System and method for grouping and conveying groups of hygiene

Abstract

Described is a system for the grouping and conveying groups of hygiene products, comprising: a stacker (1) configured to receive individual packages (2) of hygiene products in an inlet area (1a) and convey the packages (2) to an outlet area (1b); the stacker (1) comprises a plurality of pads (3) actuated along a guide path (P) to define successive housing seats for the respective packages (2); an ejector member (4) positioned in the outlet area (1b) of the stacker (1) and configured to eject a predetermined number of packages (2) from a row of adjacent seats formed by the pads (3) so as to form a group (5) of hygiene products; and a conveying station (6) configured to transport the group (5) along a guide path (P6) towards a common packaging machine (7); the conveying station (6) further comprises an inlet section (6a) positioned adjacent to the stacker (1) and having a first partition wall (8) configured to divide the group (5) into a first (5a) and a second (5b) sub-group; a dosing section (6b) positioned downstream of the inlet section (6a); the dosing section (6b) comprising a first (9) and a second (10) channel and a first (11) pushing member configured to advance the first sub-group (5a) along the first channel (9) and a second (12) pushing member configured to advance the second sub-group (5b) along the second channel (10); the independent operation of the first (11) and second (12) pushing members allows the first (5a) and second (5b) sub-groups to be selectively transported towards the common packaging machine (7) in an aligned or staggered arrangement according to a predefined pitch depending on the type of final format of the package.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GROUPING AND CONVEYING GROUPS OF HYGIENE

[0003] Technical field

[0004] The present invention relates to a system for grouping and conveying of 5 groups of hygiene products, for example nappies, panty liners, etc.

[0005] Background art

[0006] The systems for grouping, conveying and packaging these products (of the non-woven type) comprise:

[0007] 10 - a forming machine (converter) configured for the manufacture of the hygiene product that can already be enclosed in a single package and possibly pre-compressed before the individual packaging;

[0008] - a station for receiving and controlling the products coming out from the forming machine and configured to feed the individual products in a 15 predefined orientation to

[0009] - a station for grouping and conveying hygiene products, called “stacker” in the technical jargon, configured to receive, in succession, the individual hygiene products in its inlet area and transfer them to its outlet area;

[0010] - an ejector member positioned in the outlet area of the stacker and 20 configured to eject a predetermined group of hygiene products from the pads towards

[0011] - a station for conveying groups of formed hygiene products to a machine for bagging or wrapping groups of formed hygiene products.

[0012] The stacker comprises a chain or belt defining a closed loop circuit on two 25 wheels or crowns (rotating, according to a first embodiment, about a vertical axis so as to extend the stacker along a horizontal plane) and is provided with a plurality of pads (each pad may be, along a vertical plane, single or double, in the second case each pad is composed of two separate pads spaced apart) associated according to defined pitches withthe belt or chain along an annular path. The space between two adjacent pads (pitch) determines the housing seat for the single hygiene product arriving from the receiving and control station along a branch of the stacker loop defining its inlet area. The ejector member is positioned on the other branch of the stacker loop.

[0013] Currently, one of the needs present with this type of system is to have a stacker and an outlet and packaging line for the groups of hygiene products correlated with the production of the of the products of the converter present upstream of the system.

[0014] A first known solution, illustrated in patent document US 5127209, comprises a “double line” structure for exit from the stacker that feeds, via two adjacent transport lines, two identical groups of products to respective bagging, sacking or packaging units.

[0015] In order to obtain this division into groups, it is necessary to extract twice as many products as required, inserting “empty” products in the outlet branch of the stacker that are exactly as long as the width of the group to be extracted.

[0016] However, this system has the drawback that the counts of the format or groups of product coming out are never very high.

[0017] In fact, as the number of products forming the group increases (meaning the count), the size of the groups to be extracted increases to twice the size to be extracted; the advantage therefore only applies for limited counts, and if higher counts are required, a format change is necessary to restore the machine to a ‘single row’ configuration, with long and costly changeover times in terms of the number of pieces to be changed.

