Packaging machine and packaging method for producing bags, each containing a part of a loose product and an item

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102022000026889 filed on December 27, 2022.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to a packer machine and a wrapping method for the production of pouches, each containing a portion of a loose product (i.e., a non-compact product) and an object.

[0003] The present invention is advantageously applied to the production of snus pouches (i.e., permeable bags each containing a pre-packaged portion of a loose, moist and nicotine-based product for oral use), to which the following disclosure will explicitly refer without thereby losing generality.BACKGROUND ART

[0004] As known, a snus pouch has a rectangular shape and exhibits a longitudinal sealing and a pair of transverse sealings.

[0005] Within a snus pouch there may be (at least) one additional solid object, e.g., an aromatic capsule, an aromatic pellet (i.e., a granular agglomerate in the shape of an ovule or small cylinder), one or more aromatic strips, or one or more aromatic threads. In particular, an aromatic capsule is generally spherical in shape and comprises a breakable outer shell containing an aromatic liquid substance therein: by breaking the outer shell (typically by crushing between fingers) the aromatic liquid substance exits to flavor the snus.

[0006] A known packer machine (as described for example in patent application WO2008114128A2) for the production of snus pouches is of FFS (Form, Fill and Seal) type and comprises: a conveyor device to convey a wrapping material band along a packing path; a wrapping station arranged along the packing path and where the wrapping material band is wrapped to form a tubular wrap having a longitudinal development around a wrapping duct; a longitudinal sealing unit to longitudinally seal the tubular wrap at an overlapping zone of the wrapping material band; a loose material feeding device for successively feeding the loose product portions inside the tubular wrap; a transverse sealing unit to transversely seal the tubular wrap so as to form an alternating succession of sealing zones and zones containing a portion of loose product; and a cutting unit to transversely cut the tubular wrap at the sealing zones so as to separate the individual snus pouches.

[0007] In particular, the feeding device ends at the inlet of the wrapping duct (around which the wrapping material is folded to form the tubular wrap) and "shoots" the portions of loose product into the tubular wrap through the wrapping duct by means of compressed air.DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a packer machine and a wrapping method for the production of pouches each containing a portion of loose product and an object, which packer machine and wrapping method allow to achieve high productivity while ensuring high quality standards.

[0009] In accordance with the present invention, a packer machine and a wrapping method for the production of pouches each containing a portion of a loose product and an object are provided according to what claimed in the appended claims.

[0010] The claims describe preferred embodiments of the present invention forming an integral part of the present description.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting example embodiment thereof, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a snus pouch; Figure 2 is a front and schematic view of a packer machine making snus pouches of the type of the one in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front and schematic view of a feeding unit of objects of the packer machine of Figure 2; and Figures 4 and 5 are two schematic views, according to two different embodiments, of a wrapping duct of the packer machine of Figure 2. PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0012] In Figure 1, reference numeral 1, indicates, as a whole, a snus pouch containing a snus portion 2 (i.e. a portion of a loose, moist and nicotine-based product for oral use) and an additional solid object 3 therein. For example, the additional solid object 3 may be an aromatic capsule (as illustrated in Figure 1), an aromatic pellet (i.e. a granular agglomerate in the shape of an ovule or small cylinder), one or more aromatic strips, or one or more aromatic threads. In particular, an aromatic capsule is generally spherical in shape and comprises a breakable outer shell containing an aromatic liquid substance therein: by breaking the outer shell (typically by crushing between fingers) the aromatic liquid substance exits to flavor the snus.

[0013] The pouch 1 is closed by a longitudinal sealing 4 and two transverse sealings 5.

[0014] In Figure 2, reference numeral 6, indicates, as a whole, a packer machine which produces snus pouches 1.

[0015] The packer machine 6 is of FFS (Form, Fill and Seal) type and operates on a single line (i.e. makes a single snus pouch 1 at a time); alternatively, the packer machine 6 could be a double (triple) line machine making two (three) snus pouches 1 at a time.

[0016] The packer machine 6 comprises a frame resting on a floor and exhibits a vertical support wall (the "front" wall of the packer machine 6 and coincident with the plane of Figure 2) onto which all operating components contributing to the production of snus pouches 1 are mounted.

