HOPPER FOR A PACKER MACHINE TO PACK SMOKING ARTICLES

Abstract

 A hopper (33) for a packer machine (29) to pack smoking articles; the hopper (33) has: one single upper inlet (48), from which the smoking articles enter the hopper (33) ; at least one lower outlet mouth (51), which is designed to form at least one group (14) of smoking articles and is divided, on the inside, by a plurality of walls defining small channels (52) within which the smoking articles are arranged in substantially vertical stacks; and two independent channels (53), which both originate from the single upper inlet (48), lead into the lower outlet mouth (51), are distinct and separate from one another, are parallel to one another and arranged side by side along their entire extension.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102019000019970 filed on 29/10/2019.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to a hopper for a packer machine to pack smoking articles.

[0003] The present invention is advantageously applied to a hopper for cigarettes, to which the following disclosure will make explicit reference without thereby losing generality.

PRIOR ART

[0004] As is known, in the production of packs of cigarettes the hoppers are used to sort masses of smoking articles so as to be able to insert them, in groups or rows, inside a packing material to be used for producing a pack.

[0005] A hopper of a known type has a vertical development and comprises: an inlet portion for entry of the cigarettes arranged in disorderly masses into the hopper, a plurality of outlet mouths, each of which comprises a plurality of vertical veins (or small channels) for discharge of the cigarettes from the hopper (with the aid of suitable extractor means), and a connection area, which connects the inlet portion to the outlet mouths and is delimited by side walls with which the cigarettes come into contact during their descent.

[0006] To date, the need to increase the productivity of packer machines to pack cigarettes is increasingly felt. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the descent speed of the cigarettes within the hoppers towards the outlet mouths.

[0007] The hopper described in patent applications WO2018214648A1, WO2019049058A1 and WO2019049046A1 has a high descent speed of the cigarettes towards the outlet mouths without causing blockage i.e., unwanted obstructions of one or more outlet mouths caused by incorrect positioning, i.e., orientation, of one or more cigarettes. This result is obtained thanks to the presence of two distinct and specular small channels which are arranged respectively on the right and on the left and flow into a free chamber which is arranged immediately above the outlet mouths. Each channel is "V" shaped (arranged horizontally) and is delimited laterally by motor-driven conveyor belts; i.e., each section of each channel is internally delimited by an internal conveyor belt and is externally delimited by an external conveyor belt facing and opposite the internal conveyor belt.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a hopper for a packer machine to pack smoking articles, which hopper has a reduced overall dimension without penalizing any of its performances.

[0009] According to the present invention, a hopper is provided for a packer machine to pack smoking articles, according to what is claimed in the attached claims.

[0010] The claims describe embodiments of the present invention forming an integral part of the present description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment, wherein:

• Figure 1 is a front perspective view and in a closed configuration of a rigid pack of cigarettes;
• Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the pack of cigarettes of Figure 1 in a closed configuration;
• Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the pack of cigarettes of Figure 1 in an open configuration;
• Figure 4 is a front perspective view of a wrap of the pack of Figure 1;
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of a group of cigarettes contained in the wrap of Figure 4;
• Figure 6 is a plan view of a wrapping sheet used to make the wrap of Figure 4;
• Figure 7 is a plan view of a collar of the pack of cigarettes of Figure 1;
• Figure 8 is a plan view of a blank used to make an outer container provided with a hinged lid of the pack of cigarettes of Figure 1;
• Figure 9 is a perspective view, schematic and with parts removed for clarity of a packer machine which produces the pack of cigarettes of Figure 1 and is made according to the present invention;
• Figure 10 is a schematic and plan view of part of the packer machine of Figure 9;
• Figure 11 is a schematic and side view of part of the packer machine of Figure 9;
• Figure 12 is a front view of a hopper of the packer machine of Figure 9;
• Figure 13 is a front view on an enlarged scale of a detail of the hopper of Figure 13;
• Figure 14 is a perspective view of a pocket of a forming conveyor of the packer machine of Figure 9;
• Figures 15 and 16 are two different perspective views of a grouping unit of the packer machine of Figure 9 with the removal of parts for clarity; and
• Figures 17-25 schematically illustrate the operation of the grouping unit of Figures 15 and 16.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0012] In Figures 1, 2 and 3 number 1 denotes as a whole a rigid "twin" pack of cigarettes. The pack 1 of cigarettes comprises an outer container 2 made of a cup-shaped cardboard or rigid paperboard and a pair of wraps 3 (one of which is better illustrated in Figure 4) housed side by side inside the container 2.

[0013] The outer container 2 has an open upper end and is provided with a lid 4, which is cup-shaped and is hinged to the outer container 2 along a hinge 5 (illustrated in Figure 2) so as to rotate, relative to the outer container 2, between an open position (illustrated in Figure 3) and a closed position (illustrated in Figures 1 and 2) of the open upper end. The outer container 2 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape oriented according to a prevalently vertical development direction, is cup-shaped, and has an open upper end, a lower wall 6 opposite the open upper end, a front wall 7 and a rear wall 8 (in which the hinge 5 is obtained) parallel and opposite to one another, and two side walls 9 parallel and opposite to one another. Four longitudinal edges are defined between the front 7, rear 8 and side 9 walls of the outer container 2, while four transverse edges are defined between the walls 7, 8 and 9 and the lower wall 6 of the outer container 2.

