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US 12,234,049 B2Granted
Packaging machine with dynamic buffer and its assembly method
OwnerMarco Cassoli, Nicola Giulianiinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A packaging machine includes a compact dynamic shuttle buffer arranged upstream of a packaging station.
Claims12
A packaging machine for items, comprising:
- a packaging station (5) having a support device (40, 41) configured to define a filling window, in use bounded by a package held in an open configuration by the support device;
- a conveyor (12) having a first and a second shuttle (9) independently movable with respect to each other along a corresponding closed circuit having a stop and discharge section, each of the first and the second shuttle comprising a first and respectively a second plurality of seats defined by walls (14) for receiving the items intended to enter the package through the filling window;
- an automatic loading device (2) configured to load the items onto said first or said second shuttle in a stopping and loading section of said circuit, the items being arranged in said plurality of seats;
- an automatic unloading device (16) configured to unload the items from the first and/or the second shuttle arranged in a stopping and unloading section by a movement parallel to a first direction;
- and
- a control unit programmed to:
- receive an incoming M number of the items in the package,
- wherein a number N1 represents a maximum number of the items that can be carried on board the first shuttle and arranged in the first plurality of seats, and wherein a number N2 represents a maximum number of the items that can be carried on board the second shuttle and arranged in the second plurality of seats, and
- when M is different from N1 and/or N2:
- hold the first shuttle in the stopping and unloading area,
- position the second shuttle alongside the first shuttle in the stopping and unloading area, and
- unload, by the automatic unloading device, M items of which some are on the first shuttle and others are on the second shuttle to fill the package.
9 more elements
A method for setting up a packaging machine comprising the step of:
- mounting upstream of a packaging station (5) having a support device (40, 41) configured to define a filling window, in use bounded by a package retained in an open configuration by the support device;
- a conveyor (12) having at least a first and a second shuttle (9) independently movable with respect to each other along a corresponding closed circuit having a stop and discharge section, each of the first and the second shuttles comprising a plurality of seats defined by walls (14) for receiving items intended to enter the package through the filling window;
- an automatic loading device (2) configured to load the items onto said first or said second shuttle in a stopping and loading section of said closed circuit, the items being arranged in said plurality of seats;
- an automatic unloading device (16) configured to unload the items from the first and/or the second shuttle arranged in a stopping and unloading section by a movement parallel to a first direction;
- and
- providing a control unit programmed to:
- receive an incoming M number of the items in the package,
- wherein a number N1 represents a maximum number of the items that can be carried on board the first shuttle and arranged in the first plurality of seats, and wherein a number N2 represents a maximum number of the items that can be carried on board the second shuttle and arranged in the second plurality of seats, and
- when M is different from N1 and/or N2:
- hold the first shuttle in the stopping and unloading area,
- position the second shuttle alongside the first shuttle in the stopping and unloading area, and
- unload via the automatic unloading device M items of which some are on the first shuttle and others are on the second shuttle to fill the package.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.