other embodiments and in various other equivalent ways.

[0046] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are used to identify the same common elements in the figures where possible. It should be understood that elements and features of one embodiment can be readily combined or incorporated into other embodiments without further explanation. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 3 The device 10 according to the invention can be used to automatically pack smoking articles 100, particularly for closing their open rear region Z3, which will be described in detail below.

[0048] In addition, such as Figure 5As shown, the device 10 is configured to form part of a machine 200 for preparing a smoking article 100. For example, it includes, in sequence, a supply station 201 and a filling station 202, both arranged upstream of the device 10, and a distribution station 203 arranged downstream of the device 10. The distribution station 203 can deliver the finished smoking article 100 to a packaging station 205, which may also be located outside the machine 200. Furthermore, the machine 200 includes a transport device 206 that functions to transport the smoking article 100 from the supply station 201 to the packaging station 205 along the entire processing line, preferably linearly and horizontally in the processing direction X.

[0049] The supply station 201, filling station 202, distribution station 203, packaging station 205, and transport equipment 206 can be of any known type or type to be developed in the future. Alternatively, the supply station 201, filling station 202, and / or transport equipment 206 can be, for example, those described in related patent applications for industrial inventions filed or assigned to the applicant of this patent application by the applicant of this patent application.

[0050] For example, transport equipment 206 includes transport element 207 ( Figures 1 to 6 The transport element 207 has the shape and function of a shuttle and is configured to slide on a fixed guide rail 209 in the processing direction X. In the example provided here, the transport element 207 includes four bases 210, which are hollow and through, each base being frustoconical in shape and sized to match the size of the smoking article 100 or at least its lower portion. In the example provided here, the size of each base 210 is such that each smoking article 100, when inserted into the base 210, protrudes not only from the upper surface of the transport element 207 but also from the lower surface of the transport element 207 by several millimeters. Figure 6 ).

[0051] Obviously, the number of bases 210 can also be different from four, and it should be understood that their number affects the hourly productivity of machine 200. In fact, if a definite cycle time TC, expressed in seconds, is required for each of the different processing stations 201, 202, 203, and 205, as well as in device 10 or in the slower one, then the hourly productivity of machine 200 will be equal to 3600 seconds divided by the cycle time TC, multiplied by the number of bases 210 for each transport element 207. In fact, processing is carried out in parallel in the four bases 210.

[0052] Each base 210 is symmetrical about the substantially vertical axis Y and is configured to store a smoking product 100 that can be inserted from the top downwards when the rear region Z3 is facing upwards. Figure 6 ).

[0053] The distance D between two adjacent bases 210 Figure 1 The design of machine 200 is defined in the design phase, and it is suitable for managing multiple smoking products 100, which will be described in detail below.

[0054] By means of non-restrictive instructions, machine 200 can produce each smoking product 100 in a very short time, that is, with a cycle time TC of about two seconds, so it can have a productivity of about 7,000 smoking products 100 per hour, precisely because four smoking products 100 are processed simultaneously in each processing station 201, 202, 203 and 205 and in device 10.

[0055] Before describing in detail the device 10 and corresponding method for automatically sealing the smoking article 100, in order to better understand the invention, we will now illustrately describe the smoking article 100 by way of non-limiting examples. Figures 6 to 10 ).

[0056] When smoking products, for example, are from filling station 202 ( Figure 5 When the smoke product 100 reaches the corresponding device 10, each smoke product 100 includes a housing 101. Figure 6 The housing is made of, for example, very thin and light paper or other suitable material. Each housing 101 includes a front mouthpiece region Z1, a central region Z2, and a rear region Z3, which may be provided with a filter tip 102. When the smoking article 100 arrives at the corresponding device 10, the central region Z2 is already filled with a non-continuous material M, such as tobacco, other flammable smoking substances, or combinations thereof. The rear region Z3 is open and configured to be properly closed to prevent the non-continuous material M from leaving the housing 101. Each housing 101 has a defined initial length L1 before its rear region Z3 is closed, for example, between approximately 60 mm and approximately 150 mm, while the smoking article 100 has a final length LF upon completion, depending on its form, which in turn depends on both the amount of non-continuous material M inserted into the housing 101 and the type of closure of its rear region Z3, i.e., by twisting ( Figure 7 and Figure 8 ) or through folding ( Figure 10 ).