[0014] The lid 4 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, is cup-shaped, and has an open lower end (facing the open upper end of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position), an upper wall 10 (which is parallel and opposite the lower wall 6 of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position), a front wall 11 (which is parallel to and aligned with the front wall 7 of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position), a rear wall 12 (which is parallel to and aligned with the rear wall 8 of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position and is hinged to the rear wall 8 of the outer container 2 along the hinge 5), and two side walls 13 parallel and opposite to one another (which are parallel and aligned, in particular coplanar and adjacent, to the side walls 9 of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position). Four longitudinal edges are defined between the front 11, rear 12 and side 13 walls of the lid 4, while four transverse edges are defined between the walls 11, 12 and 13 and the upper wall 10 of the lid 4. The longitudinal edges and the transverse edges of the lid 4 are parallel to and aligned with the corresponding longitudinal and transverse edges of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position.

[0015] Each pack 3 encloses a group 14 of cigarettes (illustrated in Figure 5) having a parallelepiped shape. Furthermore, each wrap 3 has, at the top and at the front, a removable portion 15 which is separated from the rest of the wrap 3 by a pre-weakened tear-off line 16; at the first opening of pack 1 of cigarettes, the user grabs and tears the removable portion 15 to access the underlying cigarettes of the group 14 of cigarettes.

[0016] According to what is illustrated in Figures 3 and 7, the pack 1 of cigarettes comprises, furthermore, a rigid collar 17, which is connected (by gluing) folded in a "U" shape inside the outer container 2 to partially protrude outside the open upper end of the outer container 2 and to engage a corresponding inner surface of the lid 4 when the lid 4 is arranged in the closed position. The collar 17 comprises a front wall 18, which is connected to the front wall 7 of the container 2 and is arranged in contact with the front wall 11 of the lid 4 when the lid 4 is in the closed position, and two side walls 19, which are connected to the side walls 9 of the container 2 and are arranged in contact with the side walls 13 of the lid 4 when the lid 4 is in the closed position. According to the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the front wall 18 of the collar 17 is provided with a pair of extensions 20 which protrude laterally to engage with interference the side walls 13 of the lid 4 when the lid 4 is in the closed position so as to keep the lid 4 in the closed position. According to a different embodiment not illustrated, the front wall 18 of the collar 17 is devoid of the extensions 20.

[0017] According to what is illustrated in Figure 6, each pack 3 is made by folding, around the group 14 of cigarettes, a wrapping sheet 21 provided on one side of the tear-off line 16, which delimits the removable portion 15.

[0018] As illustrated in Figure 8, the outer container 2 and the lid 4 are made by folding a conventional blank 28.

[0019] In Figure 9, number 29 denotes as a whole a packer machine which is designed to produce the pack 1 of cigarettes described above and operates with intermittent motion (i.e., a motion which involves a cyclic alternation of motion steps and stop steps).

[0020] The packer machine 29 comprises a frame 30 which rests on the ground by means of a plurality of feet (not illustrated) and is formed by the joining of two bodies 31 and 32 arranged side by side; in particular, the body 31 has a front wall and a side wall on which the operating members are arranged (partially described in the following) while the body 32 has (only) one front wall on which all the operating members are arranged (partially described in following).

[0021] The packer machine 29 comprises a forming unit A in which the groups 14 of cigarettes are formed in succession, a wrapping unit B in which a respective wrapping sheet 21 is wrapped around each group 2 of cigarettes to make a wrap 3, a grouping unit C (coupling) in which the wraps 3 are grouped in pairs (coupled) to form the content of the packs 1 of cigarettes, and a wrapping unit D in which, around each pair of grouped (coupled) wraps 3 a collar 17 and a blank 28 are wound to form an outer container 2 provided with a lid 4.

[0022] The forming unit A for forming the groups 14 of cigarettes comprises a hopper 33 provided with three outlet mouths 34 for simultaneously feeding three pairs of groups 14 of cigarettes (i.e., six groups 14 of cigarettes) to three respective pockets 35 of a forming conveyor 36 which supports a plurality of pockets 35 (each of which, as better described in the following, houses two groups 14 of cigarettes at a time). The forming conveyor 36 comprises an annular-shaped conveyor belt, which is wound around two end pulleys (one of which is motor-driven), supports the pockets 35 and moves at step in order to cyclically move the pockets 35 along a forming path P1 (illustrated in Figure 10). As better illustrated in Figure 10, the forming path P1 develops between an inlet station S1, in which each group 14 of cigarettes is extracted from an outlet mouth 34 of the hopper 33 and enters a corresponding pocket 35, and a transfer station S2, in which each group 14 of cigarettes is extracted from the corresponding pocket 35.

[0023] As illustrated in Figure 10, the wrapping unit B comprises a wrapping conveyor 37 designed to feed two side by side groups 14 of cigarettes (extracted together from a same pocket 35 of the forming conveyor 36 in the transfer station S2) along a straight and horizontal wrapping path P2. In particular, the wrapping path P2 extends from the transfer station S2, in which the wrapping conveyor 37 extracts two groups 14 of cigarettes at a time from the corresponding pocket 35 of the forming conveyor 36, passes through a feeding station S3, in which each group 14 of cigarettes is coupled to a corresponding wrapping sheet 21 which folds in a "U" shape around the group 14 of cigarettes, and ends in a transfer station S5, in which two side by side wraps 3 (each formed by a wrapping sheet 21 folded around a group 14 of cigarettes) leave the wrapping conveyor 37 (to enter the grouping unit C).

[0024] As illustrated in Figure 11, the wrapping conveyor 37 comprises an annular-shaped conveyor belt 38, which is wound around two end pulleys (one of which is motor-driven) and supports a plurality of pairs of pushers 39, each of which is connected to the conveyor belt 38 by means of a support column (narrow, i.e., narrower than the pusher 39) and is designed to engage a rear wall of a corresponding group 14 of cigarettes to push the group 14 of cigarettes along the wrapping path P2. In other words, the wrapping conveyor 37 comprises two twin horizontal small channels, parallel and side by side, each delimited at least below and laterally (preferably also at the top in its initial part), is arranged along the wrapping path P2, and contains, on the inside, each group 14 of cigarettes while the group 14 of cigarettes advances along the wrapping path P2 pushed from the back by a corresponding pusher 39.

