Granted Patent B2

US 12,722,817 · App. 19/151,412 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Inventor: Gabriele Stefanelli (Ozzano Dell'Emilia, IT)

Assignee: I.M.A. INDUSTRIA MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE S.P.A.

B65B3/28B65B3/003B65B43/46B65B65/003

Abstract

Claims (15)

1 . Method for automatically filling and weighing containers supported by a carrier member which is fed to a first feeding station of a filling and weighing apparatus, said apparatus further comprising a second filling and weighing station, said method comprising at least a first and a second feeding step, wherein a first carrier member of said carrier members configured to support filled and weighted containers and a second carrier member of said carrier members configured to support to-be-filled and to-be-weighted containers are fed to said first station to then be moved one at a time by a first robotic arm towards said second station; one or more picking up and weighing steps, wherein one or more to-be-filled containers are picked up from said second carrier member; and one or more inserting and weighing steps, wherein one or more filled containers are inserted into said first carrier member, wherein said one or more picking up and weighing steps and in said one or more inserting and weighing steps, a second and a third robotic arm alternately and cyclically move respectively said first and second carrier member in a picking up and inserting zone of said second station, and in that said first robotic arm picks up one or more containers, to-be-filled and to-be-weighed, from said second carrier member by means of a first gripping member and inserts said one or more containers, filled and weighed, into said first carrier member, said picking up and inserting steps taking place by means of said first gripping member in a common reference position located in said picking up and inserting zone.

2 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein in said one or more picking up and weighing steps, said third arm cyclically moves said second carrier member into a plurality of operative pick-up positions at said picking up and inserting zone, so that one row at a time of housing seats of said second carrier member, in which one or more to-be-picked up containers are housed, is each time aligned vertically to said reference position, and in said one or more inserting and weighing steps, said second arm cyclically moves said first carrier member into a plurality of operative inserting positions in said picking up and inserting zone so that one row of housing seats of said first carrier member is each time aligned vertically to said reference position for the insertion of said one or more filled containers.

3 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein said one or more picking up and weighing steps comprise each a respective first weighing sub-step wherein weighing means of said apparatus, which are placed at said reference position, weigh said one or more to-be-filled containers before said to-be-filled containers are picked up with the first robotic arm from said second carrier member, and in that said one or more inserting and weighing steps comprise each a respective second weighing sub-step wherein said weighing means weigh said one or more filled containers when said filled containers are inserted into said first carrier member.

4 . Method according to claim 3 , wherein in said weighing sub-steps, a weighing device of said weighing means, which is aligned vertically to said reference position, is raised passing from a lowered position to a raised position to cooperate with one or more containers at a time, temporarily placed above it, weighing them both prior to picking them up from said second carrier member and also when inserting them into said first carrier member, and in said raised position, said weighing device raises or maintains in a lifted position said one or more containers.

5 . Method according to claim 4 , wherein in said one or more picking up and weighing steps, during the raising of said weighing device from said lowered position to said raised position, a lower part of said one or more to-be-picked up containers enters in a corresponding weighing seat of said weighing device so as to contact a load cell housed in said weighing seat.

6 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein in said one or more picking up and weighing steps, said first robotic arm picks up one or more of said containers from said second carrier member and brings them to a filling zone of said second station without operating, or moving, above yet to-be-picked up and yet to-be-filled containers, and in said one or more inserting and weighing steps, said first arm inserts said one or more containers without operating, or moving, above already filled containers.

7 . Apparatus for automatically filling and weighing containers supported by corresponding carrier members, wherein said apparatus at least comprises: a first station for feeding said carrier members sequentially; a second station comprising a picking up and inserting zone of said containers, and arranged for filling and weighing said containers; a first robotic arm configured to selectively move one at a time said carrier members from said first station to said second station; said apparatus being further comprising a second and a third robotic arm placed in said second station and configured to receive respectively at least a first and a second carrier member of said carrier members from said first robotic arm and to move them between one or more respective operative positions, wherein said first carrier member is configured to support filled and weighed containers and said second carrier member is configured to support to-be-filled and to-be-weighed containers; and said second and third robotic arm are configured to alternately and cyclically move respectively said first and second carrier member in said picking up and inserting zone, and said first robotic arm comprises a first gripping member configured to pick up one or more to-be-filled and to-be-weighed containers from said second carrier member and to insert one or more filled and weighed containers into said first carrier member, said pick-up and insertion taking place at a common reference position located in said picking up and inserting zone.

8 . Apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said third arm is configured to cyclically move said second carrier member into a plurality of operative pick-up positions in said picking up and inserting zone, so that one row at a time of housing seats of said second carrier member, in which one or more to-be-filled containers are housed, is aligned vertically to said reference position, and said second arm is configured to cyclically move said first carrier member into a plurality of operative inserting positions in said picking up and inserting zone, so that one row at a time of housing seats of said first carrier member is aligned vertically to said reference position for the insertion of said one or more filled containers.

9 . Apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising weighing means comprising at least one weighing device for weighing said one or more containers, and said weighing device has a weighing arm provided with weighing seats which are aligned vertically and coaxial to said reference position and configured to support said one or more containers.

10 . Apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said weighing device is positioned below a movement plane of said carrier members when these are moved by said second and third robotic arm and is configured to selectively raise and lower to pass from a lowered position to a raised position and vice versa.

11 . Apparatus according to any claim 7 , wherein said second station further comprises a filling zone in which one or more containers are filled, and said first robotic arm is further configured to move said one or more containers both to pick them up from said second carrier member and transfer them towards said filling zone, and also to transfer them from said filling zone into said first carrier member.

12 . Apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said first robotic arm comprises a second gripping member configured to grip said carrier members.

13 . Apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said first gripping member is provided with a plurality of seats placed along a line and configured to withdraw and temporarily support said containers.

14 . Apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a filling device configured to dispense a liquid product into the containers, said filling device being placed in said second station.

15 . Apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said filling device is mounted on a fourth robotic arm.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (12)