Transport system for an article

1 . A transport system ( 6 ) for an article ( 1 ) comprising:

a movable unit ( 7 ) provided with at least one seat ( 8 ), which is designed to contain the article ( 1 ), is delimited by a first wall ( 11 ) and by a second wall ( 12 ) facing one another and opposite one another, so that the article ( 1 ) can be housed between the first wall ( 11 ) and the second wall ( 12 ), and has an elastic element ( 13 ) pushing the two walls ( 11 , 12 ) towards one another;

a conveyor ( 9 ) designed to move the movable unit ( 7 ) along a path (P); and

at least one operating device ( 15 ), which is arranged in a station (SI, S 2 , is on the outside and independent of the movable unit ( 7 ), is arranged along the path (P) and is designed to act upon the first wall ( 11 ) in order to move the first wall ( 11 ) away from the second wall ( 12 ) against the force generated by the elastic element ( 13 );

wherein the first wall ( 11 ) is mounted on the movable unit ( 7 ) in a movable manner to move relative to the movable unit ( 7 ),

wherein the movable unit ( 7 ) comprises a control appendage ( 14 ) which is rigidly connected to the first wall ( 11 ) and is designed to be moved by the operating device ( 15 ) relative to the rest of the movable unit ( 7 ) to change the distance of the first wall ( 11 ) relative to the second wall ( 12 ),

wherein the first wall ( 11 ) is mounted in a sliding manner to only linearly slide relative to the movable unit ( 7 ) so that the movement of the first wall ( 11 ) relative to the second wall ( 12 ) takes place only and exclusively by means of a linear translation, and

wherein the operating device ( 15 ) comprises a countering member ( 16 ), which is movable between an operating position in which the countering member ( 16 ) is located along a trajectory followed by the control appendage ( 14 ) and, hence, prevents the control appendage ( 14 ) from moving past the station (S 1 , S 2 ), and a rest position, in which the countering member ( 16 ) is on the outside of the trajectory followed by the control appendage ( 14 ) and, hence, does not interfere in any way with the movement of the control appendage ( 14 ), allowing the movable unit ( 7 ) to move past the station (S 1 , S 2 ).

2 . The transport system ( 6 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first wall ( 11 ) is mounted on the movable unit ( 7 ) in a sliding manner so as to only slide, relative to the movable unit ( 7 ), along a direction (DI, D 2 ), which is parallel to the path (P).

3 . The transport system ( 6 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the second wall ( 12 ) is mounted on the movable unit ( 7 ) in a fixed position.

4 . The transport system ( 6 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the operating device ( 15 ) comprises a linear actuator ( 17 ) configured to translate the countering member ( 16 ) between the operating position and the rest position.

5 . The transport system ( 6 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the operating device ( 15 ) is configured for:

arranging the countering member ( 16 ) along the trajectory followed by the control appendage ( 14 ) before the movable unit ( 7 ) arrives at the station (SI, S 2 ); and

arranging the countering member ( 16 ) on the outside of the trajectory followed by the control appendage ( 14 ) to allow the movable unit ( 7 ) to move past the station (SI, S 2 ).

6 . The transport system ( 6 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic element ( 13 ) is configured to push the control appendage ( 14 ) against the rest of the movable unit ( 7 ).

7 . The transport system ( 6 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control appendage ( 14 ) is arranged behind the movable unit ( 7 ) relative to a direction in which the path (P) is covered.

8 . The transport system ( 6 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the article ( 1 ) is an at least partially complete cartridge for an electronic cigarette.

9 . The transport system ( 6 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the movable unit ( 7 ) comprises an end of stroke element ( 18 ) which limits the approach stroke of the first wall ( 11 ) to the second wall ( 12 ) when the seat ( 8 ) is empty.

10 . The transport system ( 6 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the dimension of the end of stroke element ( 18 ) is such that it does not abut against the first wall ( 11 ) when the article ( 1 ) is arranged in the seat ( 8 ).

11 . The transport system ( 6 ) according to claim 9 , wherein a dimension of the end of stroke element ( 18 ) is such that it does not abut against the first wall ( 11 ) when the article ( 1 ) is arranged in the seat ( 8 ).