[0025] Along the wrapping path P2 (and therefore at the wrapping conveyor 37) a feeding station S3 is provided, in which each wrapping sheet 21 is arranged to be intercepted by a corresponding group 14 of cigarettes around which the wrapping sheet 21 folds in "U" shape; in other words, each group 14 of cigarettes by advancing along the wrapping path P2 intercepts a corresponding wrapping sheet 21 arranged in the feeding station S3, causing the wrapping sheet 21 to be folded in a "U" shape.

[0026] The packer machine 29 comprises a feeding device 40 which cyclically feeds pairs of wrapping sheets 21 into the feeding station S3, i.e., arranges each pair of wrapping sheets 21 in the feeding station S3 so that the wrapping sheets 21 are intercepted by two corresponding groups 14 of cigarettes which advance along the wrapping path P2. As illustrated in Figure 9, the feeding device 40 comprises an unwinding station in which a strip 41 of wrapping material is unwound from a reel 42 and is fed (passing alongside the hopper 33) towards a cutting member 43 of known type which is arranged above the feeding station S3 and cyclically performs both a longitudinal cut of the strip 41 of wrapping material and a transverse cut of the strip 41 of wrapping material to separate pairs of wrapping sheets 21 from the strip 41 of wrapping material. The feeding device 40 could also comprise a processing member (for example an embosser) which is arranged between the unwinding station and the cutting member 43 and performs a processing (for example an embossing) of the strip 41 of wrapping material.

[0027] As illustrated in Figure 10, the wrapping unit B comprises a pair of folding devices 44 which are arranged along the wrapping path P2 downstream of the feeding station S3 and are designed to fold two open side ends of each wrapping sheet 21 folded in a "U" shape around a corresponding group 14 of cigarettes to form a tubular wrap having an open rear end. Preferably, each folding device 44 comprises only folding profiles (i.e., folding helices) which are fixed (i.e., completely devoid of moving parts) and are arranged on opposite sides of the wrapping path P2.

[0028] As illustrated in Figure 10, the wrapping unit B comprises a pair of folding devices 45 which are arranged along the wrapping path P2 downstream of the folding devices 44 and are designed to complete the folding of each wrapping sheet 21 around the corresponding group 14 of cigarettes (and therefore to finish the production of the wrap 3) to close the open rear end (i.e., left open previously by the corresponding folding device 44).

[0029] The wrapping path P2 begins in the transfer station S2 (in which the groups 14 of cigarettes enter the wrapping conveyor 37 two by two) and ends in the transfer station S5 (in which the wraps 3 leave the conveyor 37, two by two, to enter the grouping unit C). As illustrated in Figure 9, the packer machine 29 comprises a transfer conveyor 46 which receives the wraps 3 from the grouping unit C (as better described in the following) and feeds the wraps 3 along a straight transfer path P3 and perpendicular to the wrapping path P2 up to a transfer station S6 (in which the wraps 3 leave the transfer conveyor 46). The transfer conveyor 46 comprises an annular-shaped conveyor belt, which is wound around two end pulleys (one of which is motor-driven), supports a plurality of pockets 47 each suitable for housing a corresponding pair of wraps 3 side by side (grouped), and moves at step in order to cyclically move the pockets 47 along the transfer path P3 from the grouping unit C to the transfer station S6.

[0030] As illustrated in Figures 12 and 13, the hopper 33 is designed to contain a compact mass of cigarettes (not illustrated) fed to one single upper inlet 48 of the hopper 33 by means of a horizontal feeding channel connected to a cigarette packaging machine (not illustrated). The hopper 33, within which the cigarettes, horizontally side by side, are fed transversely to their respective axes, comprises an upper part 49 and a lower part 50, both delimited at the front and at the rear by respective fixed vertical walls (i.e., devoid of moving parts).

[0031] The lower part 50 of the hopper 33 comprises three equidistant lower outlet mouths 51 (better illustrated in Figure 13), which are closed at the bottom by respective horizontal bottom plates, are laterally delimited by respective side walls and are divided, on the inside, by a plurality of walls or partitions defining the small channels 52 within which the cigarettes are arranged in substantially vertical stacks. Each outlet mouth 51 is designed to form two side by side groups 14 of cigarettes which are extracted together from the outlet mouth 51.

[0032] The upper part 49 of the hopper 33 is divided, starting from the upper inlet 48, into two independent channels 53 which are distinct, separate and side by side (the two channels 53 are arranged parallel and side by side to one another along their entire extension) ; the channels 53 have two respective initial segments 54 which are parallel and side by side to one another proceeding from top to bottom and two respective final segments 55 which are parallel and side by side to one another proceeding from top to bottom. Consequently, a wall of a channel 53 is adjacent to a wall of the other channel 53 along the entire extension of the channels 53. In other words, each channel 53 has a "V" shape arranged horizontally, (i.e., rotated by 90°), in which the two branches of the "V" are formed by the respective initial segment 54 and by the respective final segment 55. According to the (non-limiting) embodiment illustrated in Figure 12, in each channel 53 the initial segment 54 has an inclination of 45° relative to the vertical and the final segment 55 has an inclination of 45° relative to the vertical opposite to the inclination of the initial segment 54; consequently, in each channel 53 the initial segment 54 is perpendicular (i.e., angled by 90 °) relative to the final segment 55.

