Device for supplying an inlet line of a packing machine with flat packs contained internally of a cardboard box, and a cardboard box containing flat packs

Abstract

The device for supplying an inlet line (L) of a packing machine with flat packs contained internally of a cardboard box (C), in batteries (B) of packs superposed on one another, comprises: a rest plate ( 1 ) provided with through-holes ( 11 ), for restingly receiving the base surface (CB) of the box (C), which includes a series of through-holes (F), a series of rods ( 2 ) and moving means (M) of the rods ( 2 ), activatable in such a way as to translate the rods ( 2 ) with respect to the plate ( 1 ). The moving means (M) are commandable to translate the rods ( 2 ) with respect to the plate ( 1 ) in such a way that the rods ( 2 ) pass through the holes ( 11 ) present in the plate ( 1 ) and the holes (F) present on the base surface (CB) of the box (C), enter internally of the box (C) and raise the batteries (B) of packs present therein such that a battery (B) of packs in turn is raised into a position (P) beyond the upper open surface (I) of the box (C) and maintained in said position (P) for a time that is sufficient for all the packs of the battery to be supplied and transferred to the inlet line (L) of the packing machine.

1 . A device for supplying an inlet line of a packing machine with flat packs contained internally of a cardboard box, wherein the device comprises:
 a rest plate, which exhibits a shape and dimensions adequate for restingly receiving a base surface of the box, which is fixable with respect to the inlet line in a position such that the box, once rested on the plate, is arranged with a transversal lateral wall facing towards the inlet line of the packing machine and with an upper surface thereof open at a level corresponding to a start level of the line, and which comprises a series of through-holes, the box exhibiting the base surface thereof provided with through-holes realised in such a way as to be positioned opposite the holes present in the plate, once the box has been placed resting thereon, the packs being predisposed in the box in a row, flanked to one another such as to form a battery of flat packs, the box exhibiting dimensions such as to be able to contain a plurality of batteries of packs mutually superposed and which is provided, for each battery of packs, with a containing portion in a U-shape arranged such as to support the battery of packs and envelop the battery at least partially at the two ends thereof,   a series of rods, corresponding in number to a number of holes present in the plate, predisposed in such a way as to be coaxially aligned to the holes and exhibiting dimensions such as to be able to transit freely through the holes ;   moving means of the rods, activatable in such a way as to translate the rods with respect to the plate in two opposite translation directions, the moving means being commandable, once a box has been positioned with the relative base surface resting on the plate, in such a way as to translate the rods with respect to the plate in such a way that the rods pass through the holes present in the plate and the holes present on the base surface of the box enter internally of the box and raise the batteries of packs present therein such that a battery of packs in turn is raised into a position beyond the upper open surface of the box and maintained in said position for a time that is sufficient for all the packs of the battery to be supplied and transferred to the inlet line of the packing machine.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising retaining means of the box which are situated on the plate such as to retain the box in contact with the plate once the box has been positioned resting thereon. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the retaining means of the box comprise suckers housed in niches present in the plate. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the retaining means of the box comprise aspirating elements mounted on the surface of the plate and communicating with a source of aspiration. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the moving means of the rods comprise a frame, predisposed such as to be parallel to the plate, on which frame the rods are mounted in such a way as to be perpendicular thereto, and actuator organs connected to the frame and activatable such as to translate the frame with respect to the plate in opposite translating directions. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the actuator organs comprise a brushless motor, a threaded shaft, activatable in rotation by the brushless motor in two opposite rotation directions, a nut screw mounted rigidly on the frame, the threaded shaft being predisposed and mounted such as to be coupled to the nut screw in such a way that the activating in rotation of the shaft by the brushless motor, in a rotation direction or another, determines translation of the nut screw on the shaft in one direction or another, and thus translation of the frame and the rods with respect to the plate . 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a first pusher organ, positioned in such a way as to be arranged on an opposite side of the box with respect to the inlet line of the packing machine and which is activatable each time a battery of packs has been raised and positioned in the position beyond the upper open surface of the box such as to transfer the battery of packs from the box into the inlet line. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a storage plane situated laterally to the plate and in a position such as to be situated at a same level thereof in order to restingly receive a following box containing packs, while waiting until all the batteries of packs present internally of the box resting on the plate have been transferred to the inlet line of the packing machine. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a second pusher organ for transferring the box from the storage plane to the rest plane, once the emptied box is removed from the rest plate and the rods have been lowered. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , further comprising a conveyor belt for conveying boxes containing internally thereof flat packs positioned such that a terminal part thereof is by a flank of the storage plane, and a third pusher organ for transferring the box that has arrived at the terminal part of the conveyor on the storage plane . 
     
     
         11 . A cardboard package containing flat packs, the package comprising:
 a box provided with a base surface which exhibits a series of through-holes, the through-holes being in a number corresponding to a number of holes present in the plate of the device according to  claim 1 , and the through-holes being realised in such a way as to be positioned at the holes once the box is positioned resting on the plate and having such dimensions as to be freely passed-through by the rods of the device, and internally of the box:   a series—of batteries of flat packs superposed on one another, with the flat packs of each battery being predisposed in a row, flanked to one another;   a series of U-shaped containing portions, each of which containing portions is predisposed in such a way as to be associated to a corresponding battery of packs and being arranged internally of the box in such a way as to support the battery of packs and envelope the battery at least up to two ends thereof.   
     
     
         12 . The cardboard package of  claim 11 , wherein the box comprises, at each of upper ends of the lateral walls, flaps foldable for closing/opening an upper surface thereof, and wherein the flap of a lateral transversal wall, destined to be positioned facing towards the inlet line of the packing machine once the box has been positioned on the rest plate of the device, exhibits transversal dimensions that are such that once folded with respect to the relative lateral transversal wall for opening the upper surface of the box, the flap can be positioned and inserted between lateral containing walls of the packs present in the inlet line of the packing machine such as to constitute a support for the packs during transfer thereof from the raised position to the inlet line.