Method and apparatus for feeding a group of products of the cigarette industry as pack contents to a blank for a pack for products of the cigarette industry

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus and to a method for feeding a group of products of the cigarette industry as pack contents (19) to a blank (20) for a pack (10) for products of the cigarette industry, wherein the blank (20) for the pack (10) is kept ready preferably partially folded, for receiving the pack contents (19), and the pack contents (19), together with at least one other (separate) article, in particular a print substrate (14) and / or a further component, in particular a blank (27), for the pack (10) is fed to the blank (20) for the pack (10) by means of a preferably common slider (31). According to the invention, the slider (31) has at least one means for applying a negative pressure to the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other article, and the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other article is / are held in place on the slider (31) by means of negative pressure while being fed to the blank (20) for the pack (10).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for feeding a group of cigarette industry products as packaging contents to a blank for a packaging for cigarette industry products, wherein the blank for the packaging is preferably held partially folded to receive the packaging contents and the packaging contents together with at least one other (separate) item, in particular a printing carrier and / or a further component, in particular a blank, for the packaging is fed to the blank for the packaging by means of a preferably common slide according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding device according to the preamble of claim 9.

[0003] The method and apparatus of the aforementioned type are known, for example, from EP 3 476 752 of the applicant. This document shows how the contents of a package, together with a coupon and a collar, are inserted into a pocket of a folding revolver or into a package blank located in the pocket by means of a slider. The three components initially lie separately in their respective receptacles and are fed together into the blank by the slider, thereby also being brought together.

[0004] Documents DE 10 2018 127739 A1 and DE 10 2017 001921 A1 show further relevant methods and devices from the prior art.

[0005] In practice, it has been observed that with this type of feeding, the coupon sometimes does not end up in the intended position or in the correct relative position to the other components in the pocket. In particular, it has been shown that the coupon is fed too far back into the pocket, hits an end wall of the pocket, and is subsequently bent into an L-shape.

[0006] Based on this, the invention aims to further develop devices and methods of the type mentioned above, particularly with regard to improved positioning of the supplied components in the pocket or the blank located there.

[0007] A method for solving this problem has the features of claim 1. It is therefore provided that the slide has at least one means for exerting a vacuum on the package contents and / or the at least one other object, and that the package contents and / or the at least one other object are held on the slide by means of a vacuum when being fed to the blank for the package.

[0008] In other words, it is intended that the package contents and / or at least one other item will be fixed by means of negative pressure when inserted into the slider until the intended position is reached and the negative pressure can be switched off.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, at least or only one pressure carrier is held against the slide by means of negative pressure during feeding to the blank for the packaging. Alternatively, the object can be a blank for a packaging component, such as a collar, or another object.

[0010] Preferably, it can be provided that the package contents and at least one other item do not (directly) touch each other when being fed to the cutting area for the package.

[0011] Furthermore, it may be provided that the package contents and / or at least one other item are guided in separate transport lanes when being fed to the cutting area for the package.

[0012] Furthermore, it may be provided that the package contents and / or at least one other item are no longer held by negative pressure on the slide for transfer to the packaging blank. In particular, this may be provided after the package contents and / or at least one other item have reached a designated position relative to the packaging blank, or relative to a pocket of a folding revolver holding the packaging blank, or relative to another item or component.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, it can be provided that the slide for feeding the package contents and / or the at least one other item for the blank for the package is / are moved in a first transport direction and, after the transfer of the package contents and / or the at least one other item to the blank for the package, is / are moved back in the opposite direction, in particular in combination with raising or lowering the slide, and that the application of negative pressure to the package contents and / or the at least one other item is terminated (briefly) before or when the slide is moved back in the opposite direction.

[0014] Preferably, it can be provided that the package contents and / or at least one other item are held in a form-fitting manner on the slide during feeding to the blank for the package.

[0015] A special feature may be that the package contents and / or at least one other item are preferably briefly pressurized with compressed air (shortly) before or at the same time as the application of negative pressure is terminated, so that the package contents and / or at least one other item detach from the slide.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, it can be provided that the package contents and / or at least one other item are assembled in the area of ​​a stage and from there pushed through the slide into the blank for the package, wherein the blank for the package is partially folded and held ready in a pocket of a folding revolver or a similar receptacle adjacent to the stage.

