US 2026/0296867 A1Published application

Capping head provided with axial load and/or torque sensors and capping method

AssigneeArol S.P.A.

InventorsFabio PREGNO, Denis RUFFINO, Manuel SORCE, Alessandro VARESI

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Abstract

A capping head includes a shaft performing a downward vertical translatory movement and applying an axial load to a cap, and a cap-holding cone integral with the shaft. A sensing assembly is mounted on the shaft or cap-holding cone for detecting values of at least one parameter that characterises the capping operation and communicating the values to an acquisition system for recognition of a significant phase of the capping cycle. The sensing assembly includes at least one sensor for dynamically measuring the value of the at least one parameter, telemetry circuits associated with the at least one sensor for acquiring the values measured by the sensor, processing them and transmitting the processing results to the acquisition system by using a low consumption radiofrequency technology, power supply means for the sensing assembly, possibly operating in a radiofrequency technology, and power management circuits for managing power supplied by the power supply means.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A capping head (100;

200′;
200″), including a shaft (101) performing a downward vertical translatory movement and applying an axial load to a cap, and a cap-holding cone (102;
202′;
202″) integral with the shaft (101), wherein a sensing assembly (103;
203) is mounted on one out of the shaft (101) and the cap-holding cone (102;
202′;
202″) for detecting the values of at least one parameter that characterises the capping operation and is chosen in a set including at least said axial load, and for communicating said values to an acquisition system, characterised in that the sensing assembly (103;
203) includes:
at least one sensor (105) for dynamically measuring the value of the at least one parameter during capping;
radiofrequency telemetry circuits (107, 108;
207, 208) associated with the at least one sensor (105) for acquiring the values measured by the sensor, processing them for their transmission to the acquisition system and transmitting the processing results to the acquisition system, for the recognition of at least one significant phase of the capping cycle, through at least one communication channel by using a low consumption radiofrequency technology;
power supply means (104;
204) for the sensing assembly (103;
203), including wired or battery-based local power supply devices or systems for the local harvesting of the power supplied by an external source;
and
power management circuits (106, 206) for managing the power supplied by the power supply means (104;
204).

14 more elements

A capping method, comprising the steps or of:

applying onto the shaft (101) or the cap-holding cone (102;
202′;
202″) of a capping head (100;
200′;
200″) a sensing assembly (103;
203) including at least one sensor (105) for dynamically detecting the values of at least one parameter that characterises the capping operation and is chosen in a set including at least the axial load applied to a cap because or a vertical downward translatory movement or the shaft (101);
supplying the sensing assembly (103;
203) with the power supplied by wired or battery-based local power supply devices or by systems for the local harvesting of the power supplied by an external source, the latter systems supplying the sensing assembly (103;
203) with power by using a wireless technology, preferably a radiofrequency technology;
processing the detected values for their transmission to a remote acquisition system intended for recognising at least one significant phase of the capping cycle;
establishing at least one communication channel between the sensing assembly (103;
203) and the remote acquisition system in order to transmit the processing results to such a system by using a low consumption radiofrequency technology;
and
on the or each communication channel, automatically transmitting to the acquisition system, during normal operation of the head (100;
200′;
200″), the information relevant to the current values of the concerned parameter and, during an analysis or debug phase, transmitting all detected values of the parameter upon request of a control system.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.