Plant with feeding station

Abstract

The invention is a plant (1) comprising: a control station (10) comprising a plurality of control workstations (11) suitable for verifying the conformity of a product; - an operating station (30) in which an operation on the products is performed; - a feeding station (20) for feeding products, preferably stick packs, blisters, pouches, or the like. The feeding station comprises a plurality of transport shuttles (21) and a track (22) extending in a closed loop. The track (22) comprises a loading segment (221) facing the control station (10), comprising a plurality of loading workstations (2210) facing the control workstations (11), and an operating segment (222) facing the operating station (30) comprising a plurality of unloading workstations (2220) facing the operating workstations (31). Each transport shuttle (21) is movable in the loading segment (221), in a respective loading workstation (2210) facing a control workstation (11) in which the conformity of the product is verified, so as to load the conforming product into the respective housing tank (210).

Description

"PLANT WITH FEEDING STATION"DESCRIPTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant suitable for performing specific checks and specific operations on products which pass said checks.

[0002] Specifically, the art field to which the present invention belongs is that of the product packaging industry within the pharmaceutical and / or food and / or beauty field.

[0003] In particular, "products" refers to stick packs, blisters, pouches, or similar products, for example, containing drugs or food or products, which are first created by means of appropriate plants and then inserted into appropriate cases or boxes.

[0004] The known plants are suitable for operating and handling large amounts of products at high speeds, in the order of hundreds of products per minute.

[0005] Said plants have specific operating stations suitable for performing specific operations. Among said stations there are stations suitable for performing the boxing operations, i.e., the operations of repositioning products inside appropriate cases.

[0006] It is also desired for the operations to be performed on the conforming products. In particular, it is desired for the plant to place the correct number ofproducts in a case, and above all, to place exclusively conforming products in the case.

[0007] In the present disclosure, conforming products, i.e., meeting specific requirements desired, stand out from non-compliant or non-conforming products, i.e., not meeting specific requirements desired.

[0008] Among said requirements appears the weight of the product: the product with a conforming weight indeed contains the correct amount of drug or food or product.

[0009] Other identifiable requirements are associated with a particular appearance of the product or the presence of a bar code or a label on the product.

[0010] In the prior art, solutions are known of plants comprising specific control stations suitable for verifying the conformity of a multitude of products in batches. Specifically, said control stations verify the conformity of a plurality of products simultaneously, rejecting the entire group of products if the deformity, or non-conformity, also of a single product, occurred.

[0011] In other words, the known plants favor speed in performing the operations, including those involving verifying and controlling, with respect to accuracy, thus creating large amounts of rejects, rather than specific amounts. For such a reason, plants which have specific stations for recovering conforming productsfound among the rejects are known.

[0012] It is the object of the present invention to suggest a plant which meets all the needs of the art field, effectively overcoming all the above problems. In other words, it is the object of the present invention to provide a plant suitable for successfully managing conforming products, and therefore suitable for limiting the number of products rejected exclusively to products recognized as non-compliant , or non-conforming.

[0013] Such an object is achieved by a plant according to claim 1. The claims dependent thereon demand protection for further features and bring further technical advantages.

[0014] In addition, further features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of a non-limiting indications, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] - Figure la is a diagrammatic depiction of the plant, which comprises a control station, a feeding station and an operating station, according to the present invention, according to an embodiment;

[0016] - Figure lb is a diagrammatic depiction of the plant which comprises a control station, a feeding station and an operating station, according to thepresent invention, according to a further embodiment;

[0017] - Figures 2', 2' ' and 2' ' ' show three separate steps between the control station and the feeding station, in particular a managing / processing sequence of the plant, in a situation in which the control station verifies the conformity of ten products out of ten, in which in Figure 2', a group of ten transport shuttles comprised in the feeding station is in a standby or accumulation position, in which in Figure 2' ', ten transport shuttles are positioned so as to load the ten conforming products, in which in Figure 2' ' ', the ten transport shuttles with the products are moved towards the operating station;

[0018] - Figures 3', 3' ' and 3' ' ' show three separate steps between the control station and the feeding station, in particular a managing / processing sequence of the plant, in a situation in which the control station verifies the conformity of six products out of ten, in which in Figure 3', a group of transport shuttles comprised in the feeding station is in a standby or accumulation position, in which in Figure 3' ', six transport shuttles are positioned at non-constant pitch so as to load the six conforming products, in which in Figure 3' ' the six transport shuttles with the products are moved towards the operating station;

[0019] - Figure 4 depicts a further embodiment of the feeding station comprised in the plant object of the present invention.

