Manufacturing machine and manufacturing method for the production of pouches, each containing a quantity of a loose product

Abstract

A manufacturing machine (6) and a manufacturing method for the production of pouches (1), preferably snus pouches (1), each containing a quantity (2) of a loose product. The following are provided: two forming conveyors (7), which have respective pockets (10), which reproduce in negative part of a shape of the pouch (1); two feeding units (11) are configured to feed two wrapping material bands (12) which wrap around the forming conveyors (7); and a further feeding unit (14) configured to feed a quantity (2) of loose product into the pocket (10) of a forming conveyor (7), with the interposition of a wrapping material band (12). The further feeding unit (14) has: a container (15) designed to receive and contain an amount of loose product; a transfer device (25), which is configured to retrieve at least a quantity (2) of loose product from the container (15) and to transfer the quantity (2) of loose product into the pocket (10) of the forming conveyor (7), and a scraper device (33), which is configured to eliminate an excess of loose product from the quantity (2) of loose product carried by the transfer device (25).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102024000020005 filed on September 9, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to a manufacturing machine and to a manufacturing method for the production of pouches, each containing a quantity of a loose product.

[0003] The present invention is advantageously applied to the production of snus pouches (namely permeable small bags, each containing a prepacked quantity of a nicotine-based loose and moist product for oral use), to which the following discussion will explicitly refer, without thereby losing generality.PRIOR ART

[0004] Currently, snus pouches are produced with an FFS ("Form, Fill & Seat") production process and thus have a rectangular shape and each have a longitudinal seal and a pair of transverse seals.

[0005] A known manufacturing machine (for example, as is described in patent application WO2008114128A2) for the production of snus pouches is of FFS type and comprises: a conveying device for conveying a wrapping material band along a manufacturing path; a wrapping station arranged along the manufacturing path and in which the wrapping material band is wrapped so as to form a tubular wrap having a longitudinal development around a wrapping duct; a longitudinal sealing unit for longitudinally sealing the tubular wrap in the area of an overlapping area of the wrapping material band; a feeding device of the loose product for feeding in sequence the quantities of loose product into the tubular wrap; a transverse sealing unit for transversely sealing the tubular wrap so as to form an alternated sequence of sealing areas and areas containing a quantity of loose product; and a cutting unit for transversely cutting the tubular wrap in the area of the sealing areas so as to separate the single snus pouches.

[0006] Patent application EP3811788A1 describes a production line for producing pouches containing a nicotine-based product; the production line comprises a feeding unit, a deformation unit, a dosing unit, a sealing unit, and a cutting unit.

[0007] Patent application EP1705122A1 describes a plant for the continuous production of coffee capsules.

[0008] Patent US6135120A describes a device for packaging finely shredded and moistened tobacco in single-dose packages.

[0009] Patent application US2015336691A1 describes a machine for forming pouches with multiple compartments containing a soluble product.DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing machine and a manufacturing method for the production of pouches, each containing a quantity of a loose product, said manufacturing machine and manufacturing method allowing feeding the quantities of loose product at a high operating speed (measured as number of quantities of loose product fed in the time unit) and allowing making quantities of loose product which are uniform (namely each containing the same desired amount of loose product).

[0011] A further object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing machine and a manufacturing method for the production of pouches, each containing a quantity of a loose product, said manufacturing machine and manufacturing method allowing making, in a simple manner, quantities of loose product having a different shape and / or density and / or weight.

[0012] In accordance with the present invention, a manufacturing machine and a manufacturing method for the production of pouches, each containing a quantity of a loose product are provided, according to what is claimed in the appended claims.

[0013] The claims describe preferred embodiments of the present invention forming integral part of the present description.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting example embodiment thereof, wherein: Figures 1, 2 and 3 are a perspective view, a side view and a plan view, respectively, of a snus pouch; Figure 4 is an exploded side view of the snus pouch of Figures 1, 2 and 3; Figure 5 is a schematic front view of a manufacturing machine which makes the snus pouches of the type of that of Figures 1, 2 and 3; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a forming drum of the manufacturing machine of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a feeding unit of the manufacturing machine of Figure 5; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a transfer device and of the corresponding actuator assembly of the feeding unit of Figure 7; Figure 9 is a perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of the transfer device Figure 7; Figure 10 is a perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of the feeding unit of Figure 7 with the transfer device and a scraper device highlighted; Figure 11 is a further perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of the feeding unit of Figure 7 with the scraper device highlighted; and Figure 12 is a perspective view of part of the scraper device. PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0015] In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 indicates, as a whole, a snus pouch which contains a quantity 2 of snus therein (illustrated in Figure 4), namely, of a nicotine-based loose and moist product for oral use. A loose product is a product that does not have a defined shape, namely a product without its own shape and which thus adapts to the shape of the container containing it. A loose product can be liquid or gelatinous or granular. In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, the snus is a loose product (i.e. without a defined shape) of granular type, for example, tobacco and / or nicotine.