[0017] Furthermore, it may be provided that the package contents, after being fed to the blank held in the pocket for the package, are held in the pocket by a holding device, while the other item is held on the slide by means of negative pressure.

[0018] A device according to the invention has the features of claim 9. It is therefore provided that the slide has at least one means for exerting a vacuum on the package contents and / or the at least one other object, and that the device is configured to hold the package contents and / or the at least one other object against the slide by means of a vacuum when fed to the blank for the package.

[0019] In terms of design, it can be provided that the slide has at least one suction bore which opens in the area of ​​a contact surface for the package contents and / or the at least one other object, and through which the package contents and / or the at least one other object can be subjected to a vacuum.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the slide may have two (spaced apart from each other) preferably nose-like projections against which the package contents and / or at least one other object rests, and into which a suction bore opens. This ensures that the package contents and / or the at least one other object do not twist.

[0021] Alternatively, other solutions can of course be provided, such as an elongated suction bore or the like.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, it can be provided that the package contents and / or the at least one other item are guided in separate transport paths, so that the package contents and the at least one other item do not touch each other.

[0023] Furthermore, it may be provided that at least along the transport path for the item, guide surfaces are provided against which the item rests during feeding to the blank for the packaging, wherein the guide surfaces have at least partially and / or sectionally a surface or condition with an increased coefficient of friction, in particular a textile covering, for example a velour-like covering.

[0024] Furthermore, the device may be designed to assemble the package contents and / or at least one other item in the area of ​​a stage and from there push them through the slide into the blank for the package, the blank for the package being held partially folded in a pocket of a folding revolver or similar receptacle adjacent to the stage.

[0025] Furthermore, the device may be provided with a holding means to keep the package contents in the pocket or the blank held there, while the other item is held on the slide by means of negative pressure.

[0026] Furthermore, it may be provided that the holding means is designed to hold the package contents in the pocket in the area of ​​at least one side surface, preferably in a form-fitting manner, particularly in the area of ​​an exposed end face, while the other item is held on the slide by means of negative pressure in the area of ​​the top of the package contents.

[0027] Furthermore, it can be provided that the retaining means and the slide are designed to interlock in a comb-like manner, with the nose-like projections of the slide in particular entering corresponding recesses in the retaining means.

[0028] A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the drawing. The drawing shows: Fig. 1 A package for cigarette industry products with the lid open, shown in a schematic three-dimensional representation; Fig. 2 A schematic representation of the feeding of the package contents together with other items into a blank for a package; Fig. 3 A top view of the package corresponding to arrow III in Fig. 2 , Fig. 4 a vertical section through the device along section line II - II in Fig. 3 , Fig. 5 a detail of the device in area V in Fig. 4 In enlarged view, Fig. 6 shows a vertical section through the device along section line VI - VI. Fig. 4 , Fig. 7 a horizontal section through a part of the device in the area of ​​a pocket of a folding revolver according to section line VII - VII in Fig. 9 , and Figs. 8 and 9 show a vertical section through the device along section line IX-IX in Fig. 7 in successive phases.

[0029] The invention is described below with reference to a pack 10 of cigarettes 11. It is understood that the invention is also suitable for other products of the cigarette industry.

[0030] For the purposes of this application, products of the cigarette industry include tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigarillos and the like, but also novel tobacco products, such as heat-not-burn products or liquid carriers for e-cigarettes.

[0031] In this exemplary embodiment, the package 10 shown is a hinge-lid type package 10 with a conventional design. Of importance for the present invention are a collar 12 that protrudes from the open top of the box part 13, and a printing carrier 14 in the form of a coupon.

[0032] The collar 12 has a collar front wall 15 and collar side walls 16 arranged laterally on the collar front wall 15. The collar 12 rests against the inside of the box part with its collar front wall 15 and both collar side walls 16, namely against a corresponding box part front wall 17 and adjacent box part side walls 18.

[0033] The printing carrier 14 or coupon is arranged between the collar 12 or its collar front wall 15 and the package contents 19.

[0034] The package contents 19 in this case are a cuboid-shaped group of products, in this exemplary embodiment cigarettes 11. The group of products is wrapped in a blank of packaging material.