[0020] With reference to the accompanying Figures, numeral 1 indicates a plant in accordance with the present invention.

[0021] As purpose of the present invention, plant 1 is suitable for performing specific operations on the products after these have been recognized as conforming.

[0022] According to a preferred embodiment, plant 1 is suitable for operating with products in the form of stick packs.

[0023] In a further preferred embodiment, plant 1 is suitable for operating with products in the form of blisters .

[0024] In a further preferred embodiment, plant 1 is suitable for operating with products in the form of pouches .

[0025] According to the present invention, plant 1 comprises a control station 10 suitable for performing specific checks on the products.

[0026] According to the present invention, plant 1 comprises an operating station 30 suitable for performing specific operations on the products. According to a preferred embodiment, an action performedby the operating station 30 is the boxing operation. In other words, the operating station 30 is suitable for placing the products in appropriate cases or boxes.

[0027] According to the present invention, plant 1 comprises a feeding station 20 located between the control station 10 and the operating station 30. In particular, the products are moved from the control station 10 to the operating station 30 by means of the feeding station 20.

[0028] Said control station 10 comprises a plurality of control workstations 11, in which a control action suitable for verifying the conformity or deformity of a product is performed in each control workstation 11.

[0029] Preferably, said control workstations 11 are positioned mutually parallel. For example, according to a preferred embodiment, the control workstations all extend parallel to a control axis X-X .

[0030] Preferably, the control station 10 comprises, for each control workstation 11, a sensor suitable for verifying the weight of each product.

[0031] Preferably, the control station 10 comprises, for each control workstation 11, a sensor suitable for verifying the conforming appearance of each product.

[0032] Preferably, the control station 10 comprises, for each control workstation 11, a sensor suitable forverifying the presence of labels or recognition elements on each product.

[0033] According to a preferred embodiment, the control station 10 comprises, for each control workstation 11, a product transfer device. Preferably, each product transfer device extends parallel to the control axis X-X.

[0034] According to a preferred embodiment, the control station 10 is suitable to command movement of each product transfer device for moving the conforming and / or non-compliant products.

[0035] Preferably, each product transfer device is movable in the same direction. In other words, each product transfer device is movable in the same direction, moving both the conforming products and the non- compliant products in the same direction.

[0036] Preferably, each conveyor belt is movable in the same direction. In other words, each product transfer device is movable in the same direction, moving both the conforming products and the non-compliant products in the same direction.

[0037] According to a preferred embodiment, each product transfer device is movable in the same direction. In other words, each product transfer device is movable in the same direction, moving both the conformingproducts and the non-compliant products in the same direction . As fully described below, only the conforming products are collected by means of the feeding station 20 ; the non-compliant products instead are rej ected, caused to fall into a collection hopper 15 .

[0038] Preferably, each conveyor belt is movable in two directions . In other words , each product trans fer device is movable in a first direction for moving the conforming products towards the feeding station, or in a second movement for moving the non-compliant products in a non-compliant product collection area .

[0039] According to a preferred embodiment , the product trans fer device comprises a conveyor belt .

[0040] According to a further preferred embodiment , the picking element 110 comprised in the trans fer device is suitable for picking the product from the control station 10 . Preferably, the picking element 110 comprised in the trans fer device picks the conforming products and positions them on the feeding station . Preferably, the picking element 110 comprised in the trans fer device picks the non-conforming products and unloads them in the collection hopper 15.

[0041] Moreover, plant 1 comprises an operating station 30 comprising a plurality of operating workstations 31 , in which an operation is performed onthe products.

[0042] Preferably, the operating workstations 31 are mutually parallel, preferably with respect to an operating axis Y-Y.

[0043] According to a preferred embodiment, the operating station 30 performs product picking operations for inserting them into appropriate cases.

[0044] Preferably, the operating station 30 comprises picking members 310 suitable for picking discrete groups of products to be placed in a case, for example groups of two or three products.

[0045] According to the present invention, the feeding station 20 comprises:- a plurality of transport shuttles 21;- a track 22 extending in a closed loop on which the transport shuttles 21 are moved.

[0046] Said track 22 comprises a loading segment 221 positioned facing the control station 10, comprising a plurality of loading workstations 2210 facing the control workstations 11.

