Machine and method to automatically prepare fluid coloring products

A machine to automatically prepare a fluid coloring product inside a container, the container configured to already contain a base product, the machine comprising:

• a delivery device disposed vertically in a fixed position above a loading station of the container, the delivery device configured to deliver at least one or more coloring substances inside the container through an aperture provided in the upper part of the container;
• a blade configured to make the aperture;
• a mandrel configured to automatically and hermetically close the aperture with a lid when the container is in a delivery position by inserting the lid into the aperture of the container;
• a support on which a removal gripper is mounted and having two jaws configured to remove one lid at a time from a store in which a plurality of the lids are stored, wherein the support is mobile at least between a removal position, in which the removal gripper is in correspondence with the store, and a delivery position, in which the removal gripper is in correspondence with the mandrel;
• a mixing device configured to shake the container and therefore mix the coloring substances inside the container when the container is in a mixing position;
• and
• a lower plate configured to support the container, both in the delivery position, and also in the mixing position.

A machine to automatically prepare a fluid coloring product inside a container, the container configured to already contain a base product, the machine comprising:

• a delivery device disposed vertically in a fixed position above a loading station of the container, the delivery device configured to deliver at least one or more coloring substances inside the container through an aperture provided in the upper part of the container;
• a blade configured to make the aperture;
• a closing device configured to automatically and hermetically close the aperture with at least one closing element when the container is in a delivery position by inserting the at least one closing element into the aperture of the container;
• a mixing device configured to shake the container and therefore mix the coloring substances inside the container when the container is in a mixing position;
• and
• a lower plate configured to support the container, both in the delivery position, and also in the mixing position;
• wherein the lower plate is provided with a central axis disposed substantially parallel to or coinciding with a first vertical axis around which the delivery device is disposed with the container in the delivery position, and which central axis is one of substantially parallel to and coinciding with an axis of rotation with the container in the mixing position;
• wherein the delivery device is disposed vertically in a fixed position above a loading station of the container, in substantial alignment with the first vertical axis;
• wherein the blade and the closing device are mounted on a slider slidable along a transverse axis which intersects the first vertical axis;
• and
• wherein a controller is configured to control movement of the lower plate and to drive:
• the blade, in order to make the aperture in the upper part of the container;
• the delivery device in order to deliver the at least one or more coloring substances into the container through the aperture;
• the closing device, while the container is in the delivery position, in a manner coordinated with the displacement of the slider along the transverse axis;
• and
• the mixing device.

A method to automatically prepare a fluid coloring product inside a container configured to contain a base product inside of the container, by a machine comprising configured to deliver at least one or more coloring substances inside the container through an aperture made in an upper part of the container, and the machine including a support member configured to support the container in both a delivery position and a mixing position, the method comprising:

• when the container is in the delivery position, perforating the container with a perforating device to make the aperture;
• delivering, with the container in the delivery position, the at least one or more coloring substances inside the container through the aperture;
• automatically and hermetically closing the aperture of the container by a closing device applying at least one closing element to the aperture with the container in the delivery position;
• maintaining the container in a first location along a transverse axis and along a first longitudinal axis during the perforating of the container, the delivering of the at least one coloring substance inside the container, and the automatically and hermetically closing the aperture;
• mixing the at least one or more coloring substances in the container with the container in the mixing position;
• wherein the perforating device and the closing device move together along the transverse axis and relative to the container between each of the perforating of the container, the delivering the at least one or more coloring substances inside the container, and the automatically and hermetically closing the aperture;
• and
• wherein the container is at the first location along the transverse axis with the container in the mixing position and such that the container is supported by the support member both when the container is in the delivery position, and when the container is in the mixing position.