[0016] In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, the snus pouch 1 has in plan a circular shape, but according to other embodiments the snus pouch 1 could have in plan different and more or less regular shapes, for example a star shape, a triangular shape, a heart shape, a polygonal shape.

[0017] According to what is illustrated in Figure 4, the snus pouch 1 comprises two cup-shaped elements 3 which are overlapped so as to delimit between them a closed volume in which the quantity 2 of snus is housed; each element 3 has a flat edge 4 which runs all the way round the element 3 so that the two flat edges 4 of the two elements 3 overlap and are joined by a seal 5 which is closed on itself (namely has an annular shape without head or tail). In other words, the pouch has one sole annular seal 5 (closed on itself without head or tail) which connects the two elements 3 to each other. It is understood that not necessarily both two elements 3 are cup-shaped; for example, one of them could be cup-shaped and the other one could be flat.

[0018] In Figure 5, reference numeral 6 indicates, as a whole, a manufacturing machine which produces the snus pouches 1.

[0019] The manufacturing machine 6 comprises a frame which rests on a floor and has a vertical base wall (the "front" wall of the manufacturing machine 6 and coinciding with the plane in Figure 5) on which all the operating components concurring to the production of the snus pouches 1 are mounted.

[0020] The manufacturing machine 6 comprises a first forming conveyor 7, which has at least one pocket 10, which reproduces in negative part of a shape of the pouch 1, and a second forming conveyor 7, which is coupled to the first forming conveyor 7 so as to define a joining area (9) comprised between the two forming conveyors 7.

[0021] In accordance with the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, the two forming conveyors 7 are two forming drums 7 (substantially identical to each other) which are mounted so as to rotate with a law of intermittent motion (namely, a law of motion which cyclically alternates motion phases and stop phases) around respective rotation axes 8 which are horizontal and parallel to each other (and perpendicular to the plane in Figure 5). The two forming drums 7 are cooperating (coupled) with each other. In particular, the two forming drums 7 are arranged one above the other so as to define between them the joining area 9 comprised between the two forming drums 7; namely the two forming drums 7 are arranged vertically aligned at different heights so that one forming drum 7 is on top and the other forming drum 7 is underneath.

[0022] Each forming conveyor 7 (in particular forming drum 7) has a plurality of pockets 10 (illustrated in Figure 6), each of which reproduces in negative part of a shape of the snus pouch 1; in particular, each pocket 10 reproduces in negative the shape of one of the two cup-shaped elements 3, which together constitute the snus pouch 1. Namely each pocket 10 (or seat 10) is a recess which is hollowed on the outer surface of the respective forming conveyor 7 and reproduces in negative the shape of one of the two cup-shaped elements 3, which together constitute the snus pouch 1. In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, each forming conveyor 7 has more groups (in particular eight groups) of pockets 10, each having a series of pockets 10 (in particular eight pockets 10) arranged side by side and aligned parallel to the rotation axis 8. In this manner, in the joining area 9 defined between the two forming conveyors 7, at every working cycle, a series of snus pouches 1 (in particular eight snus pouches 1) are formed equal to the number of pockets 10 of each group. According to other embodiments not illustrated, the number of groups of pockets 10 of each forming conveyor 7 and / or the number of pockets 10 of each group could be different.

[0023] Each pocket 10 of a forming conveyor 7 always cooperates with a same corresponding pocket 10 of the other forming drum 7 and, in the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, each pocket 10 reproduces in negative a shape of a corresponding half (namely of a cup-shaped element 3) of the snus pouch 1 so that two pockets 10 together reproduce in negative the shape of the snus pouch 1.

[0024] According to what is illustrated in Figure 5, the manufacturing machine 6 comprises two feeding units 11 (substantially identical to each other), each of which is configured to feed, in a respective feeding station S1 arranged upstream of the joining area 9 with respect to a movement of the forming conveyors 7 (in particular with respect to the direction of rotation of the respective forming drum 7), a respective wrapping material band 12 which wraps itself around part of the periphery of the respective forming drum 7. In this manner, in the joining area 9, the two forming conveyors 7 convey the two wrapping material bands 12 towards each other so that the two wrapping material bands 12 overlap and by joining form the snus pouches 1.