[0017] The packer machine 6 comprises a (partially illustrated) conveyor device 7 for conveying a wrapping material band 8 (preferably consisting of non-woven fabric) along a straight packing path P. A wrapping station S1 is arranged along the packing path P in which the wrapping material band is wrapped to form a tubular wrap having a longitudinal development. A longitudinal sealing unit 9 is arranged along the packing path P and downstream of the wrapping station S1 to longitudinally seal the tubular wrap at an overlapping zone of the wrapping material band to make the longitudinal sealing 3. A transverse sealing unit 10 is arranged along the packing path P and downstream of the longitudinal sealing unit 9 to transversely seal the tubular wrap so as to form an alternating succession of sealing zones (at the transverse sealings 4) and zones containing a loose product portion 2 and an object 3. A loose material feeding device 11 is arranged at the wrapping station S1 to successively feed the loose product portions 2 inside the tubular wrap and an object feeding device 12 to successively feed the objects 3 inside the tubular wrap. Finally, a cutting device 13 is arranged along the packing path P and downstream of the transverse sealing unit 9 to transversely cut the tubular wrap at the sealing zones (i.e. the transverse sealings 4) so as to separate the individual snus pouches 1.

[0018] The packer machine 6 comprises a wrapping duct 14 which is arranged in the wrapping station S1 and extends along the packing path P (i.e. parallel to the packing path P); the wrapping material band 8 is folded around the wrapping duct 14 to form the tubular wrap (i.e. the wrapping duct 14 has the function of a folding mandrel to fold the wrapping material band 8 in a tubular shape).

[0019] The feeding device 11 comprises a feeding drum 15 which rotates with an intermittent law of motion (i.e. exhibiting a cyclic alternation of motion and rest phases) about a horizontal rotation axis 16 (perpendicular to the plane of Figure 2). The feeding drum 15 is coupled to a suction source at a loading station S2 where the feeding drum 15 receives the loose material and is coupled to a compressed air source at a feeding station S3 where the feeding drum 15 (through compressed air jets) directs the individual portions 2 of loose material into the wrapping duct 14. In use, as the feeding drum 15 rotates, a continuous bead of loose material (due to the effect of the suction source) is progressively formed on the shell of the feeding drum 15; the continuous bead of loose material is conveyed to the feeding station S3 where, due to the effect of the compressed air source, the portions 2 of loose material are separated from the continuous bead and transferred along the wrapping duct 14 until they enter the wrapping material band 8 folded in a tubular shape around the wrapping duct 14.

[0020] The packer machine 6 comprises a hopper 17 which is arranged above the feeding device 11 and carries the loose material towards the loading station S2 by gravity where the loose material is taken from the feeding drum 15.

[0021] According to what illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the feeding device 11 is configured to feed the portions 2 into the wrapping duct 14 such that each portion 2 is separated from a prior portion 2 and a following portion 2 by a corresponding gap 18 which is necessary to make a transverse sealing 5 without the transverse sealing 5 trapping the loose material or otherwise locally compressing the loose material.

[0022] According to what illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the feeding device 12 is configured to feed the objects 3 into the wrapping duct 14 so as to arrange in the wrapping duct 14 each object 3 between two adjacent portions 2, i.e. so as to arrange in the wrapping duct 14 each object 3 in a corresponding gap 18 dividing two adjacent portions 2. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the feeding device 12 is configured to arrange each object 3 in the wrapping duct 14 in contact with a head (i.e., an initial / front part) of a portion 2 relative to an advancement direction of the portions 2. In the alternative and perfectly equivalent embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, the feeding device 12 is configured to arrange each object 3 in the wrapping duct 14 in contact with a tail (i.e. a final / rear part) of a portion 2 relative to an advancement direction of the portions 2. According to what illustrated in Figure 3, the feeding device 12 comprises a feeding drum 19 that is rotatably mounted about a horizontal rotation axis 20 to rotate about the rotation axis 20 with an intermittent law of motion. The feeding drum 19 is provided with four peripheral seats 21 each designed to hold an object 3, and rotating about the rotation axis 20 it cyclically moves each seat 21 between an input station S4 where an object 3 enters the seat 21 and an output station S5 where an object 3 leaves the seat 21 towards the wrapping duct 14. According to other non-illustrated embodiments, the number of seats 21 of the feeding drum 19 differs from four: generally, there may be from a minimum of one single seat 21 to a maximum of one to two dozen seats 21.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment, the feeding drum 19 rotates about the rotation axis 20 with an intermittent law of motion which entails having each seat 21 cover an arc of a circle having a length D (illustrated in Figure 3) equal to a distance D (illustrated in Figures 4 and 5) existing between two successive portions 2 which are located in the wrapping duct 14. In this way, the displacement speed of the seats 21 (i.e., the peripheral speed of the feeding drum 19) containing the objects 3 is (essentially) identical to the displacement speed of the portions 2 along the wrapping duct 14, and thus when an object 3 arrives in the wrapping duct 14 from the feeding drum 19 it has its own displacement speed similar to the displacement speed of the portions 2 along the wrapping duct 14, and thus it can fit with less mechanical stresses and more accuracy into the respective gap 18 between two adjacent portions 2. In particular, in the feeding drum 19 the two seats 21 are spaced apart by an arc of a circle having a length D (illustrated in Figure 3) equal to a distance D (illustrated in Figures 4 and 5) existing between two successive portions 2 which are located in the wrapping duct 14.

