ES2390525T3 - Installation for filling boxes with dividers - Google Patents

Abstract

Installation of product boxing in the cells (4) of one or more boxes (2) with separators, whose installation includes, gathered in the same frame (6): - at least one conveyor belt (7, 7 ') to carry the products (1) in line to the reception station (11), and at least one conveyor belt (8) to carry the boxes to be filled to the box (12) for boxing and to evacuate them, - a handling head (13) arranged to take a batch of products (1) that is presented in the form of a row in said reception post (11) and to transfer it to said box (12) in a row of alveoli (4) of the box or the boxes to be filled in, - a structure (14) for guiding the products (1) towards the entrance of the alveoli (4), whose structure (14) comprises at least one grill (22) extending longitudinally above the conveyor belt (8) of the boxes (2), whose grill (22) is provided ista of several hoppers (15) arranged in line and whose number corresponds to the number of cells (4) of each row of the box or boxes (2) to be filled, characterized by the fact that this grill (22) is mobile, on the one hand, vertically above the boxes (2) between a retracted position that allows the passage of said boxes (2) and a position in which said hoppers (15) are in active position to channel each product to its respective socket (4) and, on the other, transversely with respect to the direction of movement of said boxes (2) to fill each row of cells (4), one after the other, whose hoppers (15) have an opening whose section input is of the order of twice the section of the cited alveoli (4).

Description

Installation for filling boxes with dividers

The present invention concerns an installation for filling boxes with separators and, especially, boxes intended to receive products whose form and presentation require particular care (see US-A-4833860).

The boxes with separators are used, above all, to condition products that need to be protected during transport in order, in particular, to limit the risks of degradation of their appearance and decoration.

Mechanized boxing is commonly used to introduce products, and in particular bottles, inside boxes, including boxes with dividers.

The mechanization allows to introduce in box a batch of bottles with a number of bottles that corresponds to the number of alveoli of the cited box to be filled.

The batch of bottles is manipulated by a reception head that makes round-trip movements between the reception post and the boxing post.

During this trajectory, and due to the accelerations, the bottles can move and it happens that at the time of their descent towards the alveoli, they are not located in the axis of their respective alveolus.

In this case, these stop against the separators and cause incidents that can have an impact on a good part of the lot.

To facilitate the introduction of the bottles in the alveoli, it is known to routinely use, as described, for example, in document FR 2506260, a complementary tooling consisting of guides, or hoppers, which channel the bottles towards said alveoli for the purpose. to reduce the risks of interference with separators.

Except for the bottles located on the periphery of the lot, the hopper has an opening whose section corresponds to that of the alveoli and for these peripheral bottles, the section of the hopper opening is more generous but is limited by the adjacent openings of the central hoppers

The hopper, meanwhile forms a separator above the alveoli; This, therefore, only partially reduces the incidents of introduction and leads to other incidents such as, for example, a degradation of the decoration located on the surface of the bottles and in particular a deterioration of the labels that have just been pasted.

On the other hand, in multipurpose facilities, capable of treating different product formats, the manipulation of this tooling, constituted by hoppers, is a relatively complex operation due to its implementation that makes its access difficult and also because of its weight .

On the other hand, above these introduction incidents, the preparation operations of the bottles in the form of batches, before being picked up by the receiving head, also generate other incidents that derive from the multiple contacts and friction of the bottles. with each other or on accessories such as guides.

These contacts and friction can have a devastating effect on the presentation of the bottles, for example, with a deterioration of their appearance and / or degradation of the labels.

Due to this, the use of mechanization for boxing is rather reserved for basic products, in a simple way, and, above all, they do not run these risks, especially, of label degradation.

In the case of relatively delicate products, of type jars, bottles, in particular and of very high added value, the boxing operation is generally carried out manually; Each product is carefully placed by an operator in a socket in the box.

The present invention proposes a mechanization solution that allows the boxing of these "valuable" products, whose handling requires particular care.

This one proposes an installation that allows to reduce to its simplest expression the number of manipulations of the products between its preparation (filling and labeling) and the palletizing of the boxes filled with these products.

