US 12,319,459 B2
Machine for packaging groups of tissue products and method for checking the conformity of layers of groups of tissue products
Gianfranco Loperfido, Lugo (IT); Roberto Ponti, Faenza (IT); and William Rossi, San Giorgio di Piano (IT)
Assigned to T.M.C. S.P.A., Castel Guelfo (IT)
Appl. No. 18/009,251
Filed by T.M.C. S.P.A., Castel Guelfo (IT)
PCT Filed Jun. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/IB2021/054801
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 8, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/250506, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 102020000013987 (IT), filed on Jun. 11, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0234740 A1, Jul. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. B65B 57/14 (2006.01); B65B 11/02 (2006.01); B65B 25/14 (2006.01); B65B 35/30 (2006.01); B65B 35/40 (2006.01); B65B 35/54 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 57/14 (2013.01) [B65B 11/025 (2013.01); B65B 25/146 (2013.01); B65B 35/30 (2013.01); B65B 35/405 (2013.01); B65B 35/54 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A machine for packaging groups of tissue products comprising:
a feed station comprising a feed mechanism comprising a first conveyor configured to transport a succession of products along a feed direction;
a management station positioned downstream of said feed station and comprising:
a dosing element including a plurality of passageways positioned side by side and extending parallel to said feed direction, each passageway being configured to receive a row of a predetermined number of products, the rows of said predetermined number of products positioned side by side in the dosing element defining a layer of a group of products;
a second conveyor including a plurality of pushing elements, each pushing element being configured to push one layer of the group of products at a time coming from the dosing element along said feed direction;
a packaging station positioned downstream of said management station and configured to receive each layer of the group of products coming from said second conveyor, said packaging station comprising a packaging unit configured to wrap a wrapper around a layer of the group of products;
at least one detection device configured to detect at least one filling parameter relative to a number and/or a dimension and/or an orientation of the products forming said layer of the group of products in the passageways of the dosing element, and generating a signal according to said at least one filling parameter;
a processing and control unit connected to said at least one detection device and configured to receive said signal and compare said signals with reference signal relating to a reference layer, to determine either an acceptance condition, when the layer of the group of products is consistent with the reference layer, or a rejection condition, when the layer of the group of products is not consistent with the reference layer;
a rejection system connected to said processing and control unit and configured to be activated to eject the layer of the group of products when the rejection condition has been determined;
wherein the rejection system is integrated with a surface of said second conveyor and comprises a movable portion inserted or insertable in a matching seat made on said surface, said movable portion being movable between a fixed position, wherein said movable portion is inserted in the matching seat to allow the sliding of said layers on the second conveyor, and a spaced-apart position, wherein said movable portion is in a distal position with respect to said matching seat to cause an expulsion by gravity of a layer in the eliminating condition.