Packaging system

Abstract

A bottle packaging system in a bottling line comprises the following components: a pick-up device ( 2 ) having a rotating carousel to pick up the bottles ( 11 ) from a labelling or filling machine ( 1 ), a rectilinear, multi-lane ( 4, 4 ′) conveying belt ( 3 ), a packaging machine, such as a shrinkwrap machine ( 6 ) or a cartoning machine, a transport system ( 7 ) to connect the packs exiting from the packaging machine ( 6 ) with downstream devices, wherein this system comprises, at a grip circumference (C) of the rotating carousel ( 2 ), which corresponds to the point of release of the bottles ( 11 ) by gripping means ( 13 ), a connecting zone ( 12 ) with the conveying belt ( 3 ), wherein the connecting zone ( 12 ) is constituted by a plurality of adjacent flexible chain belts with a spiral progression, that is to say, with increasing curvature radius, which constitute as many lanes ( 14 ), adapted to support and distance, in a centrifugal direction, the bottles ( 11 ) released thereon by the gripping means ( 13 ), directing them into the corresponding lane ( 4, 4 ′) of the conveying belt ( 3 ), the lanes ( 14 ) of the connecting zone ( 12 ) underneath the rotating carousel ( 2 ) being in a position of intersection (X) with the grip circumference (C).

1 . A bottle packaging system in a bottling line, said system comprising:
 a rotating carousel pick-up device for picking up bottles from a labelling or filling machine;   a rectilinear multi-lane conveying belt;   a packaging machine comprising at least one of a shrinkwrap machine or a cartoning machine; and   a transport system for connecting the packs exiting from the packaging machine with downstream devices comprising at least one of at least one handle applicator, at least one in-line palletiser, or packs orientators, wherein said transport system comprises, at a grip circumference of said rotating carousel, which corresponds to the point of release of the bottles by the gripping means, a connecting zone with said conveying belt, said connecting zone consisting of a plurality of adjacent flexible chain belts with a spiral progression having increasing curvature radius, which constitute as many lanes, adapted to support and distance, in a centrifugal direction, the bottles released onto said flexible chain belts by said gripping means, directing the bottles towards the corresponding lanes of said conveying belt, the lanes of said connecting zone underneath the rotating carousel being in a position of intersection with said grip circumference.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein said positions of intersection between said grip circumference and said lanes are distributed in discrete positions along a circular arc of said grip circumference of angle α between 180°-240°. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein said connecting zone is formed by a series of a circular arc segments that are joined to each other. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging system according to  claim 3 , wherein each segment is equipped with a fixed number of lanes greater than the upstream segment in the advancement direction of the bottles. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging system according to  claim 3 , wherein said segments are aligned to each other on their outer perimeters. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging system according to  claim 3 , further comprising three segments, wherein each segment substantially defines a circular arc of about 90°. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein said conveying belt further comprises a discard path. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein each transport lane of said belt is divided into at least three sections that succeed each other in the advancement direction, wherein each section has a lesser speed than the upstream section. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging system according to  claim 8 , wherein each of said at least three sections has a motor that is electronically controlled by counting to maintain a constant thrust on to a downstream bottle division system. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging system according to  claim 8 , wherein ends of two consecutive sections of said at least three sections are laterally adjacent, the bottles being laterally diverted with respect to an advancement direction on passage to a next section. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging system according to  claim 8 , wherein said at least three sections comprise at least three groups of conveying belts, each controlled by said motor, arranged in oblique direction with respect to the advancement direction of the conveying belt, wherein, at each transport lane, adjacent belts belonging to different sections are placed alongside a lateral edge thereof, the bottles advancing in a rectilinear manner in the advancement direction. 
     
     
         12 . The packaging system according to  claim 11 , wherein at least one of said transport lanes of the belt or said transport lanes of the connecting zone are separated from each by a lamina. 
     
     
         13 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein said transport system is a dynamic accumulation system and comprises a plurality of belts without packs support guides, said belts being arranged head-adjacent, along their short side, each belt having an independent motorisation so as to be able to govern, through a central control system, a space between one and the other pack as a function of the speed of the belts mounted in succession and to bring the packs closer without creating impacts between the same. 
     
     
         14 . The packaging system according to  claim 13 , wherein each belt comprises an encoder and a photocell mounted for checking and counting the packs. 
     
     
         15 . The packaging system according to  claim 14 , wherein the last belt acts as a metering device for the palletiser. 
     
     
         16 . The packaging system according to  claim 14 , wherein said handle applicator is applied to said belt at a palletiser inlet. 
     
     
         17 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said gripping means of said rotating carousel comprises a thrust linear actuator, said gripping means being guided in reciprocating movement in a radial direction by a cam control between an extracted position corresponding to the opening of said gripping means and a retracted position corresponding to the closure of said gripping means. 
     
     
         18 . The packaging system according to  claim 17 , wherein a cam is associated with each lane, each said cam being distributed on two superimposed discs. 
     
     
         19 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein said components are directly connected to each other without interposition of accumulation transports to constitute a single monobloc unit, equipped with a single centralised control.