The boxing installation according to the invention makes it possible to adequately suppress causes of product deterioration by limiting contact and destructive friction; This proposes a smooth, relatively "soft" mechanization, well adapted to this type of delicate products, with high added value.

The invention makes it possible to ensure the introduction of a line of the products in their respective alveoli, accepting that these products have significant deviations when they are driven, by the handling head, above the row of the cited alveoli of the box to be filled. .

These deviations can also be caused by the products themselves and in particular, in the case of bottles, by an accumulation of defects in the form of the important tolerances at the level of their manufacture.

The invention allows to accept a bad positioning of the products and in particular an important offset in one direction: the direction that is perpendicular to the line of said products; This tolerance is relatively important with respect to the size of the socket in this direction.

In installations that must have great flexibility, the invention also allows for easier tools to change; their implementation makes them more accessible and their weight, modest, allows easier handling, without having to resort to lifting machines. The operator can store the tools himself in a warehouse that is located in the vicinity of the installation.

For certain products, for example of small size, and for certain containers, of great capacity, it is also possible to increase the cadency rates while maintaining the aforementioned advantages.

The invention also proposes an arrangement of the hoppers themselves, the arrangement of which makes it possible to simplify the assembly of the guides as well as their eventual replacement, in particular the most requested guides, those that delimit the large opening of said hoppers.

The installation according to the invention therefore concerns the boxing of delicate products in the cells of one or several boxes with separators; This includes, gathered in the same frame:

-

 at least one conveyor belt to take the products in line to the reception post, and at least one conveyor belt to take the boxes to be filled to the boxing post and to evacuate them,

-

 a handling head arranged to take at least one batch of products at said reception station and to transfer it to said boxing box in at least one row of cells in the box or boxes,

-

a structure for guiding the products towards the entrance of the alveoli, whose structure comprises at least one grill that extends longitudinally above the conveyor belt of the boxes, whose grill is provided with several hoppers arranged in line and whose number corresponds to the number of alveoli of each row of the box or the boxes to be filled and it is mobile, on the one hand, vertically above the boxes to be filled between a retracted position that allows the passage of said boxes and a position in which the hoppers are in active position to channel each product to its respective socket and, on the other, transversely with respect to the direction of movement of said boxes to fill each row of cells, one after the other, whose hoppers have a opening whose entrance section is of the order of twice the section of the cited alveoli.

Continuing in accordance with the invention, the product guide structure comprises a U-shaped cradle whose two parallel arms carry the grill or hopper grills, whose cradle is guided vertically on a frame and is maneuvered by appropriate means to position the aforementioned hoppers in active or inactive position with respect to the alveoli to be filled, whose parallel arms each comprise a car that accommodates one end of said grill, whose cars are guided horizontally and are mobile above the box or boxes, by the action of appropriate means, to place the aforementioned hoppers in correspondence with each row of cells to be filled.

According to another arrangement of the invention, the installation may comprise trolleys arranged to accommodate at least two hopper grills, whose grills are arranged side by side to allow, in cooperation with a head and an arrival of the appropriate products, the simultaneous boxing of at least two rows of alveoli, not adjacent, of the box.

Continuing in accordance with the invention, each carriage comprises means for receiving the grill or the grills and these means are constituted by vertical spikes in which the ends of said grills are inserted; the aforementioned grills being blocked in these spikes by appropriate complementary means.

According to another arrangement of the invention, the hopper grill is constituted by a pair of stringers and several sleepers, some of which serve for the assembly of said stringers, whose sleepers and stringers determine the shape and section of the openings of the products for said hoppers, whose openings are delimited, at the level of the stringers, by the internal walls of said stringers and by said cross ties and, below the level of said stringers, said openings are extended in the form of guides, said guides being constituted by flexible sheets made of thermoplastic material.

Continuing according to the invention, the rails of the grill are each constituted by a profile made of folded sheet with: - a horizontal upper surface, - a terminal reinforcement edge arranged square with respect to said upper surface and - an internal surface that constitutes the wall of the upper part of each hopper, whose wall comprises, at the level of each hopper, at least one pin which, once folded outwards from the profile, forms a kind of staple to allow fixing of the different flexible plates, whose flexible plates comprise, on their side, an oblong hole-shaped arrangement in their length and these are immobilized, at the level of their upper limb or heel, by blockage in the square bracket of the crossbar, between its upper surface and its outer edge.