[0018] According to a second known solution, the stacker is large in size with the outlet branch having an extension such as to be able to combine two conveying lines spaced apart from each other and which feed respective independent machines.

[0019] This solution is very flexible but has a high cost and a limitation in the performance of the stacker which must move considerable inertia due tothe large dimensions.

[0020] Disclosure of the Invention

[0021] The aim of the present invention is to provide a system for grouping and conveying groups of hygiene products that overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art.

[0022] In particular, an aim of the present invention is to provide a system for grouping and conveying groups of hygiene products which is capable of high operational flexibility in the formation of groups of hygiene products to be packaged.

[0023] A further aim of the present invention is to provide a system for grouping and conveying groups of hygiene products that achieves high production flows without the need to increase its size.

[0024] Said aims are fully achieved by the system for grouping and conveying groups of hygiene products according to the invention as characterised in the appended claims.

[0025] Brief description of the drawings

[0026] The features of the solution will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred, non-limiting embodiment of it, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] - Figure 1 illustrates a schematic top plan view of a system for grouping and conveying hygiene products according to the present invention;

[0028] - Figures 2 to 5 illustrate schematic top plan views of a station for conveying groups of hygiene products according to the system of Figure 1 in respective steps of feeding sub-groups of products to a packaging machine;

[0029] - Figures 6 and 6a illustrate two different embodiments, both shown in perspective views, of a detail of a locking / stiffening device positioned in an outlet area of a stacker forming part of the system referred to in the preceding drawings;- Figure 7 illustrates a top plan view of a detail of an outlet area of the stacker, in particular a series of pads and a sliding path of the pads.

[0030] Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention With reference to the accompanying drawings, and in particular to Figure 1 , the system in according to the invention, indicated in its entirety with reference numeral 100, is used for grouping and conveying the and relative packaging of hygiene products.

[0031] The expression “groups of hygiene products” means, for example nappies, panty liners, etc., obtained in a single package.

[0032] The system 100 according to the invention comprises a forming machine or converter 23 configured to make individual packages 2 of hygiene products (illustrated with a block in Figure 1).

[0033] The system 100 can also comprise a station 24 for receiving and controlling the products coming out from the forming machine 23 and configured to feed the individual packs 2 of hygiene products according to a predefined orientation to further stations which are described below. As illustrated, the system 100 comprises a stacker 1 acting as a station for grouping and conveying hygiene products.

[0034] The stacker 1 is configured to receive individual packages 2 of hygiene products (from the receiving and control station 24) in an inlet area 1 a and transport the packages 2 to an outlet area 1 b.

[0035] The stacker 1 comprises a plurality of pads 3 driven forward along a guide and slide path P, preferably in a closed loop.

[0036] The pads 3 are positioned (spaced apart from each other) to define successive housing seats for the respective packages 2 of hygiene products.

[0037] In the case illustrated, merely by way of example, the stacker 1 comprises a chain or belt 25 defining a closed loop circuit on two wheels or sprockets 26 that rotate, according to this embodiment, about a vertical axis in such a way that the stacker 1 extends along a horizontal plane, so as to obtainan annular path.

[0038] The system 100 also comprises an ejector member 4 positioned in the outlet area 1b of the stacker 1 and configured to eject a predetermined number of packages 2 from a row of adjacent seats formed by the pads 3 so as to form a group 5 of hygiene products.

[0039] As illustrated, the system 100 comprises a conveying station 6 configured to transport the group 5 along a feed path P6 towards a common packaging machine 7 configured to package the groups 5 of hygiene products (for example a wrapping machine or a bagging machine).

[0040] According to Figures 2 to 5, the conveying station 6 comprises an inlet section 6a positioned adjacent to the stacker 1 and having a first partition wall 8 configured to divide the group 5 into a first sub-group 5a and a second sub-group 5b.