[0035] Furthermore, the package 10 has no special features and corresponds to the known state of the art.

[0036] Fig. 2Figure 1 shows the feeding of the package contents 19, the printing carrier 14, and the collar 12 into a blank 20 for the package 10, which is partially folded and held in a pocket 21 of a folding revolver 22. The method is essentially known from the applicant's EP 3 476 752, mentioned above; therefore, only the essential aspects are described below. For a complete disclosure, including details, reference is made to the applicant's EP 3 476 752.

[0037] The components to be inserted into the blank 20 (package contents 19, pressure carrier 14, and collar 12) are provided in a known manner in the area of ​​a reciprocating (double arrow 32) platform 23. For this purpose, the package contents 19, with its partially folded wrapping, is fed from a conveyor track of the platform 23 by a slide or carrier 24. A pressure carrier 14 is taken from a magazine 25 and fed above the package contents 19. A blank 27 for the collar 12 is fed unfolded transversely and fed above the pressure carrier 14 and the package contents 19. Along the platform 23, the package contents 19, pressure carrier 14, and collar 12 are moved in the transport direction by a first slide 26.

[0038] Fig. 6This shows that the package contents 19, the pressure carrier 14, and the collar 12 are guided or stored one above the other on separate transport tracks 28, 29, 30 of the platform 23 and thus (initially) do not touch each other. When the components are fed to the blank 20, the package contents 19, the pressure carrier 14, and the collar 12 are pushed by a second slide 31 along the transport tracks 28, 29, 30 into the pocket 21 or the blank 20 held there.

[0039] The second slide 31 has a special design, namely means for applying a vacuum to one of the components. In this case, the slide 31 has suction bores 33 which are connected to a vacuum source via lines 34. In this way, it is possible to selectively apply a vacuum to the corresponding component via the suction bores 33 (which can be switched on and off) and hold it against the slide 31.

[0040] In the illustrated embodiment, the component held on the slide 31 by means of negative pressure is the pressure carrier 14 or coupon. It is conceivable, of course, that alternatively the package contents 19 or the collar 12 could be held on the slide 31. It is also conceivable that not just one component, but several components, and in particular all components, could be held on the slide 31. Furthermore, it is conceivable that not only the aforementioned components, but (also or instead) other objects could be held on the slide 31, which are to be placed in the blank 20 in this way.

[0041] The negative pressure on the component(s) is maintained until the component(s) reach the pocket 21 or the blank 20. This ensures that the component(s) are transferred in the correct relative position to the pocket 21 or the blank 20 and / or to each other. In particular, this prevents the pressure carrier 14 from sliding further into the pocket 21 or the blank 20 and buckling when the slide 31 is decelerated, as described above. For this purpose, the transport track 29 or its guide surfaces can, at least partially and / or sectionally, have a surface or material with an increased coefficient of friction, in particular a textile covering, for example, a velour-like covering 39. This allows the pressure carrier 14 to be decelerated to at least counteract any slippage.

[0042] The vacuum can be deactivated once the components have reached their intended position in pocket 21 or blank 20. It is also conceivable to deactivate the vacuum shortly beforehand. In both cases, the vacuum is applied before the slide 31 is moved back. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the component(s) are / are subjected to a (short) burst of compressed air via the suction holes 33 to assist in detaching from the slide 31.

[0043] In this case, the slide 31 has two suction bores 33 that open into a contact surface for the pressure carrier 14. Specifically, the slide 31 has two spaced-apart, nose-like projections 35, each with a suction bore 33 opening, against which the pressure carrier 14 rests and is held on its underside. The slide 31 also has contact surfaces 36, 37 for the blank 27 and the package contents 19.

[0044] Fig. 5 This shows that the projections 35 upstream of the openings of the suction bores 33 have a stop 38 against which the pressure carrier 14 rests on its rear side. In this way, the pressure carrier 14 is held in a form-fitting manner. In addition, a downstream front face of the stops 38 is slightly chamfered, so that when the pressure carrier rests against the stops 38, it is curved towards the openings of the suction bores 33 and held securely.

[0045] In the illustrated embodiment, the contact surface 36 for the collar 12 is also formed by two nose-like projections. These can also have the suction bores 33 already described, if required.