In accordance with another arrangement of the invention, the crossbar assembly sleepers have a U-shaped section and they receive the upper part of the flexible plates which are in the form of a fingerboard, whose plates are assembled by wedging in the cited U by means of a wedge that is held by bolts interposed between the two.

The invention will still be detailed in the description that follows in relation to the accompanying drawings, given as an indication, and in which:

-

 Figure 1 is a schematic elevation of the installation, seen from the entrance of the products;

-

 Figure 2 represents a box with dividers;

-

 Figure 3 is a schematic view from above of the installation, without the product handling head;

-

 Figure 4 is a partial view of the installation, showing the transverse displacement of the hopper grill with a view to placing a second batch of bottles in a second row of alveoli of the box;

-

 Figure 5 shows a variant embodiment of the invention for the boxing of two simultaneous rows of products using several hopper grills and this in the case of the boxes comprising a multitude of rows of alveoli;

-

 Figure 6 is a section of the grill and in particular a cross section of Figure 3, according to 6-6;

-

 Figure 7 is also a cut of the grill and in particular a cut of Figure 3, according to 7-7, at the level of a crossbar that serves to assemble two stringers;

-

 Figure 8 is a partial longitudinal section of the grill and in particular a section of Figure 7, according to 8-8;

-

 Figure 9 shows the fixing of a flexible sheet to a crossbar, by stapling and locking.

The installation schematized in Figures 1 and 3 allows the packaging of products (1) of bottles type in boxes (2) of type with dividers (3), such as the box that is represented in Figure 2, within the volume of machine.

The separators (3) delimit alveoli (4) inside which the products (1) slide, whose products are thus protected during the entire time of their transport. The box shown in Figure 2 is a box of "American box" with wings (5).

This schematic installation in Figures 1 and 3 comprises a general frame (6) on which they are arranged:

-

 the conveyor belt (7) that carries the finished products (1) to the reception station (11), whose products arrive online; a second conveyor belt (7 ’), whose function will be specified below, is represented in fine mixed strokes next to the conveyor belt (7);

-

 the conveyor belt (8) carrying the box or honeycomb boxes (2) to be filled in the boxing position (12);

-

 the manipulation head (13) that takes the products (1) at the reception station (11) and transfers them to said boxing position (12);

-

 the guide structure (14) comprising hoppers (15), whose hoppers are interposed between said head (13) and the boxes (2) to place the products (1) precisely in the appropriate row of the alveoli (4) of the cited boxes;

-

 means, in the form of an automaton, not represented, to command and coordinate the set of movements of the constituent elements of the said installation.

The products (1) arrive, for example, directly from the filling and preparation unit, not shown; these are arranged in line on the floor (16) of the conveyor belt (7), guided between rails (17), and advance in the receiving position (11) to a stop (18) whose position is regulated to center the lot of products to be boxed with respect to the boxing stand (12).

The head (13) for handling the products (1) comprises a series of pick-up organs (19) of the type of tweezers or, as shown in the figures, of the type of suction cups also called tulips.

These pick-up organs (19) are arranged in a line and, by means of an appropriate tooling (20), can be separated from each other to regulate the distance between two adjacent products (1), and adapt this distance to the distribution scheme , before introducing them into the alveoli (4) of the different boxes (2) at the level of the boxing position (12).

The head (13) is movable vertically, on the one hand, to remove the products (1) from the receiving station (11) and, on the other, to introduce them into the boxes (2) in the boxing position (12). It travels transversely with respect to the conveyor belt (7) and the conveyor belt (8) to transfer the products (1) between the two positions (11) and (12).

The boxing operation is performed row by row. A batch of products (1) is taken at the reception station (11); this lot is presented in the form of a row of products (1) and, in the example of figure 3, this lot comprises three groups of products (1); Each group comprises a number of products corresponding to the number of cells (4) of each box (2) and the number of groups corresponds to the number of boxes to be filled, that is, three boxes as shown in Figure 3.

