Patent Description:
The present invention relates to a manufacturing machine to manufacture a product.

The present invention finds advantageous application for the manufacturing of a disposable cartridge for an electronic cigarette, to which the following disclosure will make explicit reference without thereby losing generality.

Normally, an electronic cigarette comprising a reusable part that is used several times and contains, among other things, an electric battery (which provides the energy necessary for the operation of the electronic cigarette) and an electronic processor that oversees the operation of the electronic cigarette. Furthermore, the electronic cigarette comprises a single use cartridge (i.e., disposable, which is therefore used only once and is then replaced) which is coupled to the reusable part.

Manufacturing machines have been proposed to manufacture a disposable cartridge for an electronic cigarette as described, for example, in patent application <CIT>. Said manufacturing machines are often provided with an assembly conveyor provided with a linear electric motor (e.g., by using the so-called XTS technology - extended Transport System - by Beckhoff®). In particular, the assembly conveyor comprises: an annular guide (i.e. closed in a loop on itself), a plurality of slides (carriages), each of which is coupled to the guide so as to freely slide along the guide, and a linear electric motor that moves the slides; the linear electric motor (also described in patent application <CIT>) comprises an annular stator (i.e. a fixed primary) which is arranged in a fixed position along the guide and a plurality of movable sliders (i.e. movable secondaries), each of which is electro-magnetically coupled to the stator so as to receive, from the stator, a driving force and rigidly connected to a corresponding slide.

When it is necessary to carry out several operations to manufacture the disposable cartridge, the assembly conveyor must be particularly wide in order to have the necessary space. However, when the linear electric motor is very wide it necessarily comprises a large number of slides and it becomes very difficult to control with due precision the instantaneous position of each slide operating at high hourly productivity; consequently, it has been proposed to use two (or even more) assembly conveyors, which are arranged in series one after the other and each have a limited extension (and therefore maintaining a very precise control of the instantaneous position of each slide even when operating with high hourly productivity). Obviously in this case it is necessary to provide a transfer unit which is interposed between the two assembly conveyors and cyclically transfers the disposable cartridges being manufactured from the assembly conveyor arranged upstream to the assembly conveyor arranged downstream.

If the two assembly conveyors are arranged coplanar with one another, the transfer unit must comprise a robotic arm that picks up the disposable cartridges being manufactured from the assembly conveyor arranged upstream and transfers them to the assembly conveyor arranged downstream; however, a robotic arm of this type having to make the disposable cartridges complete a relatively long path is inevitably slow and therefore significantly penalizes the hourly productivity of the manufacturing machine (expressed with the number of disposable cartridges that can be manufactured in the time unit).

If the two assembly conveyors are arranged parallel to one another and staggered in order to have an overlapping area, the transfer unit can comprise a linear transfer unit which, by cyclically traveling a very short straight stroke perpendicular to the two assembly conveyors, can quickly transfer the disposable cartridges being manufactured from the assembly conveyor, which is arranged upstream to the assembly conveyor arranged downstream; however, this solution considerably increases the width (i.e., the transverse overall dimensions) of the manufacturing machine at the assembly conveyors and consequently increases the overall dimensions and makes access to all parts of the machine difficult (not very ergonomic) by an operator during assembly, maintenance and cleaning operations.

The patent application <CIT> describes a system for assembling parts of electronic cigarettes and comprising: a first conveyor with an endless linear motor; a first assembly of transport units connected to the first conveyor to be movable independently of one another along the first conveyor and configured to receive and hold parts of electronic cigarette; a first group of work stations arranged along the first conveyor for the assembly and inspection of the parts of electronic cigarette; a second conveyor with an endless linear motor arranged downstream of the first conveyor; a second assembly of transport units connected to the second conveyor to be movable independently of one another along the second conveyor and configured to receive and hold parts of electronic cigarette; a second group of work stations arranged along the second conveyor for the assembly and inspection of the parts of electronic cigarette; and a filling station, arranged between the first conveyor and the second conveyor to receive the parts of electronic cigarette from the first conveyor, fill the respective cartridges, and finally feed the parts of electronic cigarette with the respective filled cartridges to the second conveyor.