[0041] The first partition wall 8 has respective opposing surfaces 8a and 8b, opposite each other, configured to make contact with the respective first sub-group 5a and second sub-group 5b of hygiene products and to allow their mutual distancing.

[0042] In other words, the first partition wall 8 comprises sides formed by opposing surfaces 8a, 8b and positioned to separate (having a diverging extension between them, with a vertex positioned proximate to the outlet area 1 b of the stacker 1 ) the first sub-group 5a and the second sub-group 5b of hygiene products.

[0043] The conveying station 6 also comprises a dosing section 6b (of the first sub-group 5a and second sub-group 5b) positioned downstream of the inlet section 6a.

[0044] This dosing section 6b comprises first channel 9 and second channel 10. The dosing section 6b further comprises a first pushing member 11 configured to advance the first sub-group 5a along the first channel 9 and a second pushing member 12 configured to advance the second subgroup 5b along the second channel 10.

[0045] The first 11 and the second 12 pushing members are independentlyoperable.

[0046] In this way, the first pushing member 11 and second pushing member 12 can transport the first sub-group 5a and second sub-group 5b towards the common packaging machine 7 in an aligned or staggered arrangement according to a predefined pitch depending on the programmed type of format of the package.

[0047] In other words, with this type of conveying solution, a number of packages 2 equal to twice the number that must actually be extracted can be positioned on the stacker without any geometric separation of the packages being extracted between the two future sub-groups to be formed.

[0048] The dosing system, which is independent for each channel, controls the advancement times of the two sub-groups so as to feed the packaging machine according to the programmed packaging requirements.

[0049] This allows a small stacker to be manages and to keep the size of the section downstream of the stacker equally small.

[0050] It should be noted that the first partition wall 8 has its two opposing surfaces 8a, 8b with a divergent extension to define a vertex positioned proximate to the outlet area 1b, so that the first sub-group 5a and the second sub-group 5b are progressively separated from each other the during the passage along the partition wall 8.

[0051] In order to correctly control the transport of the two sub-groups, each first channel 9 and second channel 10 channel is delimited by a respective pair of elements 21, 22 configured to guide and support the first sub-group 5a and second sub-group 5b during transport.

[0052] The conveying station 6 also comprises an outlet section 6c positioned downstream of the dosing section 6b and connected to the first channel 9 and to the second channel 10.

[0053] The conveying station 6 also comprises a common inlet channel 14 positioned downstream of the outlet section 6c and at least a third pushing member 13 configured to advance the first sub-group 5a and the secondsub-group 5b through the second dosing section 6b, along the common inlet channel 14 and towards the common packaging machine 7.

[0054] In light of this, the outlet section 6c has a second vertical partition wall 15 and lateral boundary elements 30, 31 (walls) positioned at the sides of the second partition wall 15.

[0055] In light of this, the lateral boundary elements 30 and 31 converge between each other while the second partition wall 15 tapers toward a downstream end, guiding the first sub-group 5a and second sub-group 5b into a side-by-side configuration within the common inlet channel 14.

[0056] In this way the sub-groups can be placed side by side (if necessary).

[0057] It should be noted that the conveying station 6 comprises, in the inlet section 6a, a synchronizing pushing mechanism 16 configured to synchronously advance the first sub-group 5a and the second sub-group 5b along the first channel 9 and second channel 10 of the dosing section 6b.

[0058] In light of this, the synchronizing pushing mechanism 16 comprises a motorized pushing crossbar 16a configured to engage and advance the first sub-group 5a and second sub-group 5b, and optionally also at least one additional motorized pushing crossbar 16b positioned at a fixed distance from the motorized pushing crossbar 16a to stabilise the first subgroup 5a and second sub-group 5b during the advancement.