The number of operations to fill the boxes (2) corresponds to the number of rows of cells (4). The boxes (2) represented in the figures comprise three rows of cells (4) and these are filled by handling and transferring three batches of products (1).

When the number of rows is much greater, it is possible, as illustrated in Figure 5 and detailed below, to simultaneously fill several rows of alveoli (4) that are not adjacent.

To perform this boxing operation, whatever the embodiment, the products are guided to the alveoli (4) by means of hoppers (15), with one hopper per product (1) and by alveolus (4).

The assembly of the hoppers (15) forms, as seen in Figure 3, a kind of grill (22) that extends in length on the conveyor belt (8). This grill (22) and the hoppers (15) will be detailed below in relation to figures 6 to 9.

These hoppers (15) allow the products to be properly channeled (1) and in particular they allow to effectively correct a relatively important deviation between the actual position of said products (1) and their theoretical position that must be centered on the axis of the socket (4) host.

The hoppers (15) being arranged in a line, their input section is arranged to be as large as possible. This inlet section of the hoppers (15) is practically twice greater than the section of the alveoli (4) of each box (2), as seen below, especially in Figure 6.

In the exemplary embodiment, the section of the hopper inlet (15) is rectangular in shape. This form is related to the shape of the host socket; This can be, for example, oval, or almost oval.

The dimension of this entry, in the longitudinal direction of the grill (22), corresponds to that of the alveoli (4), but its dimension in the transverse direction is of the order of twice that of the aforementioned alveoli.

In addition, for each group of hoppers (15), the input section of said hoppers located at the ends of said groups is even larger, of the order of three times the section of the socket (4).

The grill (22) is part of the guide structure (14) discussed above.

This structure (14) comprises a kind of cradle (23) that carries the grill (22); This cradle (23) is U-shaped with two arms (24) that extend above the conveyor belt (8).

The cradle (23) is movable vertically, guided by sliding (25) integral to the frame (6) and arranged laterally.

A motor member (26), visible in Figure 3, directs the vertical movement of the cradle (23) by means of endless chains (27) arranged laterally and by a drive shaft that is located at the top of the frame ( 6).

The cradle (23) also presents the particularity of being able to be fully retracted especially to free access to the boxing position (12). On the one hand, visible in figure 3, the cradle (23) is carried and articulated on a vertical axis (28) that is integral with the frame (6); on the other, it is carried by a plate (29) integral with the frame (6), and in which it can be immobilized, whose plate (29) is integral with the moving part of the other slide (25).

The vertical travel of the cradle (23) is at least equal to a value that corresponds to the sum of the height of the wings

(5) of the box (2) if they exist, and of the sinking distance of the hoppers (15) in the alveoli (4).

The grill (22) is dragged by the cradle (23) and it also travels transversely with respect to the direction of movement of the boxes (2) to service each row of cells (4) of said boxes (2).

For this purpose, the arms (24) of the cradle (23) each comprise a carriage (30) to accommodate the ends of the grill (22). These carriages (30), visible in Figure 3, are guided by means of slides (31) and are maneuvered by means of a motor member (32) through endless chains (33). These endless chains (33) are guided, each, on a set of cogwheels in which one of the wheels (34 ') is located at the end of each arm (24) and the other wheel (34) is located at the bottom of the U; the two wheels (34) are driving, in solidarity with the same tree (35) that is attached to the motor organ (32), whose tree (35) extends between the arms (24), guided by the latter.

In figure 1, the hoppers (15) are in a retracted position after having contributed to the positioning of the products (1) in the first row of cells (4) of the boxes (2); in figure 4, these hoppers (15) are in active guiding position to channel each product (1) carried by the head (13), towards its respective socket (4) of the second row.

In the case of a box (2) comprising a large number of rows of cells (4), filling can be carried out more quickly using several grills (22) that channel the products into rows of non-adjacent cells (4).

This variant is represented in Figure 5. The installation comprises two grills (22) that are spaced apart and each, successively, filling three rows of alveoli (4).