12 . A method to control the transport system ( 6 ) according to claim 1 and comprising, to open the seat ( 8 ), the steps of:

arranging a countering member ( 16 ) along a trajectory followed by the control appendage ( 14 );

moving the movable unit ( 7 ) forward along the path (P) until the control appendage ( 14 ), in the station (SI, S 2 ), comes into contact with the countering member ( 16 ); and

moving the movable unit ( 7 ) further forward along the path (P), once the control appendage ( 14 ) is in contact with the countering member { 16 ), to move the first wall ( 11 ) away from the second wall ( 12 ) and therefore open the seat ( 8 ).

13 . The control method according to claim 12 and comprising, in order to close the seat ( 8 ), the steps of:

moving the movable unit ( 7 ) backward along the path (P) to move the first wall ( 11 ) closer to the second wall ( 12 ) and then close the seat ( 8 ) in order to mutually detach the control appendage ( 14 ) from the countering member ( 16 ); and arranging the countering member ( 16 ) on the outside of the trajectory followed by the control appendage ( 14 ) to allow the movable unit ( 7 ) to move past the station (SI, S 2 ).

14 . A transport system ( 6 ) for an article ( 1 ) comprising:

a movable unit ( 7 ) provided with at least one seat ( 8 ), which is designed to contain the article ( 1 ), is delimited by a first wall ( 11 ) and by a second wall ( 12 ) facing one another and opposite one another, so that the article ( 1 ) can be housed between the first wall ( 11 ) and the second wall ( 12 ), and has an elastic element ( 13 ) pushing the two walls ( 11 , 12 ) towards one another;

a conveyor ( 9 ) designed to move the movable unit ( 7 ) along a path (P);

and at least one operating device ( 15 ), which is arranged in a station (S 1 , S 2 ), is on the outside and independent of the movable unit ( 7 ), is arranged along the path (P) and is designed to act upon the first wall ( 11 ) in order to move the first wall ( 11 ) away from the second wall ( 12 ) against the force generated by the elastic element ( 13 );

wherein the first wall ( 11 ) is mounted on the movable unit ( 7 ) in a movable manner to move relative to the movable unit ( 7 );

wherein the movable unit ( 7 ) comprises a control appendage ( 14 ) which is rigidly connected to the first wall ( 11 ) and is designed to be moved by the operating device ( 15 ) relative to the rest of the movable unit ( 7 ) to change the distance of the first wall ( 11 ) relative to the second wall ( 12 );

wherein the first wall ( 11 ) is mounted in a sliding manner to only linearly slide relative to the movable unit ( 7 ) so that the movement of the first wall ( 11 ) relative to the second wall ( 12 ) takes place only and exclusively by means of a linear translation; and

wherein the movable unit ( 7 ) comprises an end of stroke element ( 18 ) which limits the approach stroke of the first wall ( 11 ) to the second wall ( 12 ) when the seat ( 8 ) is empty.

15 . A method to control the transport system ( 6 ) according to claim 14 and comprising, to open the seat ( 8 ), the steps of:

arranging a countering member ( 16 ) along a trajectory followed by the control appendage ( 14 );

moving the movable unit ( 7 ) forward along the path (P) until the control appendage ( 14 ), in the station (S 1 , S 2 ), comes into contact with the countering member ( 16 ); and

moving the movable unit ( 7 ) further forward along the path (P), once the control appendage ( 14 ) is in contact with the countering member ( 16 ), to move the first wall ( 11 ) away from the second wall ( 12 ) and therefore open the seat ( 8 ).

16 . The control method according to claim 15 and comprising, in order to close the seat ( 8 ), the steps of:

moving the movable unit ( 7 ) backward along the path (P) to move the first wall ( 11 ) closer to the second wall ( 12 ) and then close the seat ( 8 ) in order to mutually detach the control appendage ( 14 ) from the countering member ( 16 ); and

arranging the countering member ( 16 ) on the outside of the trajectory followed by the control appendage ( 14 ) to allow the movable unit ( 7 ) to move past the station (S 1 , S 2 ).