[0057] Each housing 101 has a shape (e.g., a truncated cone) that allows it to be easily stacked, and extends from the front region Z1 to the rear region Z3.

[0058] Equipment 10 ( Figure 1 and Figure 3 It mainly includes a first enclosure component 11, a cutting component 12, and a second enclosure component 13, which are arranged sequentially in the processing direction X.

[0059] In particular, the first enclosure component 11 is arranged in conjunction with the filling station 202 ( Figure 5 The rear region Z3 of the housing 101 is adjacent to and configured to close the housing 101 according to a first closure mode (i.e., by torsion closure). Figure 6 The second enclosed component 13 is arranged in conjunction with the distribution station 203. Figure 5 The rear region Z3 of the housing 101 is adjacent to and configured to close according to the second closing mode (i.e., by folding its ends to close). Figure 10 ); and the cutting assembly 12 is arranged between the first enclosure assembly 11 and the second enclosure assembly 13, and is configured to cut the rear region Z3 of the housing 101 to size.

[0060] First enclosing component 11 ( Figure 1 , Figure 2 The device includes four identical closure devices 15, each arranged along a corresponding vertical axis R. The distance D between the four vertical axes R is the same as the distance between the bases 210 of the same transport element 207. A first gripping element 16 is provided between each closure device 15 and the fixed guide rail 209, and the first gripping element is also aligned with the corresponding vertical axis R.

[0061] Each closure device 15 includes a rotating gripper 17, which is of a known type, and is provided with a jaw 19 having a lining of a high-grip material, such as rough rubber.

[0062] According to another alternative embodiment of the invention, not shown in the figures, each closure device 15 may include a series of grippers provided with claws, on which rotating elements, such as one or more rollers, are mounted.

[0063] Each rotating gripper 17 is configured to secure the rear region Z3 of each housing 101 between its grippers 19 and to twist the rear region Z3 about the vertical axis R, while the smoking article 100 is kept stationary by the corresponding first gripping element 16.

[0064] First actuator 20 ( Figure 11 It is mounted on the first vertical plate 21 of the fixed structure and is configured to simultaneously command the four rotating grippers 17.

[0065] The four first gripping elements 16 in the idle position PH1 are arranged on the same horizontal plane and have the function of lowering to the lowered position PA1 to simultaneously pick up the four smoking products 100 stored in the base 210 of the transport element 207 temporarily located below it, and place the smoking products in the raised position PS1, corresponding to the rotating gripping element 17.

[0066] The simultaneous lowering and raising of the four first gripping elements 16 is commanded by a first moving device 22, which includes a first slider 23 that slides vertically relative to a first vertical plate 21 and is driven by a second actuator 26 of a known type mounted on the vertical plate 21.

[0067] Each first gripping element 16 includes at least two jaws 27, the inner portions of which are formed in a semi-cylindrical groove, the grooves being opposite each other and mirror-image, such that when the two jaws 27 are clamped together, their grooves form a gripping base suitable for clamping the smoking article 100 without compromising the structural integrity of the housing 101. Also in this case, to improve gripping force, the inner portions of the jaws 27 are lined with a high-grip material, such as rough rubber.

[0068] The opening and closing of the grippers 27 of the four first gripping elements 16 are simultaneously achieved by two substantially horizontal sliders 29 and 30, which are axially slidably mounted on the first slider 23. The two sliders 29 and 30 are driven by a command element of a known type, such as an electric motor or a linear actuator of pneumatic or hydrodynamic type, not shown in the figure.

[0069] Cutting component 12 ( Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 12 It mainly includes one or more cutting elements 31 ( Figure 12 For example, each cutting element consists of a blade or scissors of a known type, which is configured to cut the rear region Z3 of the housing 101 of the four smoking articles 100 housed in the transport element 207 after the rear region Z3 is twisted by the first closing component 11 or before the rear region Z3 is closed by the second closing component 13, as will be described in detail below.

[0070] In the example provided here, the cutting element 31 is mounted on the second slider 32, which is substantially the same width as the transport element 207, and is simultaneously driven by the third actuator 33, which is also mounted on the second slider 32.