[0025] The manufacturing machine 6 comprises two insertion devices 13 (substantially identical to each other), each of which is coupled to a respective forming conveyor 7 between the respective feeding station S1 and the joining area 9 and is configured to push the respective wrapping material band 12 into the pockets 10 of a same group of pockets 10 of the respective forming conveyor 7. Namely, each insertion device 13 locally deforms the respective wrapping material band 12 so as to insert the wrapping material band 12 into the pockets 10 of a same group of pockets 10 of the respective forming conveyor 7 so that the wrapping material band 12 covers the pockets 10; in this manner, in each pocket 10, the wrapping material band 12 assumes the shape of a cup-shaped element 3, namely the shape of a half snus pouch 1.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment, each pocket 10 is a sucking pocket, namely is provided with a series of micro-holes that are connected to a suction source, so as to hold, therein, the respective wrapping material band 12 after the respective insertion device 13 has pushed the wrapping material band 12 into the pocket 10. Generally, the suction of each pocket 10 is maintained from the area of the insertion devices 13 (for favouring the insertion of the wrapping material bands 12 in the respective pockets 10 helping the action of the insertion devices 13) up to the joining area 9 (in which the wrapping material bands 12 are overlapped and joined) and is interrupted in the area of the joining area 9 (for favouring the subsequent separation from the respective pockets 10 of the overlapped wrapping material bands 12).

[0027] The manufacturing machine 6 comprises one single feeding unit 14 (schematically illustrated in Figure 5) configured to feed, in a feeding station S2 arranged between the respective insertion device 13 and the joining area 9, a plurality of quantities 2 of snus (namely, of loose product) into the pockets 10 of a group of pockets 10 of the respective forming conveyor 7 covered by the respective band 12 of wrapping material (i.e., with the interposition of the respective band 12 of wrapping material). Namely, one single feeding unit 14 is provided coupled to only one of the two forming conveyors 7 so as to feed into the pockets 10 of the respective forming conveyor 7 the quantities 2 of snus (which are held inside the pockets 10 by the sucking action of the pockets 10).

[0028] The suction of each pocket 10 which receives, in the feeding station S2, the respective quantity 2 of snus contributes to maintaining the quantity 2 of snus inside the pocket 10 and in contact with the respective wrapping material band 12 ; namely, the wrapping material bands 12 are porous (breathable) and thus "transmit" the suction generated by each pocket 10 also to the corresponding quantity 2 of snus and in this manner the suction of the pocket 10 contributes to maintaining the quantity 2 of snus inside the pocket 10 and in contact with the respective wrapping material band 12 . Also for such reason (namely for maintaining the quantities 2 of snus in the respective pockets 10), the suction of each pocket 10 is maintained from the area of the insertion devices 13 up to the joining area 9.

[0029] According to what is illustrated in Figure 7, the feeding unit 14 comprises a container 15 designed to receive and contain an amount of loose product.

[0030] In accordance with Figure 7, the container 15 is shaped like a tank with a cylindrical shape, which is arranged horizontally and is carried by a frame 16 (schematically illustrated in Figure 5) which preferably rests on the ground. The container 15 is provided with a lid 17, which closes the container 15 at the top and has a loading opening 18, through which the snus (namely the loose product) can be fed inside the container 15 and an unloading opening 19, through which it is possible to retrieve the quantities 2 of snus from the inside of the container 15. The feeding unit 14 comprises a vertical feeding duct 20, which is configured to feed inside the container 15 a flow of snus (namely of loose product) and is arranged through the loading opening 18 of the lid 17. It is understood that the container 15 could have a different shape with respect to what is illustrated in Figure 7.

[0031] According to what is illustrated in Figure 7, the feeding unit 14 comprises a disc 21, which is arranged horizontally inside the container 15 (namely the container 15 contains the disc 21), is mounted so as to rotate, in a stepped manner, around the vertical rotation axis 22, and delimits four compartments 23, which are uniformly distributed around the rotation axis 22; each compartment 23 has a rectangular shape, is open at the top and is designed to receive and contain an amount of loose product (material). In use, the vertical feeding duct 20 feeds inside the container 15 a flow of snus (namely of loose product) which forms a bed of snus (namely of loose product) inside each compartment 23. In particular, the disc 21 has, for each compartment 23, a respective through hole that laterally delimits the compartment 23 and a respective base wall that delimits the compartment 23 at the bottom; the base walls could be movable so as to adjust the depth (therefore the volume) of the compartments 23.