[0046] Another special feature is a retaining element 40 associated with the bag 21. This claw-like organ is arranged in the area of ​​the bag so as to be rotatable or pivotable via a drive shaft 44 and serves to fold an upstream folding flap of the wrapping of the group of products and to hold it in the folded position ( Figs. 8 and 9 Specifically, this concerns a folding flap that is folded downwards into the front edge of the package contents 19. The opposite folding flap is secured by a Fig. 4 The shown lower section 43 is folded.

[0047] In order to avoid colliding with the slide 31, the retaining element 40 has slot-like recesses 41, so that the retaining element 40 and the slide 31 or its projections 35 can interlock like a comb.

[0048] Furthermore, in particular, they show Fig. 4 and 6Folding tools 42 for the collar 12 or its collar side walls 16, which slide along the folding tools 42 and are folded by 90° when the components are inserted into the pocket 21 or the blank 20.

[0049] When the components are inserted into the pocket 21 or the blank 20, the components are also pushed out of the transport lanes 28, 29, 30 and brought together.

[0050] The device, described in its essential parts so far, operates as follows: Stage 23 takes the package contents 19 from the conveyor track. The wrapper is still open towards the filter side of the cigarettes 11. After the narrow sides of the wrapper are closed at the top of the package, the package contents 19 are transferred by the slide 26 into the front area of ​​stage 23. The collar 12 has already been transferred onto stage 23 from the side. The package contents 19, the printing plate 14, and the collar 12 now lie one above the other in their respective receptacles 28, 29, and 30 in stage 23. The second rotary slide 31 has two "slide lugs" or projections 35 for the collar 12 and two for the pressure carrier 14. The projections 35 for the pressure carrier 14 have suction bores 33. As soon as the slide 31 moves onto the pressure carrier 14, the vacuum is switched on and the pressure carrier 14 is fixed to the slide 31 by the negative pressure.When the slide 31 transfers the package contents 19, the pressure carrier 14, and the collar 12 into the blank 20 located in the folding turret 21, it performs a decelerated movement (negative acceleration) towards the end of its travel. However, the pressure carrier 14 can no longer detach from the slide 31 because it is held in place by the suction force. Once the three packaging components have been inserted into the blank 20, the suction is switched off, and the pressure carrier 14 detaches from the slide 31. Reference symbol list: 10 pack 42 Folding tool 11 cigarette 43 Underleaf butterfly 12 collar 44 drive shaft 13 Box part 14 printing medium 15 Collar front wall 16 Collar sidewall 17 Box part front wall 18 Box part side wall 19 Package contents 20 Cut to size (package) 21 Bag 22 Folding revolver 23 stage 24 drive 25 magazine 26 Slider 27 Cut (collar) 28 Transport path (package contents) 29 Transport track (pressure carrier) 30 Transport track (collar) 31 Slider 32 Double arrow 33 Suction bore (valve) 34 Line 35 projection 36 Attachment area (collar) 37 Installation area (package contents) 38 stop 39 Topping 40 Holding device 41 in-depth

Claims

1. Method for feeding a group of products of the cigarette industry as pack contents (19) to a blank (20) for a pack (10) for products of the cigarette industry, wherein the blank (20) for the pack (10) for receiving the pack contents (19) is kept ready preferably in a partially folded form, and the pack contents (19) together with at least one other and preferably separate object, in particular a printing carrier (14) and / or a further component, in particular a blank (27), for the pack (10), are fed to the blank (20) for the pack (10) by means of a preferably common slide (31), characterized in that the slide (31) has at least one means for applying a negative pressure to the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object, and in that the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object are / is held on the slide (31) by means of negative pressure while being fed to the blank (20) for the pack (10).

2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that at least or only one printing carrier (14) is held on the slide (31) by means of negative pressure during feeding to the blank (20) for the pack (10).

3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, while being fed to the blank (20) for the pack (10), the pack contents (19) and the at least one other object preferably do not bear directly on each other, wherein provision is preferably made that, while being fed to the blank (20) for the pack (10), the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object are guided in mutually separate transport tracks (28, 29, 30).

