Closing apparatus and method for automatically closing smoking articles

Abstract

Closing apparatus and method for automatically closing smoking articles, each including a casing having at least one rear zone which is configured to be closed. The apparatus includes movement means and folding means configured to close the rear zone of each casing by folding an open end portion of the rear zone.

1 . Closing apparatus for automatically closing smoking article each comprising a casing having at least one rear zone configured to be closed, said apparatus comprising folding means configured for close said rear zone of each casing by means of folding, and movement means configured to move at least one of either said smoking articles or said folding means so that they move reciprocally toward each other, so that said rear zone of each casing can selectively interact with said folding means, wherein said folding means comprise both a folding member having a folding seating configured to temporarily house at least one portion of said rear zone, and also an abutment element which is communicating with said folding seating, so as to be able to abut against said rear zone when the at least one portion of said rear zone is inserted in the folding seating. 
     
     
         2 . Apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein said folding seating comprises a cavity that has a domed shape, a truncated cone shape, or a combination thereof, so that at least one flap of said rear zone of each casing, entering said folding seating, can at least partly fold. 
     
     
         3 . Apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein said abutment element is configured to move away from and close to said folding seating in order to strike and flatten in a controlled manner, one or several times, said rear zone of each casing. 
     
     
         4 . Apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein said movement means comprise both one or more gripping members configured to grip each of said smoking articles, and also a movement device configured to lower and raise said one or more gripping members. 
     
     
         5 . Apparatus as in  claim 4 , wherein each of said one or more gripping members comprises at least two jaws shaped so as to have semi-cylindrical, or truncated cone-shaped recesses, opposite each other and specular, so that when said jaws are tightened against each other, they define a gripping seating for said smoking article, and in that each jaw comprises at least one guide element and at least one hole which is configured to accommodate the guide element of the opposite jaw, wherein the guide elements opposite each other cooperate in order to tighten each smoking article in said gripping seating, so as to prevent or reduce oscillations or inclinations of the smoking article. 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus as in  claim 1 , further comprising a transport member configured to support each of said smoking articles inside transport seatings and to make them advance along a work path. 
     
     
         7 . Apparatus as in  claim 6 , further comprising one or more lifting means configured to selectively lift each of said smoking articles from said transport member. 
     
     
         8 . Apparatus as in  claim 7 , wherein said one or more lifting means comprise a corresponding piston disposed below the transport member and configured to be inserted inside a passage created in the transport seatings. 
     
     
         9 . Closing method for automatically closing smoking articles each comprising a casing having at least one rear zone configured to be closed, using an apparatus which comprises folding means configured to close said rear zone of each casing by means of folding, and movement means configured to move at least one of either said smoking articles or said folding means so that they move reciprocally toward or away from each other, wherein said method comprises both a movement step in which said movement means move at least one of either said smoking articles or said folding means in order to move them reciprocally close to each other, so that said rear zone of each casing can interact with said folding means, and also a closing step in which said rear zone of each casing is closed by means of said folding means, characterized in that in said closing step at least one portion of said rear zone is temporarily housed in a folding seating and an abutment element is selectively driven in order to strike and flatten said portion of said rear zone while it is temporarily housed in said folding seating, said folding seating and said abutment element belonging to said folding means. 
     
     
         10 . Method as in  claim 9 , wherein said movement step comprises a gripping step in which one or more gripping members grip each of said smoking articles and displace it toward said folding means. 
     
     
         11 . Method as in  claim 10 , wherein in said closing step each of said gripping members, after it has gripped one of said smoking articles, takes said at least one portion of the rear zone inside the folding seating of said folding means so that at least one flap of said rear zone, opposed by the internal surface of said folding seating, at least partly folds. 
     
     
         12 . Method as in  claim 11 , wherein in said closing step and after the folding of said at least one flap of said rear zone, the abutment element is selectively driven in order to strike and flatten, one or several times, said at least one already at least partly folded flap in order to complete and consolidate its folding. 
     
     
         13 . Method as in  claim 10 , wherein in said movement step one or more lifting means are possibly driven in order to lift said smoking articles so that each of said gripping members grips a central zone of each of said smoking articles. 
     
     
         14 . Use of a closing apparatus as in  claim 1 .