[0032] The feeding unit 1 comprises a control unit 24 (schematically illustrated in Figure 7) which supervises the operation of the feeding unit 14.

[0033] According to what is illustrated in Figure 7, the feeding unit 14 comprises a transfer device 25, which is configured to retrieve at least one quantity 2 of loose product from the container 15 and transfer the quantity 2 of loose product into the pocket 10 of a forming conveyor 7.

[0034] In particular, the transfer device 25 is configured to retrieve from a compartment 23, which is located in the area of the unloading opening 19 of the container 15, a plurality of (in particular eight) quantities 2 of snus (namely of loose product) and then give the (eight) quantities 2 of snus (namely of loose product) to respective pockets 10 of a forming conveyor 7 (forming drum 7) in the feeding station S2.

[0035] According to what is illustrated in Figure 7, the transfer device 25 comprises a retrieving head 26 provided with eight pockets 27 (illustrated in Figures 8 and 9) which are arranged aligned with respect to one another and each of which is open at the bottom and is formed so as to contain a quantity 2 of snus (namely of loose product) therein. Furthermore, according to what is illustrated in Figure 7, the transfer device 25 comprises an actuator assembly 28 (illustrated in Figure 8) configured to cyclically move the retrieving head 26 between a retrieving station S3 (arranged in the area of the unloading opening 19 of the lid 17 of the tank 15), in which the retrieving head 26 is arranged above a compartment 23 and the pockets 27 are arranged inside the compartment 23 in order to retrieve respective quantities 2 of snus (namely of loose product), and the feeding station S2, in which each pocket 27 of the retrieving head 26 is coupled to a corresponding pocket 10 of a forming conveyor 7 in order to transfer the quantity 2 of snus (namely of loose product) to the pocket 10 of the forming conveyor 7.

[0036] In Figure 7, the retrieving head 26 arranged in the feeding station S2 is illustrated by a solid line and the retrieving head 26 arranged in the retrieving station S3 is illustrated by a dashed line.

[0037] According to what is illustrated in Figure 8, the actuator assembly 28 is configured to rotate the retrieving head 26 around a rotation axis 29 transverse to the rotation axis 22 of the disc 21 and parallel to the rotation axes 8 of the forming drums 7 and to translate the retrieving head 26 along a translation direction D perpendicular to the rotation axis 29.

[0038] According to what is better illustrated in Figure 9, each pocket 27 of the retrieving head 26 comprises a side wall 30, which is closed so as to form a ring and delimits the outer perimeter of the pocket 27, and a bottom wall 31, which is arranged inside the side wall 30. Preferably, the bottom wall 31 of each pocket 27 of the retrieving head 26 is a sucking wall, namely capable of exerting a suction which holds the snus (i.e. the loose product) in contact with the bottom wall 31; in other words, the bottom wall 31 of each pocket 27 of the retrieving head 26 is provided with a plurality of through micro-holes having a diameter that is smaller than a minimum dimension of the particles of loose product and connectable to an outer suction source.

[0039] According to a preferred embodiment, each side wall 30 is mounted on the retrieving head 26 so as to move with respect to the corresponding bottom wall 31 (namely, with respect to a frame of the retrieving head 26, which is integral with the corresponding bottom wall 31); the retrieving head 26 comprises a pneumatic actuator 32 configured to move each side wall 30 with respect to the bottom wall 31 between a retrieving position (illustrated in the accompanying figures) assumed in the retrieving station S3, in which the bottom wall 31 is arranged at a given distance other than zero from an outer edge of the side wall 30, and a release position (not illustrated) assumed in the feeding station S2, in which the bottom wall 31 is coplanar to the outer edge of the side wall 30. In other words, in the retrieving position (illustrated in the accompanying figures), each pocket 27 has a given inner volume (determined by the distance between the bottom wall 31 and the outer edge of the side wall 30), in which a corresponding quantity 2 of snus (namely of loose product) is contained and this inner volume is zeroed in the release position so as to push the quantity 2 of snus (namely of loose product) outside the pocket 27.