The object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing machine to manufacture a product which allows high productivity to be achieved and, at the same time, has a modest transverse bulk.

According to the present invention, a manufacturing machine is provided to manufacture a product, according to what is claimed in the attached claims.

The claims describe embodiments of the present invention forming an integral part of the present description.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment thereof, wherein:.

In <FIG>, number <NUM> denotes as a whole a single use cartridge (i.e., disposable which is therefore used only once and is then replaced) of a known type for an electronic cigarette.

The cartridge <NUM> comprises a main body <NUM> having a substantially parallelepiped shape which in use is coupled to an electronic cigarette from which it receives electrical power through two electrical contacts <NUM> arranged at a smaller base of the main body <NUM>. Furthermore, the cartridge <NUM> comprises a cap <NUM> which is fitted onto the main body <NUM> to cover the area where the two electrical contacts <NUM> are arranged.

In <FIG>, number <NUM> denotes as a whole a manufacturing machine to manufacture the cartridges <NUM> for electronic cigarettes described above.

According to what is illustrated in <FIG>, the manufacturing machine <NUM> comprises a support body <NUM> (i.e., a frame) which rests on the ground by means of legs and has a vertical wall at the front on which the operating members are mounted. Furthermore, the manufacturing machine <NUM> comprises a feeding system <NUM>, which feeds the cartridges <NUM> being processed along an assembly path P1 which develops between an inlet station S1 (where the feeding system <NUM> receives the cartridges <NUM>) and an outlet station S2 (where the feeding system <NUM> releases the cartridges <NUM>); in particular, the processing path P1 is horizontal and linear, i.e., it develops substantially along a straight line arranged horizontally. The processing path P1 passes through a series of processing stations S3, in which assembly operations are performed on the cartridges <NUM> in transit; in particular, each processing station S3 has a series of processing devices <NUM> which perform assembly operations (mounting of components, bending, welding, sealing, checking, discarding. ) on the cartridges <NUM> in transit.

The feeding system <NUM> comprises a processing conveyor <NUM> and a subsequent processing conveyor <NUM> which is arranged in series with the processing conveyor <NUM> along the processing path P1; in other words, along the processing path P1 the processing conveyor <NUM> is arranged upstream and receives the cartridges <NUM> in the inlet station S1 while the processing conveyor <NUM> is arranged downstream and releases the cartridges <NUM> in the outlet station S2. The feeding system <NUM> comprises a transfer unit <NUM> which is interposed between the two processing conveyors <NUM> and <NUM> and cyclically transfers the cartridges <NUM> from the processing conveyor <NUM> to the processing conveyor <NUM>, picking up the cartridges <NUM> in a pick-up station S4 arranged at the processing conveyor <NUM> (i.e. arranged at one end of the processing conveyor <NUM>) and releases the cartridges <NUM> to a release station S5 arranged at the processing conveyor <NUM> (i.e. arranged at a beginning of the processing conveyor <NUM>).

In the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the feeding system <NUM> comprises two processing conveyors <NUM> and <NUM> between which a single transfer unit <NUM> is interposed; according to other embodiments not illustrated, the feeding system <NUM> comprises three, four or more processing conveyors <NUM> and <NUM> between which two, three or more transfer units <NUM> are interposed.