[0047] Moreover, said track 22 comprises an unloading segment 222 positioned facing the operating station 30 comprising a plurality of unloading workstations 2220 facing the operating workstations 31.

[0048] In yet other words, the loading segment 221and the unloading segment 222 are a function of the features of the control station 10 and the operating station 30 .

[0049] Preferably, indeed each transport shuttle 21 is commandable in movement to be positioned, as required, in the loading segment 221 and / or in the unloading segment 222 .

[0050] In particular, the transport shuttle 21 is movable in a respective loading workstation 2210 facing a control workstation 11 in which the conformity of the product is veri fied . Once the transport shuttle 21 is moved in said loading workstation 2210 , the product is loaded on the respective transport shuttle .

[0051] In other words therefore , the transport shuttles 21 are positionable in the respective loading workstations 2210 corresponding exclusively to the control workstations 11 corresponding to the conforming products .

[0052] Advantageously therefore , all the conforming products are put into movement by means of the feeding station 20 towards the operating station 30 , and only the non-compliant products are rej ected .

[0053] Preferably, the failed positioning of a transport shuttle 21 in front of a control workstation 11 will result in the rej ect of the non-compliant productwhich is rejected towards a collection hopper 15 comprised in the control station 10 positioned between the control workstations 11 and the feeding station 20.

[0054] According to a preferred embodiment, the feeding station 20 comprises a plurality of transport shuttles 21 in a number at least equal to the number of loading workstations 2210, i.e., equal to the number of control workstations 11.

[0055] In the event all the products being checked in the control station 10 are conforming, the feeding station 20 has transport shuttles 21 ready to accommodate said conforming products.

[0056] According to a preferred embodiment, the feeding station 20 comprises a plurality of transport shuttles 21 in a number at least equal to the sum of the number of loading workstations 2210 and the number of unloading workstations 2220.

[0057] The number of transport shuttles 21 is thus such as to allow operating simultaneously with the control station 10 and with the operating station 30.

[0058] According to a preferred embodiment, track 22 comprises an accumulation segment 220 positioned before the loading segment 221, in which the transport shuttles 21, ready to be moved in the loading segment 221 after being subjected to the operation in the unloading segment222, are housed.

[0059] According to a preferred embodiment, each transport shuttle 21 is movable in a respective unloading workstation 2220 facing an operating workstation 31 in which it is subjected to an operation.

[0060] Preferably, the transport shuttles 21 are commanded in movement so as to fill all the unloading workstations 2220, starting always from the first workstation, continuing up to the last workstation.

[0061] According to a preferred embodiment, the unloading workstations 2220, and thus the transport shuttles 21 housed in said unloading workstations 2220, are positioned as a function of the type of operations of the operating station 30, for example in pairs.

[0062] According to a preferred embodiment, the position and pitch of the loading workstations 2210 on the track are a function of the control station 10.

[0063] According to a preferred embodiment, the position and pitch of the unloading workstations 2220 on the track are a function of the operating station 30.

[0064] According to a preferred embodiment, track 22 lies on an imaginary plane I and the loading segment 221 and the unloading segment 222 lie on the same imaginary plane I .

[0065] Preferably, the imaginary plane I is parallelto a ground plane. Preferably, the feeding station has horizontal development.

[0066] Preferably, the imaginary plane I is inclined or transverse to a ground plane. Preferably, the feeding station 20 has an inclined or also vertical development.

[0067] According to a preferred embodiment, the loading segment 221 lies on a first imaginary plane and the unloading segment 222 lies on a second imaginary plane .

[0068] According to such an embodiment, track 22 comprises connecting segments between the loading segment 221 and the unloading segment 222 suitable for joining them.

[0069] According to a preferred embodiment, the shape or path of the track 22 is settable as a function of needs or spaces, as a function of the type or position of the control station 10 and the operating station 30.

[0070] According to the present invention, each transport shuttle 21 comprises a housing tank 210 and movement means 215.

[0071] According to a preferred embodiment, each housing tank 210 is shaped to house the products as a function of the shape and type of the same products.

[0072] Preferably, each housing tank 210 is shaped to house the products in a position inclined or orthogonalwith respect to track 22.

[0073] For example, in a preferred embodiment, each housing tank 210 is suitable for receiving the products in horizontal position and inclining them to bring them to a vertical position.