These grills (22) are mounted in the same way on carriages (30) and are mobile, dragged by the chains (33), whose chains are dragged, as detailed above, by the motor organ (32) and by the tree (35 ) that extends between the two arms (24).

In the case of a use of two or more grills (22), the arrival of the products (1) can be done in two lines with two arrival conveyor belts: the conveyor belt (7) and a conveyor belt (7 ') as It is represented in fine mixed strokes in Figure 3.

For this particular case, the handling head (13) is accordingly equipped with a tooling (20 ') comprising several rows of tulips (19), as shown in Figure 5, whose tulips have a spacing which, in addition, It is adjustable transversely to adapt its layout to the distribution scheme of the products (1) in the box or boxes (2).

The grill (22) consists of two stringers (36) and several sleepers (37, 38) that correspond, for example, to the delimitation of the groups of alveoli (4) of the different boxes (2). These sleepers (37, 38) also serve to assemble the two stringers (36).

As shown in Figure 3, in part and in perspective, the grill (22) is fixed to the carriages (30) by means of simple vertical spikes (39) that are in solidarity with said carriages and are locked to said carriages. (30) by appropriate means of the type of pins.

This assembly allows you to easily change the hopper model (15) in the case of flexible installations, capable of treating products (1) of different formats.

In addition, the change of the grill (22) is considerably facilitated by the fact that its weight is reasonable and by the possibility of scaling the cradle (23) that allows to place said cited or said grills (22) so Ergonomic within reach of operators who even have handles to handle them.

Figure 6 shows a cross section of the grill (22) at the level of a hopper (15). The dimension of the opening of the inlet E of this hopper (15), in the transverse direction, is of the order of twice the dimension D of the socket (4) formed by the separator (3).

The hopper inlet (15) is delimited by the two stringers (36). These stringers (36) are formed in the form of U-section profiles from a folded sheet. Each profile comprises: - vertical outer edges (40) that give a certain inertia, - a horizontal upper surface (41) and an internal, inclined wall (42), which forms the funnel and in particular a side of the upper part of the hopper (15).

These two walls (42), facing each other, are those that form, with the sleepers (37, 38), the upper part of the hopper (15) for introducing the products (1) into the alveoli (4) of the box .

The sleepers (38) that form the upper wall of the hopper (15) are presented in the form of a vertically arranged plate; This plate is inserted in holes (44) arranged in the walls (42) of the stringers (36) and can extend to the edges (40) and serve for the assembly of said stringers (36) by means of bolts, not shown , type of captive nut.

The lower part of the hopper (15) comprises guides in the form of flexible sheets made of thermoplastic material. These guides are constituted by sheets (45) that extend the walls (42) and sheets (46) that extend the 5 transverse walls constituted by the sleepers (37, 38).

The plates (45) are in the form of flexible bands made of thermoplastic material and are locked, as shown in Figure 9, to the stringers (36).

For this purpose, the bottom flange of the wall (42) of the crossbar (36) comprises lugs (47) which, once folded on the inner surface of said wall (42), act as staples for the different plates ( Four. Five).

10 Each sheet (45) comprises a hole (48), oblong in shape, which allows it to be threaded into the corresponding pin (47) and the adjustment of said sheet (45) is made by adhering its upper extremity to the internal angle formed by the edge (40) and the upper surface (41) of the crossbar (35).

To separate the sheet (45) from its housing, a hole (49) is provided on the upper surface (41) of the crossbar (35), to allow the passage of a tool in order to separate the end of said sheet ( 45) angle

15 in which it is locked and can be removed from the stud (47).

The plates (46) extend the sleepers (38) and are fixed to the walls (42) of the stringers or to complementary guides, not shown, in the form of spindles, installed at the angles of each hopper (15).

At the level of the sleepers (37), the plates (46) are shaped, as shown in Figure 8, in the form of a fingerboard and are immobilized by wedging. The sleeper (37) has a U-shaped section turned, this one

20 welcomes the upper part of the sheet (46) in the form of a fingerboard, whose sheet is immobilized by a wedge (50) of trapezoidal section that is placed and held by the bolts (51) that are arranged between the latter and the said sleeper (37), see figure 7.