[0059] It should be noted that the motorized pushing crossbar 16a and the additional motorized pushing crossbar 16b are connected to a common pair of belts 17 connected to a drive unit 17a configured to position the motorized pushing crossbar 16a at a space or opening present between the outlet area 1b of the stacker 1 and an inlet end of the inlet section 6a so as to define a support for the group 5 of hygiene products coming out from the stacker 1.

[0060] More precisely, the first 11, the second 12, and the third 13 pushing members comprise respective pushing crossbars 11a, 12a and 13a, moved by respective pairs of belts (not illustrated) connected to respectivedrive units 11b, 12b and 13b.

[0061] According to Figures 6 and 6a, the system comprises a locking device 18 configured to selectively engage a pad 3 that is aligned with the first partition wall 8 during the ejection of a group 5 at the exit area 1b of the stacker 1.

[0062] This locking device 18 is movable (controlled by a movement unit 19) between an inactive position, in which the locking device is moved away from pad 3, and an active position engaging the pad 3 so as to inhibit the movement of pad 3 during the ejection of the group 5.

[0063] In light of this, the locking device 18 comprises at least two disks 18a, 18b mounted on a motorized rotating shaft 20.

[0064] The two disks 18a, 18b are spaced apart so as to define a slot 18c configured to receive the pad 3 when the disks 18a, 18b are rotated from the inactive position to the active position.

[0065] Thanks to this device, the pad is locked, defining a first central separator (that is, the central pad is aligned with the first partition wall) relative to the direction of extraction of the products, so as to help to separate the individual packages 2 of hygiene products in inlet section 6a.

[0066] Figure 6 illustrates a first embodiment in which each pad 3 is formed by a flat one-piece flag-shaped body, extending along a vertical plane, articulated to a single support shaft 3a constrained to the sliding path P. In this case the locking device 18 is configured to lock at least a part of the upper section of the pad 3.

[0067] However, Figure 6 shows a system with a double locking device 18 for engaging both an upper part and a lower part of the pad 3.

[0068] Figure 6a shows a second embodiment in which each pad 3 is formed by two separate flat bodies, 3b and 3c, one above and one below a vertical plane (for centring single and double pad stacker systems).

[0069] In this case, each flat body 3b, 3c is articulated to a respective support shaft 3a, which is constrained to a corresponding guide path P.

[0070] In this solution there are two twin locking devices 18 configured tosimultaneously lock the respective two flat bodies 3b and 3c (upper and lower).

[0071] According to a further alternative embodiment, each pad 3 can also be made of ferromagnetic material (that is, by applying a layer of ferromagnetic material on the plastic body, that is, with metal powder mixed with the polymer of the pad).

[0072] In this case, the locking device 18 can be configured to obtain a locking of the pad 3 by generating a magnetic field.

[0073] Figure 7 shows a detail of outlet area 1 b of the stacker 1 , in which a part of the guide and slide path P of the pads 3 has a curved profile so that the pads 3 adjacent to a central pad 3 aligned with the first partition wall 8 during the ejection of the group 5 of hygiene products are positioned with an orientation inclined with respect to the central pad 3, so as to facilitate the ejection of the packages 2 of hygiene products while keeping the central pad 3 aligned.

[0074] As illustrated in Figure 2, the system 100 comprises of a first sensor unit 27 positioned in the inlet section 6a of the conveying station 6, configured to control the inlet of the group 5 of hygiene products.

[0075] The system 100 also comprises a second sensor unit 28 positioned downstream of the first channel 9 and second channel 10 of the dosing section 6b and configured to control the presence (passage) of the subgroups 5a and 5b of hygiene products in transit in the outlet section 6c and towards the packaging machine 7.

[0076] The first 27 and second 28 sensor units lead to the general control and command unit 29 of the system 100.

[0077] The present invention provides a method for packaging groups of hygiene products.