[0033] The final segments 55 lead into a chamber 56 which belongs to the lower part 50 of the hopper 33 and is arranged immediately above the outlet mouths 51.

[0034] To summarize, the structure of the upper part 49 of the hopper 33 has a substantially "zig-zag" conformation (i.e., both channels 53 form, together, a vertical structure with a "zig-zag" shape), in which the two channels 53 are arranged parallel and side by side to one another along their entire extension from the single upper inlet 48 (common to both channels 53) up to the chamber 56.

[0035] Each segment 54 and 55 is delimited by two opposing conveyor belts 57 (i.e., arranged one in front of the other) and in which a conveyor 57 is arranged above the other conveyor 57, and positioned at a given distance from one another. other (i.e., the two conveyor belts 57 of each segment 54 or 55 are preferably parallel and one of them is arranged in the upper position and the other in the lower position). Each pair of conveyor belts 57 defines the opposite side walls of the corresponding segment 54 or 55 of the channel 53 against which the cylindrical side walls of the cigarettes rest.

[0036] Between the various conveyor belts 57 fixed profiles 58 can be interposed (i.e., fixed side boards that guide the advancement of the cigarettes) which are more or less triangular in shape and are preferably made up of a rigid metal or plastic profile.

[0037] Each conveyor belt 57 comprises two end pulleys (one of which is in the upper position and the other is in the lower position) and a conveyor belt which is wound in a loop around the two end pulleys and is moved by the two end pulleys. According to a preferred (but not limiting) embodiment, in each conveyor belt 57 an end pulley is motor-driven (i.e., it is connected to an actuator to be set in rotation) while the other end pulley is idle.

[0038] According to a possible embodiment, each conveyor belt 57 comprises its own electric motor which is mechanically independent from the electric motors of the other conveyor belts 57; in this way, each conveyor belt 57 can potentially be driven at a different speed from the other conveyor belts 57. According to an alternative embodiment, the two conveyor belts 57 of each segment 54 or 55 of the same channel 53 share the same electric motor which drives (by means of suitable mechanical transmissions) both conveyor belts 57; in this way, each segment 54 or 55 can potentially be driven at a different speed from the other segments 54 and 55. According to an alternative embodiment, the four conveyor belts 57 of each channel 53 share the same electric motor which drives (by means of suitable mechanical transmissions) all four conveyor belts 57; in this way, each channel 53 can potentially be driven with a different speed from the other channel 53. According to an alternative embodiment, the four conveyor belts 57 of the two initial segments 54 share the same electric motor which drives (by means of suitable mechanical transmissions) all four conveyor belts 57 and the four conveyor belts 57 of the two final segments 55 share the same electric motor which drives (by means of suitable mechanical transmissions) all four conveyor belts 57; in this way, the two initial segments 54 can potentially be operated with a different speed from the two final segments 55. According to an alternative embodiment, the eight conveyor belts 57 of the two channels 53 share the same electric motor which drives (by means of suitable mechanical transmissions) all eight conveyor belts 57; in this way, all eight conveyor belts 57 of the two channels 53 must necessarily be operated at the same speed.

[0039] Preferably, the conveyor belts 57 have a continuous motion with variable speed (essentially depending on the hourly productivity of the packer machine, or on the number of packs 1 of cigarettes produced in the unit of time).

[0040] According to a preferred embodiment, the hopper 33 is provided with two filling sensors 59 (one for each channel 53) which detect the filling degree of the hopper 33 (particularly in the transition area between the upper part 49 and the lower part 50, i.e., at the end of the channels 53) and according to the filling level of the hopper 33, the advancement speed of the conveyor belts 57, which form the side walls of the channels 53, is adjusted. In combination or alternatively, the hopper 33 is provided with speed sensors which detect (directly or indirectly) the descent speed of the cigarettes along the channels 53 and (also) according to the descent speed of the cigarettes along the channels 53, the advancement speed of the conveyor belts 57, which form the side walls of the channels 53, is adjusted.

[0041] Each filling sensor 59 comprises a flexible belt 60 which is fixed (at least at one end) to a fixed side board of the hopper 33 and is free to be deformed by the presence of the cigarettes which descend along the hopper 33. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 12, each flexible belt 60 is fixed to a fixed side board of the hopper 33 only at one of its upper ends, while a lower end of the flexible belt 60 opposite the upper end is completely free (i.e., it has no mechanical constraints that impose a precise and predefined position); consequently, the lower end of each flexible belt 60 tends to descend (fall) downwards by gravity until it rests on the underlying cigarettes (when present). According to a different embodiment not illustrated, both ends of each flexible belt 60 are fixed to a fixed side board of the hopper 33 and therefore the flexible belt 60 has less freedom to deform.

[0042] A cavity 61 is formed next to each flexible belt 60 which is arranged next to the flexible belt 60 and inside which the flexible belt 60 can be arranged under the thrust of the cigarettes present in the hopper 33; in particular, the upper end of each flexible belt 60 is fixed to an upper edge of the corresponding cavity 61.

[0043] When the chamber 56 is completely full of cigarettes, each flexible belt 60 is pushed into the corresponding cavity 61 by the cigarettes until it (almost) adheres to the wall of the cavity 61. Instead, when the chamber 56 is at least partially empty, each flexible belt 60 descends downwards by gravity until it gives the flexible belt 60 a substantially vertical configuration (as illustrated in Figure 12); obviously, depending on the filling degree of the chamber 56, each flexible belt 60 can assume all the possible configurations between the two extreme configurations corresponding to the completely empty chamber 56 and to the completely full chamber 56.