[0040] According to what is illustrated in Figures 10 and 11, the feeding unit 14 comprises a scraper device 33 which is configured to eliminate from each quantity 2 of snus (namely of loose product) carried by the transfer device 25 (namely carried by the pockets 27 of the retrieving head 26) an excess of snus (namely of loose product). In other words, the scraper device 33 is configured to eliminate the snus (namely the loose product) coming out of each pocket 27 after the pocket 27 has retrieved a quantity of snus (namely of loose product) from a compartment 23 in the retrieving station S3. In particular, the scraper device 33 is configured to eliminate the snus (namely the loose product) protruding beyond the side wall 30 of each pocket 27.

[0041] According to a preferred embodiment, the scraper device 33 comprises three scraper blades 34 arranged parallel to one another at a given distance from one another (as is better illustrated in Figure 12) and is configured to cause the scraper blades 34 to pass along an outer edge of the side wall 30 of each pocket 27. The three scraper blades 34 are redundant with respect to one another so as to repeat the scraping operation in sequence and therefore a different number of scraper blades 34 could be present: even one single scraper blade 34 may be sufficient or two, four or five scraper blades 34 could be present arranged parallel to one another at a given distance from one another.

[0042] According to a preferred embodiment illustrated in Figure 11, the scraper device 33 comprises an actuator device 35 configured to move the scraper blades 34, causing the scraper blades 34 to travel along a forward stroke along a scraping direction D2, in which the scraper blades 34 move along the outer edge of the side wall 30 of each pocket 27. The actuator device 35 preferably comprises an electric motor, but could alternatively provide for a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. In particular, the actuator device 35 is configured to cause the scraper blades 34 to move linearly back and forth (namely the direction D2 is straight): in the forward stroke, the scraper blades 34 move along the outer edge of the side wall 30 of each pocket 27, whereas in the return stroke, the scraper blades 34 return to the starting position. According to a possible embodiment, the scraper blades 34 move along the outer edge of the side wall 30 of each pocket 27 only in the forward stroke (because at the end of the forward stroke the retrieving head 26 moves the pockets 27 towards the feeding station S2); according to an alternative embodiment, the scraper blades 34 move along the outer edge of the side wall 30 of each pocket 27 both in the forward stroke and in the return stroke.

[0043] Preferably, the scraper blades 34 are arranged inclined with respect to the scraping direction D2 so as to form an acute angle with the scraping direction D2; in particular, the scraper blades 34 are arranged inclined in a direction contrary to the movement performed during the forward stroke.

[0044] According to what is better illustrated in Figure 12, the scraper device 33 comprises an "L"-shaped support body 36, at one end it is integral with the actuator device 35 and at the opposite end it supports the scraper blades 34.

[0045] According to what is illustrated in Figures 10 and 11, the scraper device 33 and the container 15 are mutually arranged so that the excess of loose product removed from the quantity 2 of loose product falls into the container 15.

[0046] According to what is illustrated in Figures 10 and 11, the scraper device 33 provided with the scraper blades 34 is arranged above the disc 21 and inside the container 15; in this manner, the excess of loose product removed by the scraper device 33 from the pockets 27 of the retrieving head 26 falls by gravity towards the disc 21 and therefore remains inside the container 15. In particular, the scraper device 33 causes the scraper blades 34 to move along the outer edge of the side wall 30 of each pocket 27 when the pockets 27 are located in the area of the unloading opening 19 and raised with respect to the underlying compartment 23; namely, after the pockets 27 of the retrieving head 26 have retrieved the respective quantities of loose product in a corresponding compartment 23, the retrieving head 26 moves upwards (arranging the pockets 27 in the area of the unloading opening 19) so as to allow the passage of the scraper blades 34 of the scraper device 33.

[0047] The following describes the operation of the transfer device 25 for retrieving eight quantities 2 of snus (namely of loose product) from a compartment 23 stationary in front of the unloading opening 19 (namely in the retrieving station S3) and for transferring the eight quantities 2 of snus (namely of loose product) in as many pockets 10 of a forming drum 7, which are stationary in the feeding station S2.

[0048] Initially, the control unit 24 controls the actuator assembly 28 so as to move (by rotating the retrieving head 26 around the rotation axis 29) the eight pockets 27 carried by the retrieving head 26 above the compartment 23 stationary in front of the unloading opening 19 (namely in the retrieving station S3); at the end of the rotation of the retrieving head 26, the eight pockets 27 carried by the retrieving head 26 are arranged above the compartment 23 stationary in front of the unloading opening 19 and spaced apart from the compartment 23. Subsequently, the control unit 24 controls the actuator assembly 28 so as to vertically translate the eight pockets 27 carried by the retrieving head 26 downwards in order to rest the outer edges of the side walls 30 of the eight pockets 27 against a base wall of the compartment 23 so that each pocket 27 traps, therein, a respective quantity 2 of snus (namely of loose product) which is held inside the pocket 27 by suction.