As illustrated in <FIG>, each processing conveyor <NUM> or <NUM> comprises a plate <NUM> on which seats <NUM> are formed, each of which is designed to house a cartridge <NUM> (more or less complete) or parts of the cartridge <NUM>. The number of seats <NUM> of each plate <NUM> can vary according to the characteristics of the cartridge <NUM>; moreover, the number and arrangement of the seats <NUM> in each plate <NUM> can be different between the processing conveyor <NUM> and the processing conveyor <NUM> (also the shape of the plate <NUM> can be different between the processing conveyor <NUM> and the processing conveyor <NUM>). Consequently, the processing conveyor <NUM> can have seats <NUM> which have a first distance from one another, and the processing conveyor <NUM> can have seats <NUM> which have a second distance from one another different from the first distance (therefore the transfer unit <NUM> also has the function of modifying the distance and possibly also the orientation of the cartridges <NUM>, or parts thereof, in the passage between the two processing conveyors <NUM> and <NUM>).

Each processing conveyor <NUM> or <NUM> is normally designed to cyclically move each movable plate <NUM> along the processing path P1 with an intermittent movement (in a step like manner) which provides a cyclically alternating motion step, in which the processing conveyor <NUM> or <NUM> moves the movable plates <NUM>, and stop steps, in which the processing conveyor <NUM> or <NUM> keeps the movable plates <NUM> still. Each processing conveyor <NUM> or <NUM> comprises an annular guide <NUM> (i.e., closed in a loop on itself) which is arranged in a fixed position along the processing path P1; in particular, the annular guide <NUM> is formed by a single fixed track (i.e., without movement) which is arranged along the processing path P1. Furthermore, each processing conveyor <NUM> or <NUM> comprises a plurality of slides <NUM>, each of which supports a corresponding movable plate <NUM> and is coupled to the guide <NUM> so as to slide freely along the guide <NUM>. Finally, each processing conveyor <NUM> or <NUM> comprises a linear electric motor <NUM> which moves the slides <NUM> carrying the movable plates <NUM> along the processing path P1; the linear electric motor <NUM> comprises an annular stator <NUM> (i.e. a fixed primary) which is arranged in a fixed position along the guide <NUM> and a plurality of movable sliders <NUM> (i.e. movable secondaries), each of which is electro-magnetically coupled to the stator <NUM> to receive a driving force from the stator <NUM> and is rigidly connected to a corresponding slide <NUM>.

According to a different embodiment not illustrated, each processing conveyor <NUM> or <NUM> is a belt conveyor and comprises (at least) one flexible belt which supports the movable plates <NUM> and is closed in a loop around two end pulleys (at least one of which is motorized).

As illustrated in <FIG>, the transfer unit <NUM> comprises a plurality of trays <NUM>, each of which has a series of seats <NUM> each designed to house a cartridge <NUM> (more or less complete). Furthermore, the transfer unit <NUM> comprises a moving system <NUM> which cyclically moves the trays <NUM> (full, i.e., carrying respective cartridges <NUM>) between the pick-up station S4 and the release station S5, a transferring device <NUM> which is arranged in the pick-up station S4 so as to transfer the cartridges <NUM> from the processing conveyor <NUM> to a tray <NUM>, and a transferring device <NUM> which is arranged in the release station S5 to release the cartridges <NUM> from a tray <NUM> to the processing conveyor <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the moving system <NUM> comprises a lifting device <NUM> which lifts the trays <NUM> upwards along a lifting path P2 perpendicular to the processing path P1, and a lowering device <NUM> which lowers the trays <NUM> downwards along a lowering path P3 perpendicular to the processing path P1 and parallel to the lifting path P2. The moving system <NUM> further comprises a joining device <NUM> which is arranged between a top of the lifting device <NUM> and a top of the lowering device <NUM> and transfers the trays <NUM> from the lifting device <NUM> to the lowering device <NUM> along a horizontal joining path P4; the joining path P4 is perpendicular to the paths P2 and P3 and joins the paths P2 and P3 together. In other words, the joining device <NUM> transfers the trays <NUM> from the lifting device <NUM> to the lowering device <NUM> along the horizontal joining path P4 which is perpendicular to the lifting path P2 and to the lowering path P3.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the moving system <NUM> comprises a transport device <NUM> which transports the trays <NUM> from the pick-up station S4 to a base (inlet) of the lifting device <NUM> along a horizontal transport path P5 which is perpendicular to the processing path P1 and to the lifting path P2; in other words, the transport device <NUM> moves the full trays <NUM> (i.e., in which the seats <NUM> house respective cartridges <NUM>) from the pick-up station S4, in which the trays <NUM> are filled by the transferring device <NUM>, to the base of the lifting device <NUM>, in which the trays <NUM> are taken over by the lifting device <NUM>.