[0044] Each flexible belt 60 can be formed for example by a net of metallic material (typically a mesh net), by a net of plastic material, or by a strip of plastic material; more generally, the flexible belt 60 can be made in any way that allows the flexible belt 60 to have sufficient flexibility to deform under the thrust of the cigarettes contained in a chamber 6 without, at the same time, the flexible belt 60 interfering with the downward movement of the cigarettes or that the flexible belt 60 can deform (damage) the cigarettes. In other words, it is the flexible belt 60 that must adapt to the shape of the cigarettes and not vice versa (i.e., the cigarettes must not change their shape under the thrust of the flexible belt 60).

[0045] Each filling sensor 59 comprises a detector 62 (for example of the optical or proximity type) which is coupled to a corresponding flexible belt 60 and is designed to detect the position of the flexible belt 60.

[0046] The hopper 33 comprises a control unit which supervises the operation of the hopper 33 and drives both the conveyor belts 57, which form the side walls of the two channels 53, and the conveyors that adjust the entering of the cigarettes from the top into the hopper 33 for maintaining the filling degree of the chamber 56 (detected in real time by the filling sensors 59) in the proximity of a desired (optimal) value. In other words, the control unit adjusts in feedback the filling degree of the chamber 56 by using, as a feedback variable, the one measured by the filling sensors 59.

[0047] It is important to note that the desired (optimal) value of the filling degree of the chamber 56 may not be constant, but may be variable according to the actual speed of the packer machine 29: generally (but not necessarily) the desired (optimal) value of the filling degree of the chamber 56 is smaller when the packer machine 29 is slower and is larger when the packer machine 29 is faster.

[0048] Figure 14 illustrates, in detail, a pocket 35 of the forming conveyor 36; each pocket 35 comprises a support body 63 in which two side by side seats 64 are formed, each designed to receive a group 14 of cigarettes. When a pocket 35 is stationary in front of an outlet mouth 51 of the hopper 33, a comb pusher (driven by a linear electric motor) which moves perpendicularly to the forming path P1 gathers together, from the outlet mouth 51, two side by side groups 14 of cigarettes and inserts them together into the two seats 64 of the pocket 35. Each pocket 35 comprises a base 65 on which the support body 63 is mounted and which is designed to be coupled by means of a dovetail joint with an underlying track 66 integral with the conveyor belt of the forming conveyor 36. A locking system is provided which binds the base 65 to the underlying track 66 so as to prevent the base 65 from sliding along the track 66 when the base 65 reaches the desired position; said locking system can be deactivated by acting on respective side levers 67 to remove the base 65. In this way, during a format change operation, the disassembly of the pockets 35 designed for the old format and the subsequent assembly of the pockets 35 designed for the new format is particularly quick and simple.

[0049] As previously stated, the grouping unit C is arranged between the wrapping conveyor 37 and the transfer conveyor 46, cyclically receives, from the wrapping conveyor 37 and in the transfer station S5, a pair of wraps 3 that are arranged at an inlet distance I (illustrated in Figure 17) from one another, brings (i.e. groups, couples) the two wraps 3 close together to arrange them at an outlet distance O (illustrated in Figure 17) smaller than the inlet distance I, and therefore releases the two grouped (coupled) wraps 3 to a pocket 47 of the transfer conveyor 46. In particular, the wrapping conveyor 37 cyclically feeds along the wrapping path P2 a pair of wraps 3 arranged together at the inlet distance I, while the transfer conveyor 46 feeds its own pockets 47 each containing a pair of grouped wraps 3 (i.e., arranged at the outlet distance O from one another) along the transfer path P3.

[0050] As illustrated in Figure 17, the grouping unit C comprises four pockets 68, 69, 70 and 71, each of which is designed to house a respective wrap 3. Furthermore, the grouping unit C comprises two outlet stations S8 and S9 and an inlet station S7 arranged between the two outlet stations S8 and S9 (and arranged at the transfer station S5).

[0051] The grouping unit C comprises an insertion device 72 (schematically illustrated in Figure 17), which is designed to simultaneously insert two wraps 3 received together from the wrapping conveyor 37 and arranged together at the inlet distance I into the pocket 68 and into the pocket 69 which are, together, in the inlet station S7 (as illustrated in Figures 17, 18 and 19) or in the pocket 70 and 71 which are, together, in the inlet station S7 (as illustrated in Figures 21, 22, 23 and 24).

[0052] The grouping unit C comprises an extraction device 73 (schematically illustrated in Figure 17), which is designed to simultaneously extract two wraps 3 arranged together at the outlet distance O from the pocket 68 and from the pocket 69 which are, together in the outlet station S8 (as illustrated in Figures 21, 22, 23 and 24) or from the pocket 70 and from the pocket 71 which are, together, in the outlet station S9 (as illustrated in Figures 17, 18 and 19) that is opposite to the outlet station S8 relative to the inlet station S7.

[0053] The grouping unit C comprises a movement device 74 (illustrated in Figure 15 and partially in Figure 16), which is designed to move the pocket 68 and the pocket 69 along a horizontal movement direction D1 between the inlet station S7 and the outlet station S8 and at the same time is designed to move the pocket 70 and the pocket 71 between the outlet station S9 and the inlet station S7; obviously, when the pocket 68 and the pocket 69 are located together in the inlet station S7 (as illustrated in Figures 17, 18 and 19) the pocket 70 and the pocket 71 are located together in the outlet station S9 while when the pocket 68 and the pocket 69 are located together in the outlet station S8 (as illustrated in Figures 21, 22, 23 and 24), the pocket 70 and the pocket 71 are located together in the inlet station S7.

