US 11,981,463 B2
Dosing device for feeding an infusion product
Sauro Rivola, Ozzano Dell'Emilia (IT); Andrea Sermenghi, Ozzano Dell'Emilia (IT); Luca Bernardini, Ozzano Dell'Emilia (IT); and Dylan Forni, Ozzano Dell'Emilia (IT)
Assigned to I.M.A. INDUSTRIAL MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE S.P.A., Ozzano Dell'Emilia (IT)
Appl. No. 17/608,855
Filed by I.M.A. INDUSTRIA MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE S.p.A., Ozzano Dell'Emilia (IT)
PCT Filed May 19, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/054728
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 4, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/234762, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 26, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 102019000007077 (IT), filed on May 22, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0315255 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B65B 1/34 (2006.01); B65B 1/08 (2006.01); B65B 1/12 (2006.01); B65B 29/02 (2006.01); B65B 57/14 (2006.01); G01G 19/393 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 1/34 (2013.01) [B65B 1/08 (2013.01); B65B 1/12 (2013.01); B65B 29/028 (2017.08); B65B 57/145 (2013.01); G01G 19/393 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A dosing device for feeding an infusion product for making filter bags, said dosing device comprising:
a deposit tower configured to contain an infusion product;
a plurality of tubular channels in communication with the deposit tower; each tubular channel of said plurality of tubular channels being actuated by a corresponding actuation device between a first configuration in which the tubular channel retains the infusion product and a second configuration in which the infusion product is released from the tubular channel;
a first plurality of receiving containers individually associated with each tubular channel of the plurality of tubular channels; each receiving container being provided with a wall which is movable between a closed position for retaining the infusion product inside the corresponding receiving container and an open position for allowing escape by falling of the infusion product from the corresponding receiving container;
a fixed platform supporting the first plurality of receiving containers;
a plurality of weighing elements supported by the fixed platform and individually associated with a respective receiving container of the first plurality of receiving containers; each weighing element of the first plurality of receiving containers being configured to measure an overall weight consisting of a weight of the receiving container and a weight of the infusion product inside the receiving container;
a control unit in communication with each actuation device and with each weighing element, and configured to detect the overall weight measured by each weighing element, and command the actuation device to actuate the corresponding tubular channel in said second configuration until a predetermined quantity of infusion product has been released, and
a plurality of reference weighing elements associated to the fixed platform, wherein each reference weighing element of said plurality of reference weighing elements is positioned close to a corresponding weighing element of said plurality of weighing elements, and supports a reference mass of a reference weight, and is in communication with the control unit to transmit a signal equivalent to a weight which has been measured by the corresponding reference weighing element to the control unit;
wherein the control unit is programmed to compare the overall weight measured by the corresponding weighing element with the reference weight measured by the corresponding reference weighing element, in order to obtain a weighing data based on a difference between the overall weight and the reference weight that have been measured, and wherein said control unit controls the corresponding actuation device to thereby modify actuation of the corresponding tubular channel, to modify the quantity of the infusion product that has to be released from the tubular channel, when the weighing data is outside a predetermined range;
wherein each actuation device is connected to and configured to rotate the corresponding tubular channel about a respective longitudinal axis.