[0049] According to a possible embodiment, in this step, the pockets 27 can compress the respective quantities 2 of snus (namely of loose product) against the base wall of the compartment 23; in particular, the height of the bed of snus (namely of loose product) which is located in the compartment 23 can be greater than the height of the pockets 27 (namely than the distance between the outer edge of a side wall 30 of each pocket 27 and the bottom wall 31 of the pocket 27) and thus a quantity 2 of snus (namely of loose product) is inevitably compressed inside the respective pocket 27.

[0050] According to a possible embodiment, the control unit 24 controls the actuator assembly 28 so as to rotate (clockwise and counter-clockwise by a few degrees or by a few degree fractions) the disc 21 around the rotation axis 22 when the outer edge of the side walls 30 of the pockets 27 rests against the base wall of the compartment 23; in this manner, the outer edge of the side walls 30 of the pockets 27 slides against the base wall of the compartment 23 so as to reduce the residuals of snus (namely of loose product) which could stop on the outer surface of the side walls 30 of the pockets 27 and so as to reduce the residuals of snus (namely of loose product) which could stop on the outer edge of the side walls 30 of the pockets 27.

[0051] Subsequently, the control unit 24 controls the actuator assembly 28 so as to translate the pockets 27 carried by the retrieving head 26 vertically upwards, moving the pockets 27 away from the compartment 23; when the pockets 27 carried by the retrieving head 26 are still arranged above the compartment 23, which is located in the area of the unloading opening 19, and as described in the foregoing, the control unit 24 controls the scraper device 33 so as to execute the above-described scraping cycle, which involves moving the scraper blades 34 along the scraping direction D2, so that the scraper blades 34 move along the outer edge of the side wall 30 of each pocket 27, eliminating (any) excess snus (namely loose product) coming out from the outer edge of the side wall 30 (the excess snus that is removed falls by gravity towards the underlying compartment 23).

[0052] Subsequently, the control unit 24 controls the actuator assembly 28 so as to move (by rotating the retrieving head 26 around the rotation axis 29) the eight pockets 27 carried by the retrieving head 26 in the feeding station S2, in which the eight pockets 27 face and are aligned with the pockets 10 of the forming drum 7 and spaced apart from the pockets 10 of the forming drum 7.

[0053] Subsequently, the control unit 24 controls the actuator assembly 28 so as to translate the eight pockets 27 carried by the retrieving head 26 in order to insert the side wall 30 of each pocket 27 inside a respective pocket 10 of the forming drum 7; at this point, the control unit 24 controls the pneumatic actuator 32 so as to retract the side walls 30 of the pockets 27 and thus leave the respective quantities 2 of snus (namely of loose product) in the pockets 10 of the forming drum 7. Finally, the control unit 24 controls the actuator assembly 28 so as to translate the eight pockets 27 carried by the retrieving head 26 by moving the eight pockets 27 away from the forming drum 7 and thus allow the rotation of the forming drum 7 around the rotation axis 8.

[0054] The manufacturing machine 6 described above (and thus the feeding unit 14, which is part of the manufacturing machine 6) is configured to make pouches 1 containing snus; however, the same manufacturing machine 6 described above (and thus the feeding unit 14, which is part of the manufacturing machine 6) could be configured to process other types of loose products different from snus such as, for example, other types of powders for oral use or herbs or the like for infusions (namely, to make pouches for infusion beverages).

[0055] In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, the retrieving head 26 carries eight pockets 27 because the forming conveyors 7 each have eight aligned pockets 10, namely because the manufacturing machine 1 is configured to produce eight pouches 1 of snus (namely of loose product) at a time; according to other embodiments not illustrated, the retrieving head 26 carries a different number of pockets 27: from a minimum of one single pocket 27 to a maximum of about twenty pockets 27.

[0056] The embodiments described herein can be combined with one another without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0057] The manufacturing machine 6 described above has numerous advantages.

[0058] Firstly, the feeding unit 14 of the manufacturing machine 6 described above allows achieving high hourly productivity, namely allows feeding the quantities 2 of snus (namely of loose product) at a high operating speed (measured as number of quantities 2 of snus fed in the time unit).