[0054] As is well illustrated in Figure 17, the inlet station S7 and the outlet stations S8 and S9 are aligned one with the other along the movement direction D1 and, as previously mentioned, the inlet station S7 is located between the two outlet stations S8 and S9. As is well illustrated in Figure 17, the four pockets 68, 69, 70 and 71 are mutually aligned along the movement direction D1; furthermore, the pocket 68 and the pocket 69 are arranged on one side while the pocket 70 and the pocket 71 are arranged on the opposite side so that the pocket 69 and the pocket 70 are located between the pocket 68 and the pocket 71 (i.e., the pockets 69 and 70 are located in the middle while pockets 68 and 71 are located at the ends).

[0055] As illustrated in Figure 15, the movement device 74 comprises a rigid support element 75 (essentially a bar arranged horizontally along the movement direction D1) which is mounted axially slidable to move alternately back and forth along the movement direction D1; the support member 75 supports the pockets 69 and 70, i.e. the pockets 69 and 70 are rigidly fixed to the rigid support member 75 and therefore move together with the rigid support member 75 (i.e. the two pockets 69 and 70 always move synchronously one with the other). Furthermore, the movement device 74 comprises a rigid support element 76 (essentially a bar arranged horizontally along the movement direction D1) which is separate and independent from the support element 75, is mounted axially sliding to move alternately back and forth along the movement direction D1, and is arranged parallel to and alongside the support element 75; the support element 76 supports the pockets 68 and 71, i.e. the pockets 68 and 71 are rigidly fixed to the rigid support element 76 and then move together with the rigid support element 76 (i.e. the two pockets 68 and 71 always move synchronously one with the other). In summary, the two pockets 69 and 70 always have the same law of motion (imposed by the support element 75) which is different from the law of motion (imposed by the support element 76) of the two pockets 68 and 71 (that always have the same law of motion).

[0056] The movement device 74 always moves the two support elements 75 and 76 along the movement direction D1 in the same direction and making the two support elements 75 and 76 travel respective differentiated strokes C1 and C2 (illustrated in Figures 20 and 25) i.e., by making the supporting elements 75 and 76 travel different distances. In particular, the movement device 74 makes the support element 75 (hence the pockets 69 and 70) travel a stroke C1 which is always greater in both directions relative to a stroke C2 travelled by the support element 76 (hence by the pockets 68 and 71).

[0057] As illustrated in Figure 15, the movement device 74 comprises a drive member 77 which moves the support element 75 along the movement direction D1 alternatively in both directions, and a drive member 78 (substantially the twin of the drive member 77) which moves the support element 76 along the movement direction D1 alternately in both directions.

[0058] The movement device 74 comprises one single common electric motor 79: the drive member 77 transmits the motion from the common electric motor 79 to the support element 75 and similarly the drive member 78 transmits the motion from the common electric motor 79 to the support element 76. According to the (non-limiting) embodiment illustrated in Figure 15, the drive member 77 comprises a rocker arm 80 which is centrally hinged to a fixed frame 81 to rotate around a horizontal rotation axis 82 and is connected (hinged) to an upper end to the support element 75; similarly, the drive member 78 comprises a rocker arm 83 which is arranged alongside the rocker arm 80, is centrally hinged to the fixed frame 81 to rotate around a horizontal rotation axis 84 (parallel to the rotation axis 82) and is connected (hinged) at an upper end to the support element 76. The two rocker arms 80 and 83 are connected to one another by means of a connecting arm 85 to rotate together about the respective rotation axes 82 and 84; that is, the connecting arm 85 is hinged to the lower ends of the two rocker arms 80 and 83 (on the opposite side of the support elements 75 and 76 relative to the rotation elements 82 and 84) to make the two rocker arms 80 and 83 angularly integral to one another. In particular, the common electric motor 79 transmits the rotation movement only to the rocker arm 80 (which in turn transmits the rotation movement to the other rocker arm 83 by means of the connecting arm 85) by means of an eccentric arm 86 which is hinged to a lever 87 angularly integral with the rocker arm 80.

[0059] As illustrated in Figure 15, it can be seen that the extension of the rocker arm 80 (i.e. the arm of the rocker arm 80 relative to the rotation axis 82) is greater than the extension of the rocker arm 83 (i.e. the arm of the rocker arm 83 relative to the rotation axis 84); in this way, with the same rotation, the rocker arm 80 gives the support element 75 (which carries the pockets 69 and 70) the stroke C1 which is greater than the stroke C2 imparted by the rocker arm 83 on the support element 76 (which carries the pockets 68 and 71).

[0060] When a format change operation requires modifying the strokes C1 and C2 of the support elements 75 and 76 (i.e., of the pockets 68, 69, 70 and 71) it may be necessary to replace components of the drive members 77 and 78 (for example the rocker arms 80 and 83); this operation is however relatively simple and fast.

[0061] According to a different embodiment not illustrated, the drive member 77 comprises a first electric motor and the drive member 78 comprises a second electric motor separate and independent from the first electric motor. In this way, when a format change operation requires modifying the strokes C1 and C2 of the support elements 75 and 76 (i.e., of the pockets 68, 69, 70 and 71) it is sufficient to update the control software of the two electric motors without any replacement of physical components.

[0062] As illustrated in Figure 17, the insertion device 72 comprises two pushers 88 which are arranged at the inlet station S7 and are movable perpendicular to the movement direction D1 along a main and horizontal direction D2; moreover, the extraction device 73 comprises two pairs of pushers 89 which are arranged at the outlet stations S8 and S9 and are movable perpendicular to the movement direction D1 along the main and horizontal direction D2.