Claims (7)

1. Installation of product boxing in the cells (4) of one or more boxes (2) with separators, whose installation comprises, gathered in the same frame (6):

-

 at least one conveyor belt (7, 7 ') to take the products (1) in line to the reception post (11), and at least one conveyor belt (8) to take the boxes to be filled to the post (12) of boxing and to evacuate them,

-

 a handling head (13) arranged to take a batch of products (1) that is presented in the form of a row at said reception post (11) and to transfer it to said box (12) encased in a row of alveoli (4) of the box or boxes to be filled in,

-

 a structure (14) for guiding the products (1) towards the entrance of the alveoli (4), whose structure

(14)

 it comprises at least one grill (22) that extends longitudinally above the conveyor belt

(8)

 of the boxes (2), whose grill (22) is provided with several hoppers (15) arranged in line and whose number corresponds to the number of cells (4) of each row of the box or the boxes (2) to be filled , characterized by the fact that this grill (22) is mobile, on the one hand, vertically above the boxes (2) between a retracted position that allows the passage of said boxes (2) and a position in which the said hoppers (15) are in active position to channel each product to its respective socket (4) and, on the other, transversely with respect to the direction of movement of said boxes (2) to fill each row of cells (4), a after another, whose hoppers

(fifteen)

 they have an opening whose entrance section is of the order of twice the section of the said alveoli (4).

2.

 Boxing installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the product guide structure (14) comprises a U-shaped cradle (23) whose two parallel arms (24) carry the grill or grills (22) ) of hoppers (15), whose cradle (23) is guided vertically in the frame (6) and is maneuvered by appropriate means to place said hoppers (15) in active or inactive position with respect to the alveoli (4) that there are to be filled, whose arms (24) each comprise a carriage (30) that accommodates one end of said grill (22), whose carriages (30) are guided horizontally and are mobile above the box or boxes (2), by appropriate means, to place the said hoppers (15) in correspondence with each row of alveoli (4) to be filled.

3.

 Boxing installation according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises two carriages

(30) arranged to accommodate at least two grills (22) of hoppers (15), whose grills (22) are arranged side by side to allow, in cooperation with a head (13) and an arrival of appropriate products, the simultaneous boxing of at least two rows of alveoli (4), not adjacent, of the box.

Four.

 Boxing installation according to claim 3, characterized in that each carriage (30) comprises means for receiving the grill or the grills (22) and these means are constituted by vertical spikes (39) in which the ends of the ends are threaded. cited grills (22); the aforementioned grills being blocked in these spikes (39) by appropriate complementary means.

5.

 Boxing installation according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the grill (22) of hoppers (15) is constituted by a pair of stringers (36) and by several sleepers (37, 38) that delimit the hoppers (15) and of which some are used for the assembly of said stringers (36), whose sleepers (37, 38) and stringers (36) define the shape and section of the inlet opening of said hoppers (15) for the passage of the products (1), whose openings correspond to funnels that are delimited, on the one hand, by the internal walls (42) of the said stringers (36) and by the mentioned sleepers (37, 38) and, by another, by guides that extend below the level of the mentioned stringers (36) and sleepers (37, 38).

6.

 Boxing installation according to claim 5, characterized in that the rails (36) of the grill (22) are each constituted by a profile made of folded sheet with: - a horizontal upper surface (41), - an edge (40) external reinforcement in square and - an internal surface (42) constituting one of the walls of the hopper (15), whose wall comprises, at the level of each hopper (15), at least one stud that, once folded towards the inside of the profile, it forms a kind of staple (47) to allow the fixing of the different flexible plates (45) that extend said surface (42), whose flexible plates (45) comprise, in their length, an arrangement in the form of an oblong hole (48) and these are blocked, at the level of its upper limb or heel, by blockage in the square fold of the crossbar (36), between its upper surface (41) and its outer edge (40).

7.

 Boxing installation according to claim 6, characterized in that the crossbars (37) for assembly of the stringers (36) have a U-shaped section turned and receive the upper part of the plates

(46) flexible that are in the form of a fingerboard, whose plates (46) are assembled by wedging in said U by means of a wedge (50) that is maintained by bolts interposed between the two.