[0078] The method comprises the steps of:

[0079] - manufacturing single packages 2 of hygiene products in a forming machine or converter 23;

[0080] - sequentially receiving individual packages 2 of hygiene products in aninlet area 1a of a stacker 1 acting as a grouping and conveying station and transporting the packages 2 to an outlet area 1 b of the stacker 1 ;

[0081] - ejecting, in the outlet area 1b of the stacker 1, a predetermined number of packages 2 so as to form a group 5 of hygiene products;

[0082] - transporting the group 5 of hygiene products ejected along a feed path P6 through a conveying station 6 towards a common packaging machine 7 configured for packaging groups 5 of hygiene products;

[0083] - dividing the group 5, in an inlet section 6a of the conveying station 6, into a first sub-group 5a and a second sub-group 5b;

[0084] - advancing the first sub-group 5a along a first channel 9 using a first pushing member 11 and a second sub-group 5b along a second channel 10 using second pushing member 12, where the first pushing member 11 and the second pushing member 12 are operationally independent of each other, and

[0085] - arranging the first sub-group 5a and the second sub-group 5b in an aligned or a staggered configuration according to a predefined pitch, depending on the type of final format of the package, and conveying the sub-groups 5a and 5b to the common packaging machine 7.

[0086] Thanks to the system structured in this way it is possible to obtain, as shown in the diagram of Figures 2-5, for example, ten packages of products 2 extracted and then divided into two sub-groups of five packages each, which will then be inserted simultaneously into the first and second channels, respectively.

[0087] In this dosing section, the independent feed steps of each sub-group of products can be controlled to release them staggered by a certain pitch in the outlet section and towards the packaging machine, so as to form two packages of five consecutively.

[0088] This system is extremely flexible and allows combinations of products 2 in even or odd packaging and with one or two or three rows after each other.

Claims

CLAIMS1. System for grouping and conveying hygiene products, the system (100) comprising:- a stacker (1) acting as a grouping and conveying station, the stacker (1) being configured to sequentially receive individual packages (2) of hygiene products at an inlet area (1a) and to convey the packages (2) to an outlet area (1b); the stacker (1) comprising a plurality of pads (3) driven along a guide path (P), preferably in a closed loop, the pads (3) being arranged to form successive seats for receiving respective packages (2);- an ejector member (4) positioned at the outlet area (1 b) of the stacker (1 ) and configured to eject a predetermined number of packages (2) from a row of adjacent seats formed by the pads (3) so as to form a group (5) of hygiene products; and- a conveying station (6) configured to transport the ejected group (5) along a feed path (P6) toward a common packaging machine (7) configured to package the groups (5) of hygiene products;wherein the conveying station (6) comprises an inlet section (6a) positioned adjacent to the stacker (1) and comprising a first vertical partition wall (8) configured to divide the group (5) into a first sub-group (5a) and a second sub-group (5b), the first partition wall (8) having opposing surfaces (8a, 8b) arranged to separate the first and second subgroups (5a, 5b),characterized in that the conveying station (6) further comprises a dosing section (6b) downstream of the inlet section (6a), said dosing section (6b) comprising a first channel (9) and a second channel (10); and a first pushing member (11) configured to advance the first sub-group (5a) along the first channel (9) and a second pushing member (12) configured to advance the second sub-group (5b) along the second channel (10), the first and second pushing members (11, 12) being independently operable; wherein independent operation of the first and second pushing members (11, 12) enables selective conveyance of the first (5a) and second (5b)sub-groups toward the common packaging machine (7) in either an aligned arrangement or a staggered arrangement, according to a predefined pitch corresponding to a desired final package configuration.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein said opposing surfaces (8a, 8b) of said first partition wall (8) are diverging surfaces that defines a vertex positioned proximate to the outlet area (1b) of the stacker (1), such that the first sub-group (5a) and the second sub-group (5b) of hygiene products are progressively separated from one another during passage past the first partition wall (8).