[0024] According to a preferred embodiment, the feeding device 12 comprises a feeding duct 22 originating near the periphery of the feeding drum 19 and at the output station S5, leads into the wrapping duct 14 and is travelled by the objects 3 to enter the wrapping duct 14. That is, the wrapping duct 14 has a through opening 23 arranged at the top (i.e. at an upper wall of the wrapping duct 14) into which the feeding duct 22 flows to make the objects 3 enter the wrapping duct 14.

[0025] According to a preferred embodiment, the feeding duct 22 forms an acute angle (generally between 10° and 20° and not greater than 30°) with the wrapping duct 14 such that the main (prevailing) component of the motion of the objects 3 travelling through the feeding duct 22 is parallel to the packing path P followed by the portions 2 along the wrapping duct 14.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment, the feeding device 12 comprises (at least) a blowing device 24, which is arranged at the output station S5 and is configured to emit a compressed air blast, which extracts an object 3 from a seat 21 of the feeding drum 19 and pushes the object 3 along the feeding duct 22 and towards the wrapping duct 14. According to a possible embodiment, a single blowing device 24 that is common to all the seats 21 is provided for and is always stationary in the output station S5 (i.e. it does not rotate together with the feeding drum 19); according to a different embodiment, a plurality of blowing devices 24 are provided for, each of which is mounted onto the feeding drum 19 (thus rotates together with the feeding drum 19) and is coupled to a single seat 21.

[0027] The feeding device 12 comprises a hopper 25 which is arranged above the feeding drum 19 and contains a mass of objects 3 and ends with a vertical channel along which a row of objects 3 falls by gravity to the input station S4.

[0028] The embodiments described herein can be combined with one another without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] The above-described packer machine 6 has numerous advantages.

[0030] Firstly, the packer machine 6 described above allows high hourly throughputs to be achieved while ensuring a high-quality standard. This is achieved, among other things, due to the fact that the feeding of objects 3 occurs without substantial interference of the objects 3 with the portions 2 moving along the wrapping duct 14.

[0031] Furthermore, the packer machine 6 is particularly compact and allows an operator in close proximity to the packer machine 6 to reach all the various parts of the packer machine 6 with his / her own hands without having to make unnatural movements.

[0032] Finally, the packer machine 6 is of relatively simple and low-cost construction.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS IN THE FIGURES

[0033] 1snus pouch 2portion 3object 4longitudinal sealing 5transverse sealing 6packer machine 7conveyor device 8wrapping material band 9longitudinal sealing unit 10transverse sealing unit 11feeding device 12feeding device 13cutting device 14wrapping duct 15feeding drum 16rotation axis 17hopper 18gap 19feeding drum 20rotation axis 21seat 22feeding duct 23through opening 24blowing device 25hopper 26vertical channel Ppacking path S1wrapping station S2loading station S3feeding station S4input station S5output station

Claims

1. A packer machine (6) for the production of pouches (1), each containing a portion (2) of a loose product and an object (3); the packer machine (6) comprises: a conveyor device (7) configured to move one wrapping material band (8) along a packing path (P); a wrapping station (S1) arranged along the packing path (P) and where the wrapping material band (8) is wrapped to form a tubular wrap around a wrapping duct (14); a first feeding device (11) configured to feed the portions (2) into the wrapping duct (14) such that each portion (2) is separate from a prior portion (2) and from a following portion (2) by a corresponding gap (18); a second feeding device (12) configured to feed the objects (3) into the wrapping duct (14); a longitudinal sealing unit (9) to longitudinally seal the tubular wrap at an overlapping zone of the wrapping material band (8); and a transverse sealing unit (10) to transversely seal the tubular wrap so as to form an alternating succession of sealing zones and zones containing a portion (2) of loose product and an object (3); the packer machine (6) is characterized in that the second feeding device (12) is configured to arrange each object (3) between two adjacent portions (2) in the wrapping duct (14).