[0063] As illustrated in Figure 16, the grouping unit C comprises: a rigid and common support element 90 which supports both the two pushers 88 of the inlet station S7, and the two pairs of pushers 89 of the outlet stations S8 and S9; in this way all the pushers 88 and 89 always move together with the same law of motion. Finally, the grouping unit C comprises a movement device 91 (partially illustrated in Figure 16 and using an articulated quadrilateral) which alternately moves the support element 90 both along the main and horizontal direction D2 perpendicular to the movement direction D1, and along a vertical secondary direction D3, perpendicular to the main direction D2 and perpendicular to the movement direction D1. In particular, the movement device 91 causes the support element 90 (hence the pushers 88 and 89 carried by the support element 90) to perform a working stroke (in which the pushers 88 and 89 push respective wraps 3) by moving the support element 90 only along the main direction D2 and causes the support element 90 to perform a return stroke (in which the pushers 88 and 89 do not touch any wrap 3) moving the support element 90 in the secondary direction D3 and downwards, then in the main direction D2 with the opposite direction relative to the working stroke, and finally in the secondary direction D3 and upwards. In other words, in the return stroke the support element 90 (therefore the pushers 88 and 89 carried by the support element 90) is lowered in order not to interfere with the wraps 3.

[0064] It should be noted that, as illustrated in Figure 15, the pockets 68, 69, 70 and 71 have a slot at the bottom through which a thin stem passes through, which connects the pushers 88 and 89 to the rest of the support element 90.

[0065] According to a possible embodiment, the movement imparted to the support element 90 by the movement device 91 could also be used to complete the folding of the wraps 3; i.e., folding elements are also connected to the support element 90 which, due to the movement of the support element 90, perform terminal folding operations on the wraps 3.

[0066] With reference to Figures 17-25, the operation of the grouping unit C is described in the following.

[0067] Initially and as illustrated in Figure 17, the pockets 68 and 69 are stationary and are located in the inlet station S7 in alignment with the wrapping conveyor 37 and therefore ready to receive two wraps 3 coming from the wrapping conveyor 37 and are arranged one with respect to the other at the inlet distance I; at the same time, the pockets 70 and 71 are stationary and are in the outlet station S9 in alignment with a pocket 47 of the transfer conveyor 46 and therefore ready to release two wraps 3 grouped in the pocket 47.

[0068] At this point, and as illustrated in Figures 18 and 19, while the pockets 68, 69, 70 and 71 are stationary, the pushers 88 and 89 complete their working stroke: the pushers 88 insert two wraps 3 which are arranged one with respect to the other at the inlet distance I into the pockets 68 and 69 which are located in the inlet station S7 and at the same time the pushers 89 extract two wraps 3 which are arranged one with respect to the other at the outlet distance O from the pockets 70 and 71, which are located in the outlet station S9 and insert the two wraps 3 into a pocket 47 of the transfer conveyor 46. In this step, the two pushers 89 of the outlet station S8 also complete their working stroke which is however done on empty since there are no pockets 68 and 69 in the outlet station S8.

[0069] Subsequently and as illustrated in Figure 19, all pockets 68, 69, 70 and 71 move in the same direction along the movement direction D1: the pockets 68 and 71 perform the shorter stroke C1 while pockets 69 and 70 complete the longer stroke C2 to move the pockets 68 and 69 from the inlet station S7 to the outlet station S8 and to move the pockets 70 and 71 from the outlet station S9 to the inlet station S7. As a result of the differentiated strokes C1 and C2, while the pockets 68 and 69, moving from the inlet station S7 to the outlet station S8 reduce their mutual distance (from the inlet distance I to the outlet distance O as the difference between the two strokes C2 and C1 is obviously equal to the difference between the inlet distance I and the outlet distance O), the pockets 70 and 71 moving from the outlet station S9 to the inlet station S7 increase their mutual distance (from the outlet distance O to the inlet distance I as the difference between the two strokes C2 and C1 is obviously equal to the difference between the inlet distance I and the outlet distance O).

[0070] As illustrated in Figures 21 and 22, at the end of the movement, the pockets 70 and 71 are stationary and are in the inlet station in alignment with the wrapping conveyor 37 and therefore ready to receive two wraps 3 which are arranged one with respect to the other at the inlet distance I and come from the wrapping conveyor 37; at the same time, the pockets 68 and 69 are stationary and are in the outlet station S8 in alignment with a pocket 47 of the transfer conveyor 46 and therefore ready to release two grouped wraps 3 into the pocket 47 (i.e. two wraps 3 which are arranged one with respect to the other at the outlet distance O).

[0071] At this point, and as illustrated in Figures 23 and 24, while the pockets 68, 69, 70 and 71 are stationary, the pushers 88 and 89 complete their working stroke: the pushers 88 insert two wraps 3 which are arranged one with respect to the other at the inlet distance I into the pockets 70 and 71 which are located in the inlet station S7 and, at the same time, the pushers 89 extract two wraps 3 which are arranged one with respect to the other at the outlet distance O from the pockets 68 and 69, which are located in the outlet station S8 and insert the two wraps 3 into a pocket 47 of the transfer conveyor 46. In this step, the two pushers 89 of the outlet station S9 also complete their work stroke which is however done on empty since there are no pockets 70 and 71 in the outlet station S8.

[0072] Subsequently and as illustrated in Figure 25, all pockets 68, 69, 70 and 71 move in the same direction along the movement direction D1: the pockets 68 and 71 make the shorter stroke C1 while the pockets 69 and 70 make the longer stroke C2 to move the pockets 70 and 71 from the inlet station S7 to the outlet station S9 and to move the pockets 68 and 69 from the outlet station S8 to the inlet station S7. As a result of the differentiated strokes C1 and C2, while the pockets 70 and 71 moving from the inlet station S7 to the outlet station S9 reduce their mutual distance (from the inlet distance I to the outlet distance O), the pockets 68 and 69 moving from the outlet station S8 to the inlet station S7 increase their mutual distance (from the outlet distance O to the inlet distance I).