[0071] The second slider 32 is also equipped with a known type of suction element 35 and a suction conduit 36, one end of which is arranged near the cutting area to suction the cut portion or debris generated by the cutting element 31.

[0072] The second slider 32, together with the cutting element 31 and the suction element 35, is in the idle position PR relative to the second vertical plate 37 of the fixed structure. Figure 12The second slider 32 selectively moves between the idle position PR, which is outside the overall dimensions of the smoking article 100 on the transport element 207, and the operating position PO, where the cutting element 31 can cut the rear region Z3 of the housing 101 to size, and vice versa. The movement of the second slider 32 between the idle position PR and the operating position PO occurs in a direction perpendicular to the processing direction X, via the fourth actuator 38, which will be described in detail below.

[0073] The movement of the second slider 32 and the activation of the cutting element 31 are coordinated with the movement of the transport element 207, which will be described in detail below.

[0074] The second closure assembly 13 includes four folding devices 39, which are identical to each other and each folding device is arranged along a corresponding vertical axis T. The distance D between the four vertical axes T is the same as the distance between the bases 210 of the same transport element 207. A second gripping element 40 is located between each folding device 39 and the fixed guide rail 209, and the second gripping element is also aligned with the corresponding vertical axis T. Figure 3 and Figure 4 ).

[0075] Each folding device 39 is configured to fold inward the flaps of the rear region Z3 of the housing 101, which has been cut to size by the cutting assembly 12.

[0076] The four folding devices 39 can be of any known type, or of any type to be manufactured in the future, capable of performing a so-called "Dutch crown" fold at the end of the rear region Z3, for example by a fifth actuator 41 mounted on a third vertical plate 42 of a fixed structure. Figure 4 and Figure 13 )Order.

[0077] In the idle position PH2, the four second gripping elements 40 are arranged on the same horizontal plane and are initially configured to descend together toward the lowering position PA2, where they can simultaneously pick up four smoking articles 100 stored in the base 210 of the transport element 207 temporarily located below it, and then rise to the raised position PS2 above the idle position PH2, where the four picked-up smoking articles 100 correspond to the four folding devices 39.

[0078] The simultaneous lowering and raising of the four second gripping elements 40 is commanded by a second moving device 43, which includes a third slider 45 that slides vertically relative to a third fixed vertical plate 42 and is driven by a sixth actuator 47 of a known type mounted on the third fixed vertical plate 42.

[0079] Each second gripping element 40 includes at least two grippers 49. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The internal portion of the gripper 49 is formed in the form of a semi-cylindrical groove, which is opposite to and mirror-image of each other, so that when the two grippers 49 are fastened together, the grooves form a gripping base suitable for clamping the smoking article 100 without compromising the structural integrity of the housing 101. In the same case, in order to improve the gripping force, the internal portion of the gripper 49 is lined with a high-grip material, such as rough rubber.

[0080] The opening and closing of the grippers 49 of the four second gripping elements 40 are simultaneously achieved by two substantially horizontal sliders 50 and 51, which are axially slidably mounted on a third slider 45. The two sliders 50 and 51 are driven by a command element of a known type, such as an electric motor or a linear actuator of pneumatic or hydrodynamic type, not shown in the figure.

[0081] According to another aspect of the invention, in order to achieve closure by proper folding and to enable the four second gripping elements 40 to clamp four corresponding smoking articles 100 in the central region Z2 of the housing 101, regardless of their form, one or more lifting devices 52 of known type are arranged below the fixed guide rail 209, configured to simultaneously lift the same smoking articles 100. In the example given here, there are four lifting devices 52, but even a single lifting device 52 configured to perform the same function could be provided.

[0082] The lifting devices 52 are arranged on the fixed horizontal plate 53, and they are simultaneously driven by the seventh actuator 55, which is also arranged on the fixed horizontal plate.

[0083] Device 10 also includes, for example, a programmable electronic control unit 56. Figure 14 The device is configured to control the operation of the first sealing component 11, the cutting component 12, and the second sealing component 13 to selectively activate either the first sealing component 11 or the second sealing component 13 according to the selected mode of the sealed smoking article 100, which will be described in more detail below with reference to the operation of the device 10.

