System for packaging cigarettes into bent sheets equipped with electronic control motors

Abstract

A system ( 1 ) for packaging cigarettes ( 4 ) into bent sheets is described, comprising at least one first electric motor adapted to operate means for supplying ( 3 ) cigarettes ( 4 ); at least one second electric motor ( 35 ) adapted to operate means for supplying ( 5 ) packaging sheets ( 6 ); at least one third electric motor ( 36 ) adapted to operate rotary collecting means ( 7 ) for cigarettes ( 4 ), supplied by the means for supplying ( 3 ) cigarettes ( 4 ), the means for collecting ( 7 ) cigarettes ( 4 ) being equipped with a plurality of elongated containers ( 9 ) adapted to house the cigarettes ( 4 ) supplied, the containers ( 9 ) being operatively connected to the means for collecting ( 7 ) cigarettes ( 4 ) so that a longitudinal axis (LL) thereof is parallel to a rotation axis (RR) and perpendicular to a plane of the collecting means ( 7 ); at least one fourth electric motor ( 37 ) adapted to operate packaging means ( 11 ), located downstream of the collecting means ( 7 ), and adapted to receive the sheets ( 6 ) from the means for supplying ( 5 ) sheets ( 6 ) and to place the sheets ( 6 ) onto containers ( 9 ) so that the plane of the sheets ( 6 ) is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the cigarettes ( 4 ); at least one fifth electric motor adapted to operate means for keeping packaging sheets ( 6 ) onto containers ( 9 ), after the sheets ( 6 ) have been placed onto the containers ( 9 ); at least one sixth electric motor ( 39 ) adapted to the sheets ( 6 ) having inside the cigarettes ( 4 ), operatively cooperating

1 .- 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . A system ( 1 ) for packaging cigarettes ( 4 ) into bent packaging sheets ( 6 ), the system comprising:
 at least one first electric motor configured to operate means for supplying ( 3 ) cigarettes ( 4 );   at least one second electric motor ( 35 ) configured to operate means for supplying ( 5 ) said packaging sheets ( 6 );   at least one third electric motor ( 36 ) configured to operate rotary means ( 7 ) for collecting said cigarettes ( 4 ), supplied by said means for supplying ( 3 ) cigarettes ( 4 ), said rotary means ( 7 ) for collecting said cigarettes ( 4 ) being at least one wheel ( 8 ), defining a plane of said rotary means ( 7 ), peripherally and radially around the wheel ( 8 ) being connected a plurality of elongated containers ( 9 ) configured to house said cigarettes ( 4 ) supplied by said supplying means ( 3 ), each of containers ( 9 ), cyclically rotating jointly with the wheel ( 8 ), being filled with the cigarettes ( 4 ) by the supplying means ( 3 ), said containers ( 9 ) being operatively connected to said rotary means ( 7 ) for collecting cigarettes ( 4 ) so that a longitudinal axis (L-L) of said containers ( 9 ) is parallel to the rotation axis (R-R) of said rotary means ( 7 ) for collecting cigarettes ( 4 ), and perpendicular to said plane of said rotary means ( 7 ) for collecting cigarettes ( 4 );   at least one fourth electric motor ( 37 ) configured to operate packaging means ( 11 ) operatively coupled and cooperating with said rotary means ( 7 ) for collecting cigarettes ( 4 ), and configured to receive said packaging sheets ( 6 ) from said means for supplying ( 5 ) packaging sheets ( 6 ) and to place said packaging sheets ( 6 ) onto said elongated containers ( 9 ) so that a plane of the packaging sheets ( 6 ) is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the cigarettes ( 4 ) so that, subsequently, the sheets ( 6 ) are able to be put in contact with a filter or the opposite end of cigarettes ( 4 ) inserted inside a respective elongated container ( 9 );   at least one fifth electric motor configured to operate means for keeping said packaging sheets ( 6 ) onto said containers ( 9 ), after said sheets have been placed onto said containers ( 9 );   at least one sixth electric motor ( 39 ) configured to operate means for moving ( 13 ) packages ( 15 ) composed of said sheets ( 6 ) having inside said cigarettes ( 4 ), operatively cooperating with said rotary means ( 7 ) for moving said packages ( 15 ) downstream;   at least one seventh electric motor ( 41 ) configured to operate means for bending ( 22 ) said packages ( 15 );   at least one eighth electric motor ( 43 ) configured to operate further means for bending ( 44 ) said packages ( 15 );   at least one ninth electric motor ( 45 ) configured to lift said packages ( 15 ) for their last bending; and   electronic control means configured to control said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth electric motors for electronically moving related motor axes.   
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the moving means ( 13 ) are configured to make an intermittent movement of the packages ( 15 ) to perform bending of packaging sheets ( 6 ) by way of appropriate bending means ( 22 ). 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein intermittent motion is made by a chain driven by a cam mechanism or a motor. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the containers ( 9 ) are supplied with steps ( 17 ) to withdraw the packages ( 15 ) by way of pushing elements ( 19 ), to allow the removal of each package ( 15 ) from the respective container ( 9 ), once the latter has reached in correspondence to the moving means ( 13 ). 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein said means for supplying ( 5 ) are composed of at least one spool ( 25 ) of at least one web ( 27 ) of said packaging sheets ( 6 ). 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 8 , wherein said means for supplying ( 5 ) include cutting means for said web ( 27 ) into individual packaging sheets ( 6 ) for feeding to the means for moving ( 23 ). 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein said packaging means ( 11 ) includes means for moving ( 23 ) at least one packaging sheet ( 6 ) arriving from the means for supplying ( 5 ). 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said moving means ( 23 ) are at least one conveyor belt composed of two parallel and mutually sliding belts ( 24 ) with synchronized and compliant movement, upon which is placed the packaging sheet ( 6 ), between which at least one free space is included. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said packaging means ( 11 ) further comprise at least a first pushing means ( 29 ) configured to move the packaging sheet ( 6 ) from the moving means ( 23 ) to the container ( 9 ). 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said packaging means ( 11 ) further comprise at least a second pushing means ( 31 ), equipped with at least one shaped presser element ( 33 ) configured to press the packaging sheet ( 6 ) onto the container ( 9 ) to give the packaging sheet ( 6 ) the external shape of the container ( 9 ). 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the containers ( 9 ) have a truncated pyramid shape.