[0059] Furthermore, the feeding unit 14 of the manufacturing machine 6 described above allows making quantities 2 of snus (namely of loose product) which are very uniform (namely each containing the same desired amount of snus); this result is obtained (also) thanks to the action of the scraper device 33 which ensures that each pocket 27 always contains the same volume of snus (therefore the same mass assuming that the density of the snus is constant). In particular, the system can be designed and controlled to cause the pockets 27 to retrieve an (a slight) excess of snus (namely of loose product) from a respective compartment 23 (thus ensuring an adequate filling of all the pockets 27 even in particularly "unfortunate" situations) since the excess of snus (namely of loose product) is in any case removed from the pockets 27 by the action of the scraper device 33.

[0060] The feeding unit 14 of the manufacturing machine 6 described above allows obtaining high quality (namely resistant and sealing) seals of the wrapping material bands 12 around the quantities 2 of snus (namely of loose product); this result is obtained also thanks to the extreme attention which is placed in avoiding contaminating the wrapping material bands 12 with the snus (namely with the loose product).

[0061] Furthermore, the feeding unit 14 of the manufacturing machine 6 described above allows making quantities 2 of snus (namely of loose product) of different shape and / or size by simply changing the shape of the pockets 27 of the retrieving head 26.

[0062] Finally, the feeding unit 14 of the manufacturing machine 6 described above is particularly compact and allows an operator who is in the proximity of the manufacturing machine 6 to reach with his / her hands all the various parts of the feeding unit 14 without having to make unnatural movements.LIST OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS OF THE FIGURES

[0063] 1snus pouch 2quantity 3cup-shaped element 4edges 5seal 6manufacturing machine 7forming drums 8rotation axes 9joining area 10pockets 11feeding unit 12wrapping material band 13insertion devices 14feeding unit 15container 16frame 17lid 18loading opening 19unloading opening 20feeding duct 21upper disc 22rotation axis 23compartment 24control unit 25transfer device 26retrieving head 27pockets 28actuator assembly 29rotation axis 30side wall 31bottom wall 32pneumatic actuator 33scraper device 34scraper blade 35actuator device 36support body D1translation direction D2scraping direction S1feeding station S2feeding station S3retrieving station

Claims

1. A manufacturing machine (6) for the production of pouches (1), preferably snus pouches (1), each containing a quantity (2) of a loose product; the manufacturing machine (6) being characterized in that it comprises: a first forming conveyor (7), which has at least one pocket (10), which reproduces in negative part of a shape of the pouch (1); a second forming conveyor (7), which is coupled to the first forming conveyor (7) to define a joining area (9) comprised between the two forming conveyors (7); a first feeding unit (11) configured to feed, in a first feeding station (S1) arranged upstream of the joining area (9), a first wrapping material band (12), which wraps itself around part of the periphery of the first forming conveyor (7); a second feeding unit (11) configured to feed, in a second feeding station (S1) arranged upstream of the joining area (9), a second wrapping material band (12), which wraps itself around part of the periphery of the second forming conveyor (7), so that the second wrapping material band (12) overlaps the first wrapping material band (12) in the joining area (9), thus forming a pouch (1); and a third feeding unit (14) configured to feed, in a third feeding station (S2) arranged between the first feeding station (S1) and the joining area (9), a quantity (2) of loose product into the pocket (10) of the first forming conveyor (7) with the interposition of the first wrapping material band (12); wherein the third feeding unit (14) comprises: a container (15) designed to receive and contain an amount of loose product; a transfer device (25), which is configured to retrieve at least a quantity (2) of loose product from the container (15) and to transfer the quantity (2) of loose product into the pocket (10) of the first forming conveyor (7); and a scraper device (33), which is configured to eliminate an excess of loose product from the quantity (2) of loose product carried by the transfer device (25).

2. The manufacturing machine (6) according to claim 1, wherein: the transfer device (25) comprises a retrieving head (26) provided with at least one pocket (27), which is open at the bottom and is shaped so as to contain a quantity (2) of loose product therein; and the scraper device (33) is configured to eliminate the loose product coming out of the pocket (27).

3. The manufacturing machine (6) according to claim 2, wherein: the pocket (27) of the retrieving head (26) comprises a side wall (30), which is closed so as to form a ring and delimits the outer perimeter of the pocket (27), and a bottom wall (31), which is preferably arranged within the side wall (30); and the scraper device (33) is configured to eliminate the loose product protruding beyond the side wall (30) of the pocket (27).