[0074] For example, in a preferred embodiment, the control station 10 is suitable for moving the conforming products in a vertical position to position them on the respective housing tank 210.

[0075] According to a preferred embodiment, each transport shuttle 21 is commandable in movement independently of the others so as to control, as a function of needs, the number of shuttles and the positioning thereof.

[0076] According to a preferred embodiment, the transport shuttles 21 and track 22 are operatively connected by means of a magnetic connection.

[0077] Preferably, the transport shuttles 21, in its movement means 215, and track 22 comprise magnetically active and / or passive sensitive elements.

[0078] According to a preferred embodiment, track 22 comprises magnetically active sensitive elements designed to create an appropriate magnetic field.

[0079] In other words, track 22 comprises a plurality of magnetically active sensitive elements mutuallyaligned along the entire closed loop of track 22 .

[0080] Preferably, the movement means 215 of each transport shuttle 21 comprise magnetically passive sensitive elements , for example ferromagnetic elements , suitable for undergoing the action of the magnetic field created by the magnetically active sensitive elements .

[0081] According to a preferred embodiment , the activation and deactivation of the magnetically active sensitive members of the track 22 involves the production respective magnetic fields suitable for biasing the magnetically passive sensitive elements of each transport shuttle 21 , moving it and commanding it in any position desired .

[0082] According to a preferred embodiment , track 22 comprises magnetically passive sensitive elements , while each transport shuttle 21 comprises magnetically active sensitive elements .

[0083] According to a preferred embodiment , plant 1 comprises a command unit 50 operatively connected to said magnetically active sens itive elements suitable for commanding the switching ON and / or OFF of said elements to perform a movement of the transport shuttles 21 .

[0084] According to a preferred embodiment , said command unit 50 is operatively connected to the control station 10 to receive a conforming product signal and tocommand in movement / positioning a respective transport shuttle 21 in a loading workstation 2210 in the loading segment 221.

[0085] According to a preferred embodiment, said command unit 50 is operatively connected to the operating station 30 to receive a signal to control in inlet or in outlet a respective transport shuttle 21 in a respective unloading workstation 2220 in the unloading segment 222.

[0086] According to a preferred embodiment, the command unit 50 is configurable in programming as a function of the features and dimensions of the control station 10 and the operating station 30.

[0087] According to a preferred embodiment, the command unit 50 is configurable in programming as a function of the features, positioning and dimensions of track 22.

[0088] According to a preferred embodiment, the command unit 50 is configurable in programming as a function of the features of product.

[0089] Specifically, by adjusting the generation of the magnetic field generated by the magnetically active elements by means of the command unit 50, the parking positions of the respective shuttles, in addition to the displacement speed of each of them, are controllable.

[0090] According to a preferred embodiment, thecommand unit 50 is a control unit housed inside plant 1, preferably inside the feeding station 20.

[0091] According to a preferred embodiment, the command unit 50 is a control unit housed outside plant 1, i.e., outside the feeding station 20, and outside the control station 10 and / or the operating station 30. For example, the command unit 50 is located remotely.

[0092] Innovatively, the plant largely fulfills the intended purpose by overcoming the typical problems of the prior art.

[0093] Advantageously, the number of rejected products is limited. Advantageously, a simple management of the conforming products is ensured, in particular of all the conforming products, limiting the rejects to the non-conforming or non-compliant products alone.

[0094] Advantageously, the operating actions, such as the boxing operations, for example, are performed exclusively on conforming products.

[0095] Advantageously, the need to provide appropriate reintegration systems of erroneously rejected conforming products is obviated in the plant of the present invention.

[0096] Advantageously, the plant makes both the checking operations and the operating operations, such as boxing, for example, highly efficient.Advantageously, the loading (or inlet) operations and the unloading (or outlet) operations are optimized by means of the feeding station.

[0097] Advantageously, the feeding station is highly flexible, in both product loading operations and product unloading operations.

[0098] Advantageously, the feeding station is usable with multiple types of control systems and / or with multiple types of operating systems. Advantageously, the feeding station is programmable as a function of the type of control systems and / or the type of operating systems .