The moving system <NUM> comprises a transport device <NUM> which transports the trays <NUM> from a base of the lowering device <NUM> to the release station S5 along a horizontal transport path P6 which is parallel to the transport path P5 and is perpendicular to the processing path P1 and to the lowering path P3; in other words, the transport device <NUM> moves the full trays <NUM> (i.e., in which the seats <NUM> house respective cartridges <NUM>) from the base (outlet) of the lowering device <NUM>, from which the trays <NUM> are released by the lowering device <NUM>, to the release station S5 in which the trays <NUM> are emptied by the transferring device <NUM>.

The moving system <NUM> comprises a joining device <NUM> which is arranged between the transport device <NUM> and the transport device <NUM> and transfers the empty trays <NUM> (i.e., in which the seats <NUM> do not house respective cartridges <NUM>) from the release station S5 to the pick-up station S4 along a horizontal joining path P7; the joining path P7 is perpendicular to the paths P5 and P6 and joins the paths P5 and P6 to one another. In other words, the joining device <NUM> transfers the empty trays <NUM> from the transport device <NUM> to the transport device <NUM> along the horizontal joining path P7 which is perpendicular to the transport path P5 and to the transport path P6.

According to a possible but non-limiting embodiment illustrated schematically in <FIG>, the moving system <NUM> comprises a store <NUM> (e.g., of the FIFO type) which is designed to store empty and full trays <NUM> and is designed to exchange empty and full trays <NUM> with the moving system <NUM>. When the processing conveyor <NUM> operates at a lower speed than the processing conveyor <NUM>, the store inserts full trays <NUM> into the moving system <NUM> and picks-up empty trays <NUM> from the moving system <NUM> (to supply a surplus of cartridges <NUM> which compensate the lack of cartridges <NUM> due to the slowing down of the processing conveyor <NUM>). When the processing conveyor <NUM> operates at a higher speed than the processing conveyor <NUM>, the store inserts empty trays <NUM> into the moving system <NUM> and stores full trays <NUM> (to absorb a surplus of cartridges <NUM> due to the slowdown of the processing conveyor <NUM>). When the processing conveyor <NUM> operates at the same speed as the processing conveyor <NUM>, the store <NUM> is normally deactivated; in this condition, the store <NUM> could cyclically put back into circulation a full tray <NUM> previously stored to simultaneously pick up a new full tray <NUM> in order to avoid that the full trays <NUM> remain waiting for too long inside the store <NUM>. The store <NUM> could exchanging the trays <NUM> with the lifting device <NUM>, with the lowering device <NUM>, with the joining device <NUM>, with the transport device <NUM>, with the transport device <NUM>, or with the joining device <NUM>.

According to a possible but non-limiting embodiment schematically illustrated in <FIG>, the moving system <NUM> comprises an orientation device <NUM> which is designed to cause each tray <NUM> to rotate (normally by <NUM>°, <NUM>° or <NUM>°) around a vertical rotation axis in order to impart to the cartridges <NUM> a variation of orientation during the transit in the moving system <NUM> (i.e., between the pick-up station S4 and the release station S5). In the illustrated embodiment, the orientation device <NUM> is coupled to the lifting device <NUM>; alternatively, the orientation device <NUM> could be coupled to the lowering device <NUM>, to the joining device <NUM>, to the transport device <NUM>, or to the transport device <NUM>.