[0073] At this point the grouping unit C is in the situation illustrated in Figure 17 and the cycle described above starts again.

[0074] Obviously, during the movements of the pockets 68, 69, 70 and 71 also the transfer conveyor 46 performs its own advancement steps to move the filled pockets 47 (i.e., containing groups of two wraps 3) from the outlet stations S8 and S9 and towards the transfer station S6 and replace the filled pockets 47 in the outlet stations S8 and S9 with as many empty pockets 47.

[0075] According to a preferred, but not binding, embodiment, the movement of the various components (wrapping wheels, feed conveyors, pushers, mobile folders...) of the packer machine 29 is carried out by means of respective electric motors which are mechanically independent from one another and are synchronized (i.e., moved at step) in a virtual way (i.e., not by means of a physical constraint, but by means of a control constraint). Normally an electric motor is considered as the reference ("master") and all the other electric motors ("slave"), which follow the position of the reference electric motor ("master"). To obtain linear movements (i.e., which involve a movement along a rectilinear trajectory), a rotating electric motor is generally used which rotates a pinion which meshes with a rack; that is, a "rack and pinion" mechanism is used to transform the rotary movement generated by the electric motor into a linear movement.

[0076] The embodiments described herein can be combined with each other without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0077] The hopper 33 described above has numerous advantages.

[0078] In the first place, the hopper 33 described above has a particularly reduced transverse size.

[0079] Furthermore, the hopper 33 described above guarantees a high average descent speed of the cigarettes (i.e., a high number of groups 14 of cigarettes which can be extracted in a unit of time) while presenting a low risk of jamming (i.e., of badly positioned cigarettes inside the hopper 33 with consequent slowdown or blocking of the descent of the other cigarettes).

[0080] Finally, the hopper 33 described above is simple and inexpensive to implement with respect to a similar known hopper, since it requires few and easy modifications for its construction which do not entail significant cost increases.

[0081] The grouping unit C described above also has numerous advantages.

[0082] Firstly, the grouping unit C described above allows you to operate at a high production speed (i.e., with a high number of wraps 3 produced in the unit of time) without damaging the wraps 3.

[0083] Furthermore, the grouping unit C described above allows to change the format of the packs 1 of cigarettes in a relatively simple and fast way.

[0084] Finally, the grouping unit C described above is compact and has optimal accessibility to all its components (a particularly useful feature when performing a format change).

[0085] The embodiment illustrated in the attached figures refers to the production of a pack of cigarettes, but the present invention can be applied without substantial modifications, to the production of any other type of pack of smoking articles (for example a pack of cigars, a pack of liquid vaporizing type e-cigarettes, a pack of new generation cigarettes without tobacco combustion ...).

Claims

1. A hopper (33) for a packer machine (29) to pack smoking articles; the hopper (33) comprises:

one single upper inlet (48), from which the smoking articles enter the hopper (33);

at least one lower outlet mouth (51), which is designed to form at least one group (14) of smoking articles and is divided, on the inside, by a plurality of walls defining small channels (52) within which the smoking articles are arranged in substantially vertical stacks; and

two independent channels (53), which both originate from the single upper inlet (48), lead into the lower outlet mouth (51), and are distinct and separate from one another;

the hopper (33) is characterized in that the two channels (53) are parallel to one another and arranged side by side along their entire extension.

2. The hopper (33) according to claim 1, wherein a wall of a channel (53) is adjacent to a wall of the other channel (53) along the entire extension of the channels (53).

3. The hopper (33) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein both channels (53) form, together, a vertical structure with a zigzag shape.

4. The hopper (33) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the two channels (53) comprise two respective initial segments (54), which are parallel to one another and arranged side by side, and two respective final segments (55) which are parallel to one another and arranged side by side.

5. The hopper (33) according to claim 4, wherein, in each channel (53), the initial segment (54) forms an angle other than zero with the final segment (55), thus giving the channel (53) a zigzag shape.

6. The hopper (33) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein each channel (53) has a "V" shape arranged horizontally, in which the two branches of the "V" are formed by the respective initial segment (54) and by the respective final segment (55).

7. The hopper (33) according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein, in each channel (53), the initial segment (54) has an inclination of 45° relative to the vertical and the final segment (55) has an inclination of 45° relative to the vertical, which is opposite the inclination of the initial segment (54);

8. The hopper (33) according to one of the claims from 4 to 7, wherein, in each channel (53), the initial segment (54) is perpendicular relative to the final segment (55).

9. The hopper (33) according to one of claims from 4 to 8, wherein each segment (54, 55) is delimited by two motor-driven conveyor belts (57), which are opposite one another and are placed at a given distance from one another.

10. The hopper (33) according to one of the claims from 1 to 9 and comprising two filling sensors (59), each arranged at the end of a corresponding channel (53) and designed to detect the filling degree of the hopper (33).

11. The hopper (33) according to claim 10, wherein each filling sensor (59) comprises:

a flexible belt (60) which is fixed, at least at one end, to a fixed side board of the hopper (33) and is free to be deformed by the presence of the smoking articles moving downwards along the hopper (33); and

a detector (62), which is coupled to the flexible belt (60) and is designed to detect the position of the flexible belt (60).

12. The hopper (33) according to claim 11, wherein each filling sensor (59) comprises a cavity (61), which is arranged beside the flexible belt (60) and inside which the flexible belt (60) can be arranged under the thrust of the smoking articles present in the hopper (33).

13. The hopper (33) according to claim 12, wherein the upper end of each flexible belt (60) is fixed to an upper corner of the cavity (61).

Drawing