[0099] Advantageously, the feeding station is highly versatile also as a function of the arrangement and layout of the track. Advantageously, embodiments are foreseeable in which the feeding station lies horizontally. Advantageously, embodiments are foreseeable in which the feeding station lies vertically .[000100] Advantageously, the feeding station performs the movements of the transport shuttles at high speeds, thus having minimum impact on the production cycle.[000101] Advantageously, the feeding station has very compact dimensions and is easily positionable in a plant with minimum difficulty.[000102] It is apparent that, in order to meet contingent needs, those skilled in the art may make changes to the above-described invention, all contained within the scope of protection as defined by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A plant (1) comprising a control station (10) comprising a plurality of control workstations (11) , preferably mutually parallel, wherein a control action suitable for verifying the conformity of a product is performed in each control workstation (11) , an operating station (30) comprising a plurality of operating workstations (31) , in which an operation on the products is performed, and a feeding station (20) for feeding products, preferably stick packs, blisters, pouches, or the like, comprising:- a plurality of transport shuttles (21) , wherein each transport shuttle (21) comprises a housing tank (210) and movement means (215) ;- a track (22) extending in a closed loop, comprising a loading segment (221) facing the control station (10) , comprising a plurality of loading workstations (2210) facing the control workstations (11) , and an operating segment (222) facing the operating station (30) comprising a plurality of unloading workstations (2220) facing the operating workstations (31) ; wherein each transport shuttle (21) is operatively connected to the track (22) through movement means (215) , being movable in the loading segment (221) , in a respective loading workstation (2210) facing a controlworkstation (11) in which the conformity of the product is verified, so as to load the conforming product into the respective housing tank (210) .

2. Plant (1) according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of transport shuttles (21) in a number at least equal to the number of loading workstations (2210) , i.e., equal to the number of control workstations (11) .

3. Plant (1) according to claim 2, comprising a plurality of transport shuttles (21) in a number at least equal to the sum of the number of loading workstations (2210) and the number of unloading workstations (2220) .

4. Plant (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the track (22) comprises an accumulation segment (220) positioned before the loading segment (221) , wherein the transport shuttles (21) , ready to be moved in the loading segment (221) after being subjected to the operation in the unloading segment (222) , are housed in said accumulation segment (220) .

5. Plant (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each transport shuttle (21) is movable in a respective unloading workstation (2220) facing an operating workstation (31) in which it is subjected to an operation.

6. Plant (1) according to claim 5, wherein the transport shuttles (21) are moved so as to fill all the unloadingworkstations (2220) , starting always from the first workstation, continuing up to the last workstation.

7. Plant (1) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the unloading workstations (2220) , and therefore the transport shuttles (21) housed in said unloading workstations (2220) , are positioned as a function of the type of operations of the operating station (30) , for example in pairs.

8. Plant (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the track (22) lies on an imaginary plane (I) and the loading segment (221) and the unloading segment (222) lie on the same imaginary plane (I) .

9. Plant (1) according to claim 8, wherein the imaginary plane (I) is parallel to a ground plane, or the imaginary plane (I) is inclined or transverse to a ground plane.

10. Plant (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the loading segment (221) lies on a first imaginary plane and the unloading segment (222) lies on a second imaginary plane.

11. Plant (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each housing tank (210) is shaped to house the products in a position inclined or orthogonal with respect to the track (22) .

12. Plant (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each transport shuttle (21) iscontrollable in movement independently of the others.

13. Plant (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport shuttles (21) and the track (22) comprise magnetically active and / or passive sensitive members.

14. Plant (1) according to claim 13, wherein the track (22) comprises magnetically active sensitive members suitable to create an appropriate magnetic field, and the movement means (215) of each transport shuttle (21) comprise magnetically passive sensitive members, for example ferromagnetic members, suitable for undergoing the action of the magnetic field created by the magnetically active sensitive members.

15. Plant (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control station (10) comprises, for each control workstation (11) , a sensor suitable for verifying the weight of each product or a sensor suitable for verifying the aesthetical conformity of each product, or a sensor suitable for verifying the presence of labels or recognition elements on each product, and sends the conforming products to the feeding station (20) in the transport shuttles (21) placed in the corresponding loading workstations (210) , while discarding the non-compliant products.

16. Plant (1) according to any one of the precedingclaims, wherein the operating station (30) performs operations of picking the products from the transport shuttles (21) to house them into appropriate cases or boxes .

17. Plant (1) according to claim 16, wherein the operating station (30) comprises picking members (310) for picking discrete groups of products to be placed in a case, for example groups of two or three products, and the unloading workstations (2220) , where the transport shuttles (21) are positioned, are in turn positioned as a function of said picking members (310) .

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