| CPC B65B 7/285 (2013.01) [B65B 7/164 (2013.01); B65B 7/165 (2013.01); B65B 7/2857 (2013.01); B65B 7/2878 (2013.01); B65B 7/2892 (2013.01); B65B 51/14 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
|
1. An apparatus for applying a lid (2) to a support (3) containing a product, wherein the support (3) comprises a bottom wall (4) and one or more lateral walls (5) which extend upwards starting from a perimetric edge (6) of the bottom wall (4), the bottom wall (4) and said one or more lateral walls (5) together defining a housing (9) into which the product is inserted and each lateral wall (5) extending from a lower edge (7), connected to the perimetric edge (6), to an upper edge (8);
said apparatus (1) comprising:
a supporting element (10), which defines a seat (12) for receiving, in use, the support (3) and which has at least one contact portion (13); and
a closing element (11), which is operatively associated with the supporting element (10), which is configured to apply in use the lid (2) to the support (3) and which has at least one fixing portion (17);
wherein:
the seat (12) is open at the top and has one or more lateral surfaces (16) for supporting in use the one or more lateral walls (5), the one or more lateral surfaces (16) defining said at least one contact portion (13);
at least one of either the supporting element (10) or the closing element (11) is movable relative to the other, along a movement trajectory (18), between a home position, in which the supporting element (10) and the closing element (11) are uncoupled from each other to allow access to the seat (12), and a working position, in which the supporting element (10) and the closing element (11) are coupled to each other and the closing element (11) is partly inserted into the seat (12);
the apparatus (1) also comprises a blocking element (22) which is switchable between an inactive configuration, in which it is disassociated from the supporting element (10), and an active configuration, in which it is associated with the supporting element (10) and in which it defines an undercut relative to a line of extraction of the support (3) from the seat (12), the blocking element (22) being kept in the active configuration during the movement of said at least one of either the supporting element (10) or the closing element (11) from the working position towards the home position; and
the blocking element (22) comprises at least one hooking tooth (23) which defines the undercut, and wherein the hooking tooth (23) is configured to make contact, in use, with the upper edge (8) of at least one of said one or more lateral walls (5) during the movement of said at least one of either the supporting element (10) or the closing element (11) from the working position towards the home position, when the blocking element (22) is in the active position;
wherein moreover, when the supporting element (10) and the closing element (11) are in the working position:
the at least one fixing portion (17) is inserted inside the seat (12); and
the at least one fixing portion (17) and the at least one contact portion (13) are coupled to each other for, in use, clamping between them a part of the lid (2) and a part of at least one of said one or more lateral walls (5) included between the lower edge (7) and the upper edge (8);
and wherein the at least one fixing portion (17) is configured to fix to each other, in use, the part of the lid (2) and said part of the at least one of the one or more lateral walls (5), which are clamped between the at least one fixing portion (17) and the at least one contact portion (13).
|