WO2003037723A1 - Machine for the automatic dispensing of protective, separation dividers for groups of bottles which is intended for bottle packaging lines - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine which automatically dispenses protective, separation dividers for groups of bottles and which is intended for bottle packaging lines. The invention comprises a continuous operation machine which is used to automate the formation of the spatial structure of the separation dividers and the distribution of said protective, separation units in bottle packaging lines.

Description

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY DISPENSING PROTECTIVE AND SEPARATOR DIVISIONS OF BOTTLE GROUPS FOR PACKING CHAINS OF THE SAME

The present invention patent relates to a machine for automatically dispensing protective and separating divisions of bottle groups for packaging chains thereof.

The bottle packaging industry has used numerous systems to prevent their breakage and deterioration due to collisions between them when they are packaged in the container boxes of bottle groups, as well as in their transport, storage or distribution.

The same problem arises with the labels on the bottles. With the transport of the bottles, a possible rubbing of them causes the deterioration of the labels, which makes them totally unusable. Therefore, the industry has developed different systems to protect bottles placed in a package.

For example, straw hoods that were available in each bottle have been used. Wood chips or other materials placed as a buffer bed in the bottle box have also been used. Another provision has been to use internal cardboard or fiber frames creating separate housings in the container boxes of bottle groups. All the above solutions create serious problems for the mechanization of the packaging process, given its complexity.

Other solutions come from using procedures analogous to those for labeling bottles to cover them with protective materials, such as corrugated cardboard. For example, the patent ES 2110346 describes a machine of these characteristics that manages to solve the problem of mechanizing the packaging and protection of the bottles. The drawback presented by these machines is their complexity and high cost.

There are different separating divisions on the market that aim to provide packaging of groups of bottles with reticular spatial structures where the bottles can be located and thus prevent their deterioration by mutual contact.

Among these separating divisions are those described in Spanish patents N ° 9400980 and N ° 9601786, which consist of a set of reticular divisions with storage capacity in the form of a sheet, when folded on themselves.

The drawback presented by said protection separating units is that they must be manually inserted in the packaging of bottle groups. Thus, the operator must pick up the sheet from the storage stack, unfold it, and insert it into the packaging, while at the same time overcoming the tendency of the separating division to fold again. This insertion is therefore slow and cumbersome.

To alleviate these drawbacks, the object of the present invention has been designed, which consists of a machine for continuous operation that automates the formation of the spatial structure of the separating divisions and the dispensing of said protection separating units in chain chains of bottle groups.

The machine of the present invention is very versatile and can be easily adapted to different analog separating divisions, by means of the appropriate selection of guide bodies. In addition, you can dispense the separating divisions both inside boxes with or without bottles inside, loose to then insert the bottles and insert the set into a box, or in groups of bottles that will then be placed in their box or packaging.

With the continuous operation of the machine object of the invention a high performance is obtained in terms of the number of separating divisions served per unit of time, as well as a low manufacturing and processing cost of said divisions.

A practical embodiment of the machine object of the invention is described below, described by way of non-limiting example, accompanied by 3 sheets of drawings in which Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the circuit that the machine performs with the division separator, from its collection from the warehouse stack to its insertion in the bottle group packaging.

Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of the machine of the invention showing a detail of its mechanism for collecting the separator division of the storage stack and its clamping mechanism. Figure 3 is a side view of the collection mechanism of the storage of the separating divisions.

Figure 4 is a detail of the frame widening system of the machine of the invention.

Figure 5 is in perspective a gripper made according to the invention in one of its favorite constructions.

Figure 6 is a perspective of the machine showing the guide bodies of the final alignment of the separating divisions.

The machine object of the invention consists of a fixed frame or support (15), in which endless chains (2) move propelled by a motor, not shown. In said endless chains (2) the clamps (3) for securing the separating divisions (1) are arranged, thus forming a continuous process circuit (Fig. 1) that ends in the dispensing of the spatial structure of the separating division ( 1) in the packing chain of the bottle group.

To perform this cycle, the machine starts from a reticular separating unit, folded into a sheet. Said sheet, usually of cardboard, is supplied to the machine from a storage stack (4).

The machine of the invention begins its operation by collecting, by appropriate means, a partition separating the warehouse and positioning it in the machine's processing circuit. In a construction For this purpose, the preferred device of the invention uses pusher stops (5) that rotate in an endless chain (6) and push the lower unit located in a storage cell (4).

The storage stack (4) of the separating divisions (1) has on its support surface an opening (7) that allows the stops (5) to reach the level of the last unit (1) and push it towards the body of the machine of the invention.

A mobile platform (8) that ensures the separation of the separating division (1) from the pusher stops (5), as shown in Figure 2, in combination with a swinging ramp with counterweight (10), as shown in Figure 3, contribute to correctly position the separator unit (1) in the machine circuit. The pusher stops (5) lift the mobile platform (8).

Optionally, in a development of the present invention, a double open strap (11), shown in Figure 3, acts as a final stop and positions the separator unit in its starting position in the circuit associated with the endless chains (2) .

The machine object of the invention has means for opening the clamps (3) such as guides (12) that mechanically force their opening.