[0084] In particular, the electronic control unit 56 is configured to command actuators 20, 26, 33, 38, 41, 47 and 55, and thus command other mechanical tools operably connected to it.

[0085] The operation of the above-mentioned device 10, corresponding to the method of the present invention, includes the following steps.

[0086] In the initial or idle state, the first and second gripping elements 16 and 40 ( Figure 11 and Figure 13The second slider 32 of the cutting assembly 12 is located in its idle positions PH1 and PH2, respectively, and is located in the idle position PR. Figure 12 ).

[0087] Before commencing the closing of housing 101 and cutting its rear region Z3 to size, the electronic control unit 56 is configured to activate either the first closing assembly 11 or the second closing assembly 13. Therefore, the device 10 will have two different operations depending on whether each rear region Z3 of housing 101 is closed by twisting or folding.

[0088] In fact, if the closure mode via twisting has been set, the transport element 207 is transported to the first position P1 directly below the first closure assembly 11. Figure 1 In this position, the four vertical axes R of the enclosure 15 coincide with the axes Y of the four bases 210.

[0089] Then, under the control of the electronic control unit 56, a sealing step is performed. During the sealing step, the transport element 207 remains stationary at the first position P1, and the time interval between these stationary positions is equal to the time interval between the first sealing assembly 11 sealing the same number of smoking products 100 simultaneously. Figure 6 The cycle time TC required for the four rear regions Z3 of the housing 101 is , and the smoking article 100 is housed in the base 210 of the transport element 207.

[0090] Then, the second actuator 26 ( Figure 11 The first slider 23 and the four gripping elements 16 mounted thereon are lowered from the idle position PH1 to the lowered position PA1. In the lowered position PA1, the sliders 29 and 30 are then driven so that they move relative to each other to slightly secure the four smoking articles 100 in the base 210 of the transport element 207 between the grippers 27.

[0091] Subsequently, the second actuator 26 raises the first slider 23 and the four smoking articles 100 held by the first gripping element 16, moving the smoking articles 100 from the lowered position PA1 to the raised position PS1. Therefore, in the raised position, the rear region Z3 of the housing 101 is located between the grippers 19 of the corresponding openings of the four rotating grippers 17.

[0092] Then, the first actuator 20 closes the grippers 19 on at least a portion of the rear region Z3 of the housing 101, and the four rotating grippers 17 simultaneously rotate about their vertical axis R, thus twisting the four rear regions Z3. Figure 7 ), and close it off.

[0093] Then, using the reverse operation described above, the rotating gripper stops, the gripper 19 reopens, and the first slider 23 lowers to return the four sealed smoking articles 100 to their initial position, i.e., inside the base 210 of the transport element 207. After that, the first gripper 16 returns to the idle position PH1.

[0094] Once the above sealing steps are completed, transport element 207 ( Figure 1 The distance PT is shifted toward the cutting assembly 12 in the processing direction X in a known manner. In the example provided here, this distance is equal to four times the distance D between two adjacent bases 210 of the transport element 207 to reach the second position P2, which is located directly below the center of the cutting assembly 12.

[0095] Then, under the control of the electronic control unit 56, the cutting step is performed. During the cutting step, the fourth actuator 38 lowers the second slider 32 together with the cutting element 31 from the idle position PR to the operating position PO, so that the operating position PO is precisely aligned with the point of the rear region Z3 of the housing 101, and the cutting is performed at that point.

[0096] Then, in the operating position PO, the third actuator 33 and the suction element 35 are driven. The third actuator activates the cutting element 31 to cut the rear region Z3 to size. The suction element draws in and removes the cut portion or debris of the same rear region Z3, thus causing the four smoking articles 100 to present the final length LF. Figure 8 ).

[0097] Once the cutting step is complete, the fourth actuator 38 raises the second slider 32 along with the cutting element 31 and returns them to their initial idle position PR. Figure 12 Furthermore, after passing through the second enclosed assembly 13 without stopping there, the transport element 207 shifts by another two pitches PT in the processing direction X until it reaches the distribution station 203. Figure 5 ).

[0098] As an alternative to the above, if a closed mode via folding is set in the electronic control unit 56, the transport element 207 is not transported to the first position P1. Figure 1 Instead, it was directly transported to the second location P2. Figure 1 and Figure 3 In the second position, the rear region Z3 of the shell 101, which is still open and has not been twisted, is cut.