2. The packer machine (6) according to claim 1, wherein the second feeding device (12) is configured to arrange, in the wrapping duct (14), each object (3) in a corresponding gap (18) dividing two adjacent portions (2).

3. The packer machine (6) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second feeding device (12) is configured to arrange, in the wrapping duct (14), each object (3) in contact with a head of a portion (2) relative to an advancement direction of the portions (2).

4. The packer machine (6) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second feeding device (12) is configured to arrange, in the wrapping duct (14), each object (3) in contact with a tail of a portion (2) relative to the advancement direction of the portions (2).

5. The packer machine (6) according to one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein the second feeding device (12) comprises a feeding drum (19), which is provided with at least one peripheral seat (21) designed to contain an object (3) and is rotatably mounted about a rotation axis (20) in order to cyclically move the seat (21) between an input station (S4), in which an object (3) enters the seat (21), and an output station (S5), in which an object (3) leaves the seat (21) towards the wrapping duct (14).

6. The packer machine (6) according to claim 5, wherein the feeding drum (19) rotates about the rotation axis (20) with an intermittent law of motion, which involves having each seat (21) cover an arc of a circle having a length (D) that is equal to a distance (D) existing between two successive portions (2) which are located in the wrapping duct (14).

7. The packer machine (6) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the feeding drum (19) comprises at least two seats (21), which are spaced apart from one another by an arc of a circle having a length (D) that is equal to a distance (D) existing between two successive portions (2) which are located in the wrapping duct (14).

8. The packer machine (6) according to one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the second feeding device (12) comprises a feeding duct (22), which leads into the wrapping duct (14) and is travelled by the objects (3) to enter the wrapping duct (14).

9. The packer machine (6) according to claim 8, wherein the feeding duct (22) forms an acute angle with the wrapping duct (14).

10. The packer machine (6) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the second feeding device (12) comprises a blowing device (24), which is configured to emit a compressed air blast, which pushes an object (3) along the feeding duct (22) and towards the wrapping duct (14).

11. The packer machine (6) according to claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein: the second feeding device (12) comprises a feeding drum (19), which is provided with at least one seat (21) designed to contain an object (3) and is rotatably mounted about a rotation axis (20) in order to cyclically move the seat (21) between an input station (S4), in which an object (3) enters the seat (21), and an output station (S5), in which an object (3) leaves the seat (21) towards the wrapping duct (14); and the feeding duct (22) originates at the output station (S5).

12. The packer machine (6) according to claim 11, wherein the second feeding device (12) comprises a blowing device (24), which is arranged at the output station (S5) and is configured to emit a compressed air blast, which extracts an object (3) from a seat (21) of the feeding drum (19) and pushes the object (3) along the feeding duct (22) and towards the wrapping duct (14).

13. A wrapping method for the production of pouches (1), each containing a portion (2) of a loose product and an object (3); the wrapping method comprises the steps of: advancing a wrapping material band (8) along a packing path (P) by means of a conveyor device (7); wrapping the wrapping material band (8) to form a tubular wrap around a wrapping duct (14) and in a wrapping station (S1) arranged along the packing path (P); feeding, by means of a first feeding device (11), the portions (2) into the wrapping duct (14) such that each portion (2) is separate from a prior portion (2) and from a following portion (2) by a corresponding gap (18); feeding, by means of a second feeding device (12), the objects (3) into the wrapping duct (14); longitudinally sealing, by means of a longitudinal sealing unit (9), the tubular wrap at an overlapping zone of the wrapping material band (8); and transversely sealing, by means of a transverse sealing unit (10), the tubular wrap so as to form an alternating succession of sealing zones and zones containing a portion (2) of loose product and an object (3); the wrapping method is characterized in that, in the wrapping duct (14), each object (3) is arranged between two adjacent portions (2).