4. The manufacturing machine (6) according to claim 3, wherein the scraper device (33) comprises at least one scraper blade (34) and is configured to cause the scraper blade (34) to move along an outer edge of the side wall (30) of the pocket (27).

5. The manufacturing machine (6) according to claim 4, wherein the scraper device (33) comprises at least two, and preferably three, scraper blades (34) arranged parallel to one another at a given distance from one another.

6. The manufacturing machine (6) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the scraper device (33) comprises an actuator device (35) configured to move the scraper blade (34) along a scraping direction (D2), causing the scraper blade (34) to travel along a forward stroke, in which it moves along the outer edge of the side wall (30) of the pocket (27).

7. The manufacturing machine (6) according to claim 6, wherein the actuator device (35) is configured to cause the scraper blade (34) to make a linear back- and-forth movement along the scraping direction (D2).

8. The manufacturing machine (6) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the scraper blade (34) is inclined relative to the scraping direction (D2) so as to form an acute angle with the scraping direction (D2).

9. The manufacturing machine (6) according to claim 8, wherein the scraper blade (34) is inclined in a direction contrary to the movement made during the forward stroke.

10. The manufacturing machine (6) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the scraper device (33) and the container (15) are mutually arranged so that the excess of loose product removed from the quantity (2) of loose product falls into the container (15).

11. The manufacturing machine (6) according to claim 10, wherein the container (15) is provided with a lid (17), which closes the container (15) at the top and has a loading opening (18), through which the loose product can be fed into the container (15), and an unloading opening (19), through which the transfer device (25) retrieves a quantity (2) of loose product.

12. The manufacturing machine (6) according to any one of the claims from 4 to 9 and according to claim 11, wherein the scraper device (33) causes the scraper blade (34) to move along the outer edge of the side wall (30) of the pocket (27), when the pocket (27) is in the area of the unloading opening (19).

13. The manufacturing machine (6) according to one of the claims from 1 to 12, wherein: the third feeding unit comprises a disc (21), which is arranged horizontally in the container (15), is mounted so as to rotate, in a stepped manner, around a vertical rotation axis (22) and delimits at least one compartment (23), which is open at the top and is designed to receive and contain an amount of loose product; and the transfer device (25) is configured to retrieve at least a quantity (2) of loose product from the compartment (23).

14. The manufacturing machine (6) according to one of the claims from 2 to 13, wherein the transfer device (25) comprises an actuator assembly (28) configured to cyclically move the retrieving head (26) between a retrieving station (S3), in which the retrieving head (26) is arranged so as to retrieve a quantity (2) of loose product from the container (15), and a feeding station (S2), in which the quantity (2) of loose product can be transferred into the pocket (10) of the first forming conveyor (7).

15. A manufacturing method for the production of pouches (1), preferably snus pouches (1), each containing a quantity (2) of a loose product; the manufacturing method being characterized in that it comprises the steps of: moving a first forming conveyor (7) having at least one pocket (10), which reproduces in negative part of a shape of the pouch (1); moving a second forming conveyor (7), which is coupled to the first forming conveyor (7) to define a joining area (9) comprised between the two forming conveyors (7); feeding, by means of a first feeding unit (11) and in a first feeding station (S1) arranged upstream of the joining area (9), a first wrapping material band (12), which wraps itself around part of the periphery of the first forming conveyor (7); feeding, by means of a second feeding unit (11) and in a second feeding station (S1) located upstream of the joining area (9), a second wrapping material band (12), which wraps itself around part of the periphery of the second forming conveyor (7), so that the second wrapping material band (12) overlaps the first wrapping material band (12) in the joining area (9), thus forming a pouch (1); and feeding, by means of a third feeding unit (14) and in a third feeding station (S2) located between the first feeding station (S1) and the joining area (9), a quantity (2) of loose product into the pocket (10) of the first forming conveyor (7) covered by the first wrapping material band (12); wherein feeding, by means of the third feeding unit (14), the quantity (2) of loose product comprises the steps of: retrieving, by means of a transfer device (25), at least a quantity (2) of loose product from a container (15); removing, by means of a scraper device (33), an excess of loose product from the quantity (2) of loose product carried by the transfer device (25); and transferring, by means of the transfer device (25), the quantity (2) of loose product into the pocket (10) of the first forming conveyor (7).

Images