4. Method according to Claim 1 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object for transfer to the blank (20) for the pack (10) are / is no longer held on the slide (31) by means of negative pressure in particular after the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object have reached a predetermined position relative to the blank (20) for the pack (10) or relative to a pocket (21) of a folding turret (22) in which the blank (20) for the pack (10) is held ready.

5. Method according to Claim 1 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the slide (31) for feeding the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object to the blank (20) for the pack (10) are / is moved in a first transport direction and, after the transfer of the pack contents (19) and / or of the at least one other object to the blank (20) for the pack (10), are / is moved back in the opposite direction, in particular in combination with a lifting or lowering of the slide (31), and in that the application of negative pressure to the pack contents (19) and / or to the at least one other object is terminated, preferably shortly before or when the slide (31) is moved back in the opposite direction.

6. Method according to Claim 1 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object are / is held on the slide (31) in a form-fitting manner while being fed to the blank (20) for the pack (10).

7. Method according to Claim 1 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object are / is subjected, preferably briefly, to compressed air, preferably shortly before the termination of the application of negative pressure or at the same time as the termination of the application of negative pressure, such that the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object detach / detaches from the slide (31).

8. Method according to Claim 1 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object are brought together in the region of a platform (23) and pushed from there by the slide (31) into the blank (20) for the pack (10), wherein the blank (20) for the pack (10) is held ready in a partially folded form in a pocket (21) of a folding turret (22) or a similar receptacle adjacent to the platform (23), wherein provision is preferably made that the pack contents (19), after being fed to the blank (20) for the pack (10) held ready in the pocket (21), are held in the pocket (21) by a holding means (40), while the other object is held on the slide (31) by means of negative pressure.

9. Apparatus for feeding a group of products of the cigarette industry as pack contents (19) to a blank (20) for a pack (10) for products of the cigarette industry, wherein the blank (20) for the pack (10) for receiving the pack contents (19) is kept ready preferably in a partially folded form, in particular in a pocket (21) of a folding turret (22), and wherein the apparatus is configured to feed the pack contents (19) together with at least one other and preferably separate object, in particular a printing carrier (14) and / or a further component, in particular a blank (27) for the pack (10), to the blank (20) for the pack (10) by means of a preferably common slide (31), characterized in that the slide (31) has at least one means for applying a negative pressure to the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object, and in that the apparatus is configured to hold the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object on the slide (31) by means of negative pressure as they are fed to the blank (20) for the pack (10).

10. Apparatus according to Claim 9, characterized in that the slide (31) has at least one suction bore (33) which opens in the region of a contact face for the pack contents (19) and / or for the at least one other object, and via which the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object can be subjected to a negative pressure.

11. Apparatus according to Claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the slide (31) has two preferably nose-like projections (35) on which the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object bears and into each of which a suction bore (33) opens.

12. Apparatus according to Claim 9 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object are guided in mutually separate transport tracks (28, 29, 30), such that the pack contents (19) and the at least one other object do not bear on each other, wherein provision is preferably made that, at least along the transport tracks (29) for the object, guide faces are provided on which the object bears while being fed to the blank (20) for the pack (10), wherein the guide faces at least partially and / or in sections have a surface or condition with an increased coefficient of friction, in particular a textile covering, for example a velour-like covering (39).

13. Apparatus according to Claim 9 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the apparatus is configured to bring together the pack contents (19) and / or the at least one other object in the region of a platform (23) and from there push them by the slide (31) into the blank (20) for the pack (10), wherein the blank (20) for the pack (10) is held ready in a partially folded form in a pocket (21) of a folding turret (22) or a similar receptacle adjacent the platform (23).

14. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the apparatus has a holding means (40) for holding the pack contents (19) in the pocket (21) or in the blank (20) held ready there, wherein the other object is held on the slide (31) by means of negative pressure.

15. Apparatus according to Claim 14, characterized in that the holding means (40) is configured to hold the pack contents (19) in the pocket (21) preferably with a form fit in the region of at least one side surface, in particular in the region of an exposed end side, while the other object in the region of the top of the pack contents (19) is held on the slide (31) by means of negative pressure, wherein provision is preferably made that the holding means (40) and slide (31) are designed to interlock like a comb, wherein in particular the nose-like projections (35) of the slide (31) engage in corresponding depressions in the holding means (40).

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