[0099] For this closed pattern, the cutting steps are the same as those described above.

[0100] Subsequently, once the cutting is complete, the transport element 207 is transported from the second position P2 to the third position P3. Figure 3 The third position is located directly below the second closure assembly 13. In this position, the four vertical axes T of the folding device 39 coincide with the axes Y of the four bases 210 of the transport element 207.

[0101] Then, under the control of the electronic control unit 56, a sealing step is performed. During the sealing step, the transport element 207 remains stationary at the third position P3, and the time interval between these stationary positions is equal to the time interval during which the second sealing assembly 13 simultaneously seals the same number of smoking products 100 by folding. Figure 9 The cycle time TC required for the four rear regions Z3 of the housing 101 is , and the smoking article 100 is housed in the base 210 of the transport element 207.

[0102] Then, the sixth actuator 47 ( Figure 13 The third slider 45 and the four second gripping elements 40 mounted thereon are lowered from the idle position PH2 to the lowered position PA2. In the lowered position PA2, the sliders 50 and 51 are driven to move relative to each other to slightly secure the four smoking articles 100 in the base 210 of the transport element 207 between the grippers 49.

[0103] If necessary, as the third slider 45 is lowered, the four second gripping elements 40 are also lowered to the lowered position PA2, and the seventh actuator 55 drives the lifting device 52 to simultaneously lift the four smoking articles 100, so that the gripping of the claws 49 occurs in the central region Z2 of the housing 101.

[0104] Subsequently, the sixth actuator 47 causes the third slider 45 to rise together with the four smoking articles 100 held by the second gripping element 40, moving them from the lowered position PA2 to the raised position PS2. Thus, in the raised position, the rear region Z3 of the housing 101 corresponds to the four folding devices 39.

[0105] Then, the fifth actuator 41 drives four folding devices 39, which fold at least one flap of the rear region Z3 of the housing 101 of the four smoking articles 100. Figure 10 ).

[0106] Then, by using the operation opposite to the above operation, the third slider 45 is lowered to return the four sealed smoking products 100 to their initial position, i.e., inside the base 210 of the transport element 207, after which the second gripping element 40 returns to the idle position PH2.

[0107] Once the folding and closing steps have been completed, the transport element 207 is oriented toward the distribution station 203 in the processing direction X. Figure 5 ) shifted another spacing PT ( Figure 3 ).

[0108] It is evident that modifications and / or additions can be made to the above-described apparatus 10 and method, either to components or steps, without departing from the scope and field of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0109] For example, the electronic control unit 56 can be configured such that after the first closing component 11 is activated to close the rear region Z3, and after the cutting component 12 is driven, the second closing component 13 is also activated, but does not close the rear region that has already been closed, but only folds the portion of the rear region that has been twisted and cut to size.

[0110] Therefore, device 10 allows for the production of four different types of smoking products 100 in a very versatile manner, wherein the housing 101 is closed according to a first mode or a second mode.

[0111] These four types are listed below:

[0112] A - Standard closure (torsion) is achieved by simply twisting the rear region Z3 of each housing 101;

[0113] B - Closure by twisting the rear region Z3 of each housing 101 as in A (torsion) and subsequently cutting off the excess portion of the same rear region Z3;

[0114] C - Closure through twisting as in A or B and subsequent folding;

[0115] D - By folding the closure (Dutch crown) of the rear region Z3 of each housing 101, it may be pre-cut to size.

[0116] In the smoking article 100 that is closed as in A, B, or C, the rear region Z3 is closed by twisting, possibly cutting (in B), and / or optionally folding (in C). On the other hand, in the smoking article 100 that is closed as in D, the rear region Z3 is closed by folding after being properly cut.

[0117] As can be seen from the detailed description above, in the closed mode indicated by point A above, the electronic control unit 56 drives only the first closed component 11; in the closed mode indicated by point B above, the electronic control unit 56 drives both the first closed component 11 and the cutting component 12; in the closed mode indicated by point C above, the electronic control unit 56 drives all three components 11, 12 and 13; and in the closed mode indicated by point D above, the electronic control unit 56 drives only the cutting component 12 and the second closed component 13.