The clamps (3) also have guide elements (13) attached to their jaws in the form of tips, as shown in Figure 2, which perform a first opening of the flaps of the separator unit so that the clamp (3) when opening, grab only the part of the unit (1) that is convenient.

In another construction of the present invention, the clamps (3) have their ends (17) bent outwards, as shown in Fig. 5, which allows a comfortable reception of the separating divisions (1). A connecting strip (18) of the jaws of the clamps, maintains its closing tension, so that when the guides (12) do not press towards the opening of the clamps, the strap (17), due to its elastic inertia, closes the jaws of said clamp (3).

The previous clamps (3) placed on one of the two sides of the machine also have guiding means for the separating divisions (1). Said means is that an angle layer (9) is attached to the clamp (3), see figure 5, that when the clamp (3) grabs the separator division (1) it allows separation of the flaps of the separating division (1) facilitating the introduction of the tip of the guide bodies (14a).

The rotation of the endless chains (2) displaces the separating division (1), now held by the clamps (3) through the machine's processing circuit. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, there are stop and guide bodies (14a, 14b and 14c), which when rubbing against them the separating unit that is in transit and thanks to the special shape of said stop bodies and guided (14a, 14b and 14c), said sheet-shaped separating unit (1) is deployed until reaching a reticular spatial structure, rotates its flaps from one side to another, approximately 180 °, to overcome the tendency to become to fold in the form of a sheet and, finally, it is positioned ready for placement in the final packaging.

The number form and arrangement of these guiding and processing parts (14a, 14b and 14c) of the separating divisions (1), is a function of the size and consistency of the separating units.

Thus, some units (1) require an inverse bending of them to weaken the rigidity of their structure and avoid that once correctly placed in their position, due to their inertia they tend to recover their initial folding which hinders their correct insertion in the box of bottle groups

The guiding bodies responsible for the process of weakening the structure of the separating unit (1) are shown, in a preferred construction of the invention, in Figures 2 and 3, and are those referenced with numbers 14a and 14b.

The guiding bodies responsible for the final positioning of the separating divisions (1), ready for dispensing, are shown in Figure 4 and are numbered as 14c.

The guide bodies (14a, 14b and 14c) have the appropriate form for the function of the guidance and manipulation process that is required in each case.

It is provided, in the preferred construction of the machine of the invention, that said machine is adaptable to different sizes and types of separating divisions (1) Similar. For this, its frame (15) has a mobile wall (16) on one of its sides that adapts the machine capacity to larger units (1). In the figures shown in the graphics sheets said enlargement is represented as performed. To adapt the size of the machine, it is enough to move the movable wall (16) and replace the guide bodies (14a, 14b and 14c) with those suitable for the new type of separator unit (1).

The process circuit of the machine of the invention can be carried out automatically, also controlled by a microprocessor that monitors each step, deciding when each separating division (1) should be placed or not, controlling the rotation of the endless chains (2 and 6) and the opening and closing of the clamps (3).

The machine of the present invention performs its process by working continuously. Its construction is such that no stopping is required in the machine cycle to perform any of its handling processes of the separator units (1).

Claims

1.- Machine for automatically dispensing separating and protecting divisions of groups of bottles for their packaging chains, characterized by being constituted by a frame (15) through which endless chains (2) that incorporate grippers ( 3) of the separating divisions (1), forming a continuous process circuit thereof, and guide bodies (14a, 14b and 14c), located in said frame (15), which have the convenient way to open the flaps of said units (1) forming the spatial reticular structure of the same, rotating said flaps in one direction or another, and aligning said separating divisions (1) in the successive packing chain. 2. Machine for automatically dispensing separating and protecting divisions of groups of bottles for packaging chains thereof, according to claim 1, characterized in that there are means for unitary collection of the separating divisions (1) from the storage stack (4). ) and placing them in the continuous circuit. 3. Machine for automatically dispensing separating and protecting divisions of groups of bottles for packaging chains thereof, according to the preceding claims, in which said collection and placement means are constituted by pusher stops (5) that are carried along by an endless chain (6), and a mobile platform (8) in combination with an oscillating ramp with counterweight (10). 4. Machine for automatically dispensing separating and protecting divisions of groups of bottles for packaging chains thereof, according to the preceding claims, characterized by having a double open strap (11) at the beginning of the process circuit. 5. Machine for automatically dispensing separating and protecting divisions of groups of bottles for packaging chains thereof, according to the preceding claims, characterized by having means for opening and closing the clamps (3), such as guides ( 12). 6. Machine for automatically dispensing separating and protecting divisions of groups of bottles for packaging chains thereof, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said grippers (3) have their tips (17) open outwards, having an angle (9) angled to said pliers (3). 7. Machine for automatically dispensing separating and protecting divisions of groups of bottles for packaging chains thereof, according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said grippers (3) have guide elements attached to their jaws (13) . 8. Machine for automatically dispensing separating and protecting divisions of groups of bottles for packaging chains thereof, according to the preceding claims, characterized by having a movable side wall (16) of its frame (15) to be adaptable in width, also adapting the number, shape and position of the guide bodies (14a, 14b and 14c). 9. Machine for automatically dispensing separating and protecting divisions of groups of bottles for packaging chains thereof, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that it incorporates a process control and supervision unit, governed by microprocessor.