Apparatus for packaging of products

Abstract

An apparatus for packaging of products comprises a conveyor, a gripper and a bag supplier. The conveyor is configured to move a product in a conveying direction. The bag supplier is configured to feed a bag to the gripper. The gripper comprises a plurality of gripping elements configured to hold open an opening of the bag so the bag can receive the product. Each of the plurality of gripping elements is movable at least in a plane transverse to the conveying direction. The plurality of gripping elements is held such that, in response to the product contacting a portion of the opening of the bag to induce tension in the opening of the bag as the product is received into the bag, at least one of the plurality of gripping elements moves in the plane transverse to the conveying direction to reduce the tension in the opening of the bag.

1 . An apparatus for packaging of products, comprising:
 a conveyor configured to move a product in a conveying direction;   a gripper comprising a plurality of gripping elements, each of the plurality of gripping elements comprising a clamping portion configured to contact and hold a respective portion at an opening of a bag, the plurality of gripping elements being configured to hold open the opening of the bag so that the bag receives the product into the opening as the product is moved in the conveying direction; and   a bag supplier adapted to feed the bag to the gripper before the plurality of gripping elements holds open the opening of the bag;   wherein each of the plurality of gripping elements is movable at least in a plane transverse to the conveying direction; and   wherein the plurality of gripping elements is held in the apparatus such that, in response to the product contacting a portion of the opening of the bag to induce tension in the opening of the bag as the product is received into the bag, at least one of the plurality of gripping elements moves in the plane transverse to the conveying direction to reduce the tension in the opening of the bag.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of gripping elements is movable between a closed configuration and an open configuration, wherein the respective clamping portion is configured to contact an inner side and/or outer side of the bag in the closed configuration, and wherein the clamping portion is configured to be spaced apart from the inner and/or outer sides of the bag in the open configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein a gripping element of the plurality of gripping elements comprises a first finger and a second finger rotatably coupled to each other, the clamping portion being defined at least in part by the first and the second fingers. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second fingers define an interposed angle, the interposed angle being smaller when the gripping element is in the closed configuration than when the gripping element (is in the open configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the clamping portion comprises:
 first and the second contact surfaces that are defined at least in part respectively by the first and second fingers of the gripping element, wherein the first and second contact surfaces are arranged to face each other,   wherein, when the gripping element moves from the closed configuration to the open configuration, the first and second contact surfaces move away from each other, and   wherein, when the gripping element moves from the open configuration to the closed configuration, the first and second contact surfaces approach each other.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the first contact surface is configured to contact the inner side of the bag,   the second contact surface is configured to contact the outer side of the bag.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the clamping portion comprises a friction surface defined at least in part by the first finger and/or second finger, the friction surface being configured to increase friction between the bag and the respective first finger and/or the second finger when the gripping element is in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the friction surface is defined at least in part by the first contact surface of the first finger and/or at least in part by the second contact surface of the second finger. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the friction surface comprises a rubber material. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the friction surface comprises a rib emerging from the first finger and/or second finger. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the gripper comprises an actuator coupled to a gripping element of the plurality of gripping elements and configured to move the gripping element between the open and closed configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the gripper comprises a plurality of actuators, each of which is associated with one of the gripping elements, wherein the plurality of actuators are in signal communication with each other and are configured to move the plurality of gripping elements between the open and closed configuration substantially simultaneously. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the actuator or the plurality of actuators comprises a pneumatic cylinder, preferably a double-acting pneumatic cylinder. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the gripper comprises a frame arranged at least in part around the conveying direction, the plurality of gripping elements being fixed to the frame and spaced apart to each other around the conveying direction, wherein the frame is configured to move in the plane transverse to the conveying direction in response to a contact between the product and at least one of the gripping elements and/or in response the product contacting a portion of the opening of the bag to induce tension in the opening of the bag as the product is received into the bag. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the gripper comprises a control mechanism coupled to the frame and configured to move the frame along the plane transverse to the conveying direction. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the conveyor comprises a conveying surface configured to convey the product along the conveying direction,   the plurality of gripping elements comprises a lower gripping element and an upper gripping element, the conveying surface being interposed at least in part between the lower gripping element and the upper gripping element.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the conveying surface is configured to pass at least in part through the opening of the bag when the bag is held by the plurality of gripping elements. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of gripping elements is in a range between 3 and 6 gripping elements, preferably 5 gripping elements. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the gripper is configured to conform the opening of the bag into a polygonal shape, the polygonal shape having 3 to 10 sides. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a pusher coupled with the conveyor and the gripper, the pusher being movable along the conveying direction and configured to push the product through the opening of the bag when the bag is held by the plurality of gripping elements. 
     
     
         21 . A system for bagging products comprising two apparatuses, wherein each of the apparatuses is the apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, in each of the apparatuses:
 the conveyor comprises an inlet zone and an outlet zone, the inlet zone being located upstream of the outlet zone along the conveying direction, the gripper being interposed along the conveying direction between the inlet zone and the outlet zone of the conveyor, and wherein:   the inlet zone is configured to receive the product and to convey the product downstream in the conveying direction, and   the outlet zone is configured to receive the product inside the bag and to convey it downstream in the conveying direction.