[0118] Furthermore, we must clarify that while the first component 11 for closure by twisting, the cutting component 12 for closure by folding, and the second component 13 must be arranged sequentially and in that order, they can also be discontinuous. In fact, other devices, equipment, and / or processing stations of the machine 200 can be located between them, such as control stations, extrusion stations, etc.

[0119] It is equally clear that although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, those skilled in the art should be able to implement many other equivalent forms of devices and methods for packaging smoking articles, possessing the features described in the claims, and therefore all within the scope of protection defined by the claims. In the following claims, the reference numerals in parentheses are for ease of reading only and should not be considered as limiting factors regarding the field claimed in any particular claim.

Claims

1. A packaging device (10) for automatically packaging smoking articles (100), each smoking article comprising a housing (101) having at least one rear region (Z3) configured to be closed, the device comprising a first closing component (11) and a cutting component (12) arranged sequentially in a processing direction (X), the first closing component being selectively activated to close the rear region (Z3) of the housing (101) according to a first closing mode, the cutting component being configured to selectively cut the rear region (Z3) of the housing (101), characterized in that, The device also includes a second closure component (13), which, according to a second closure mode different from the first closure mode, can be selectively activated to close the rear region (Z3) of the housing (101), and the second closure component (13) is arranged downstream of the cutting component (12) in the processing direction (X).

2. The packaging equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first closure component (11) includes twisting tools (15, 17, 19).

3. The packaging equipment (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The twisting tool includes a closure (15) with a rotating gripping tool (17, 19) configured to be activated during rotation in order to twist one end of the rear region (Z3) of the housing (101).

4. The packaging equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first gripping element (16) configured to grip the housing (101) and move it toward the first closure assembly (11).

5. The packaging equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second closure component (13) includes a folding tool (39) configured to close the rear region (Z3) by folding at least one flap of the rear region (Z3).

6. The packaging equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a second gripping element (40) configured to grip the housing (101) and move it toward the second closure assembly (13).

7. The packaging equipment (10) according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the housings (101) further includes a front mouthpiece region (Z1) and a central region (Z2) located between the front mouthpiece region (Z1) and the rear region (Z3), at least the central region (Z2) being filled with an ignitable and snorkelable product (M), characterized in that the cutting assembly (12) includes a cutting tool (31) for selectively cutting the rear region (Z3) of the housing (101) at a desired height, and the cutting assembly further includes a suction tool (35, 36) configured to suction debris generated by the cutting tool.

8. The packaging device (10) according to claim 1, comprising a control unit (56) operatively connected at least to the first sealing component (11) and the second sealing component (13), and programmed to activate operation of only one of the first sealing component (11) or the second sealing component (13) for each smoking article (100).

9. A packaging method for automatically packaging smoking articles (100), each smoking article comprising a housing (101) having at least one rear region (Z3) configured to be closed, characterized in that, The method includes at least one closing step in which the rear region (Z3) of the housing (101) is selectively closed by a first closing component (11) according to a first closing mode, or by a second closing component (13) according to a second closing mode different from the first closing mode, and the method includes a cutting step in which the rear region (Z3) is cut by a cutting component (12), wherein the first closing component (11), the cutting component (12) and the second closing component (13) are arranged sequentially in the processing direction (X).

10. The packaging method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first closure mode provides torsion of the rear region (Z3) of the housing (101) by means of torsion tools (15, 17, 19).

11. The packaging method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The second closure mode provides at least one fold of at least one flap of the rear region (Z3) of the housing (101) by means of a folding tool (39).

12. The packaging method according to claim 9, characterized in that, When the closing step is performed according to the first closing mode, the cutting step is performed after the closing step, and / or when the closing step is performed according to the second closing mode, the cutting step is performed before the closing step.

13. The packaging method according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes the following step, in which, when the closing step is performed according to the first closing mode, the housing (101) is grasped and moved toward the first closing assembly (11).

14. The packaging method according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes the step in which, when the closing step is performed according to the second closing mode, the housing (101) is grasped and moved toward the second closing component (13).

15. Use of the packaging equipment (10) according to claim 1, or use of the packaging method according to claim 9.

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