According to what is illustrated in <FIG>, each transferring device <NUM> or <NUM> comprises a robotic arm <NUM> provided with a holding head <NUM> (normally of a suction type) designed to grab at least one cartridge <NUM>; each holding head <NUM> could transfer a single cartridge <NUM> at a time or it could transfer multiple cartridges <NUM> at a time.

Furthermore, according to a particular embodiment, the transferring device <NUM> can modify the orientation of the cartridges <NUM> (e.g., by rotating them by <NUM>°) during the transfer of said cartridges <NUM> from the processing conveyor <NUM> to the tray <NUM>. Alternatively, the machine <NUM> could comprise a further transferring device, arranged downstream of the transferring device <NUM> which modifies the orientation of the cartridges <NUM> after the transferring device <NUM> has deposited them in the tray <NUM> and before said tray <NUM> is fed by the lifting device <NUM>.

Similarly, the transferring device <NUM> can change the orientation of the cartridges <NUM> (e.g., by rotating them by <NUM> °) during the transfer of said cartridges <NUM> from the tray <NUM> to the processing conveyor <NUM>. Alternatively, the machine <NUM> could comprise a further transferring device, arranged upstream of the transferring device <NUM> which modifies the orientation of the cartridges <NUM> before they are picked up by the transferring device <NUM>.

The embodiments described herein can be combined with each other without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The manufacturing machine <NUM> described above has numerous advantages.

In particular, the manufacturing machine <NUM> described above allows to reach high hourly production rates (i.e., number of pieces produced in the time unit) while guaranteeing an excellent quality standard of the cartridges <NUM> and offering optimal accessibility to all parts of the machine by of an operator during assembly, maintenance and cleaning operations.

Claim 1:
A manufacturing machine (<NUM>) to manufacture a product (<NUM>);
the manufacturing machine (<NUM>) comprises a feeding system (<NUM>) to feed the products (<NUM>) along a horizontal, straight processing path (P1);
wherein the feeding system (<NUM>) comprises: a first processing conveyor (<NUM>), a second processing conveyor (<NUM>), which is arranged in series with the first processing conveyor (<NUM>) along the processing path (P1), and a transfer unit (<NUM>), which is interposed between the two processing conveyors (<NUM>, <NUM>) and cyclically transfers the products (<NUM>) from the first processing conveyor (<NUM>) to the second processing conveyor (<NUM>), picking up the products (<NUM>) in a pick-up station (S4) arranged in the area of the first processing conveyor (<NUM>) and releasing the products (<NUM>) in a release station (S5) arranged in the area of the second processing conveyor (<NUM>);
wherein the transfer unit (<NUM>) comprises:
a plurality of trays (<NUM>), each having a series of seats (<NUM>), each designed to house a product (<NUM>);
a moving system (<NUM>), which cyclically moves the trays (<NUM>) of said plurality of trays (<NUM>) between the pick-up station (S4) and the release station (S5);
a first transferring device (<NUM>), which is arranged in the pick-up station (S4) so as to transfer the products (<NUM>) from the first processing conveyor (<NUM>) to a tray (<NUM>) of said plurality of trays (<NUM>); and
a second transferring device (<NUM>), which is arranged in the release station (S5) so as to transfer the products (<NUM>) from a tray (<NUM>) of said plurality of trays (<NUM>) to the second processing conveyor (<NUM>);
the manufacturing machine (<NUM>) is characterized in that the moving system (<NUM>) comprises:
a lifting device (<NUM>), which lifts the trays (<NUM>) upwards along a lifting path (P2), which is perpendicular to the processing path (P1);
a lowering device (<NUM>), which lowers the trays (<NUM>) downwards along a lowering path (P3), which is perpendicular to the processing path (P1) and parallel to the lifting path (P2); and a first joining device (<NUM>), which is arranged between a top of the lifting device (<NUM>) and a top of the lowering device (<NUM>) and transfers the trays (<NUM>) from the lifting device (<NUM>) to the lowering device (<NUM>).