3. System according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conveying station (6) further comprises:an outlet section (6c) positioned downstream of the dosing section (6b) and connected to the first channel (9) and the second channel (10);a common inlet channel (14) positioned downstream of the outlet section (6c); andat least a third pushing member (13) configured to advance the first subgroup (5a) and the second sub-group (5b) through the dosing section (6b) and along the common inlet channel (14) toward the common packaging machine (7).

4. System according to claim 3, wherein the outlet section (6c) comprises a second vertical partition wall (15) and lateral boundary elements (30, 31) disposed on either side of the second partition wall (15), the boundary elements (30, 31) converging toward one another and the second partition wall (15) tapering toward a downstream end thereof so as to guide the first sub-group (5a) and the second sub-group (5b) into a side-by-side arrangement within the common inlet channel (14).

5. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the conveying station (6) comprises, in the inlet section (6a), a synchronizing pushing mechanism (16) configured to synchronously advance the first sub-group (5a) along the first channel (9) and the second sub-group (5b) along the second channel (10) of the dosing section (6b).

6. System according to claim 5, wherein the synchronizing pushing mechanism (16) comprises a motorized pushing crossbar (16a) configured to simultaneously engage and advance the first (5a) and second (5b) subgroups, and optionally an additional motorized crossbar (16b) positioned at a fixed distance from the motorized pushing crossbar (16a) to stabilize the first and second sub-groups (5a, 5b) during advancement.

7. System according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a locking device (18) configured to selectively engage a pad (3) positioned aligned with the first partition wall (8) during ejection of a group (5) of hygiene products at the outlet area (1b) of the stacker (1); said locking device (18) being movable between an inactive position, in which said locking device (18) is spaced from the pad (3), and an active position, in which said locking device (18) engages the pad (3) to inhibit movement of the pad (3) during ejection of the group (5) of hygiene products.

8. System according to claim 7, wherein the locking device (18) comprises at least two disks (18a, 18b) mounted on a motorized rotating shaft (20), the disks (18a, 18b) being spaced apart to define a slot (18c) configured to receive the pad (3) when the disks (18a, 18b) are rotated from the inactive to the active position.

9. System according to claim 7, wherein each pad (3) is made of a ferromagnetic material, and the locking device (18) is configured to lock the pad (3) by generating a magnetic field.

10. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a portion of the guide path (P) in the outlet area (1b) has a curved profile, such that the pads (3) adjacent to a central pad (3), the central pad being aligned with the first partition wall (8), are oriented at an inclined angle relative to the central pad (3) to facilitate ejection of the group (5) of hygiene products from the stacker (1).

11. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the first channel (9) and the second channel (10) is defined by a respective pair of containment elements (21, 22) configured to guide andsupport the first (5a) and second (5b) sub-groups, during conveyance.

12. Method for grouping and conveying hygiene products, comprising: - sequentially receiving individual packages (2) of hygiene products at an inlet area (1a) of a stacker (1) acting as a grouping and conveying station, and conveying the packages (2) to an outlet area (1 b) of the stacker (1 ); - ejecting, at the outlet area (1b) of the stacker (1), a predetermined number of packages (2) so as to form a group (5) of hygiene products; - transporting the ejected group (5) along a feed path (P6) through a conveying station (6) toward a common packaging machine (7) configured to package the groups (5) of hygiene products;- dividing the group (5), in an inlet section (6a) of the conveying station (6), into a first sub-group (5a) and a second sub-group (5b);characterized in that the method further comprises:- advancing the first sub-group (5a) along a first channel (9) using a first pushing member (11), and the second sub-group (5b) along a second channel (10) using a second pushing member (12), the first and second pushing members (11, 12) being independently operable; and- arranging the first sub-group (5a) and the second sub-group (5b) in either an aligned arrangement or a staggered arrangement according to a predefined pitch corresponding to a desired final package configuration, and conveying the arranged sub-groups (5a, 5b) toward the common packaging machine (7).

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