ITTO20100561A1 - "DEVICE AND PROCEDURE FOR FILLING CONTAINERS" - Google Patents

Description

â € œDevice and procedure for filling containersâ €

TEXT OF THE DESCRIPTION

Technical field

This description refers to the techniques for filling containers of the type usable, for example, to insert so-called "surprises" in food products such as chocolate eggs and the like.

The reference to this possible field of application is not, however, to be understood in a limiting sense of the scope of the description.

Description of the related technique

Shell containers comprising a first and a second half-shell shaped like a tray and can be coupled together in closure in conditions of frontal coupling of the respective mouth parts are known in numerous embodiments, as documented by a rather extensive patent literature, including, for example, example, WO-A-2005/044677, WO-A-2005/110880 and WO-A-2007/074355. In particular, containers of this type are known both in versions in which the first and second half-shells are separate pieces, and in versions in which the first and second half-shells are hinged together so as to form a single piece. The general problem of facilitating the use of such containers has already been tackled, especially as regards the filling and closing operations.

Documents EP-A-0 631 932, EP-A-0 631-933 and EP-A-0 631 934 testify to developments in this direction.

In carrying out the filling and closing operations mentioned above, it must be taken into account that laminar elements can be inserted into the container, such as, for example:

- a leaflet containing instructions for assembling the toy or amusement object constituting the â € œsurpriseâ €,

- the â € œsurpriseâ € itself or parts of it, e

- various decorative elements, possibly with a self-adhesive surface.

There are apparatuses, such as that described in EP-A-0 751 070, which allow such a sheet to be rolled up and inserted inside the container body. A solution of this type is suitable for use when the leaflet is simply presented in the form of a strip.

However, there are applications in which the leaflet must contain a fairly extensive amount of information / graphic reproductions; in this case a simple strip is not enough and a larger folded sheet must be used.

Although automated solutions are available, such as those described in the documents cited above, the still prevailing solution for the use of the aforementioned shell containers provides for both the filling operations, including the insertion of the instruction leaflet, and the final closing operation is carried out manually.

Purpose and summary of the invention

The use of operations carried out manually in the context outlined above is nowadays to be considered unsatisfactory.

There is therefore a need to replace the operations carried out manually with operations capable of being completely automated, also as regards the insertion of the instruction leaflets, or any strips with a flat configuration, possibly with self-adhesive backing, deriving from a strip cut in line from reel.

The present invention has the purpose of responding to the needs outlined above.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved thanks to a device having the characteristics referred to specifically in the claims.

The invention also relates to a corresponding process.

The claims form an integral part of the technical teaching given herein in relation to the invention.

Brief description of the annexed representations The invention will now be described, purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the annexed representations, which represent the structure and subsequent operating phases of embodiments.

In particular:

- Figures 1 to 3 illustrate the operation of removing laminar elements,

- figures 4 to 8 and figures 9 to 11 illustrate various manipulation operations of these laminar elements, and - figures 12 to 16 illustrate the insertion of these elements in respective containers.

Detailed description

The following description illustrates various specific details aimed at an in-depth understanding of the embodiments. The embodiments can be made without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other cases, known structures, materials or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the embodiments.

Reference to â € œan embodimentâ € in the context of this description indicates that a particular configuration, structure or feature described in relation to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, phrases such as â € œin one embodimentâ €, possibly present in different places of this description, do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, particular conformations, structures or features can be combined in a suitable way in one or more embodiments.

The references used here are for convenience only and therefore do not define the scope of protection or the scope of the forms of implementation.

The present detailed description refers to embodiments of a device which can be used to insert laminar elements such as "small sheets" F (as better described below) inside shell containers C of the type currently called "barrel".

In the examples considered here (see in particular figures 12 to 14), within the shell container C two half-shells C1 and C2 can be distinguished with the shape of a tray and cap-shaped end parts. In the following, these half-shells will be referred to for brevity as "body" (half-shell C1) "lid" (half-shell C2).

This distinction is made solely for simplicity of description. In the case of the barrel C illustrated here, the body C1 has a shell surface (by shell surface we mean here the lateral surface, adjacent to the mouth contour of the body C1) with a greater extension than the shell surface of the lid C2 . In other embodiments, the dimensional ratios in question can be completely different overturned (for example with the two cladding surfaces identical to each other). This also in consideration of the fact that the container C can have shapes that are quite different from the shape illustrated here, such as, for example, an ovoid (or spindle) shape, a spherical shape, a prismatic shape, a cylindrical shape, etc.

Again, in the examples shown here, the body C1 and the lid C2 are connected to each other by a flexible formation C3 acting as a hinge. The hinge C3 is also suitable for being made according to different methods as shown in various documents already cited in the introductory part of this description.

The presence of the hinged part C3, although prospective, does not however constitute an imperative element for the purposes of using the embodiments.

The examples of implementation, which are such, refer to solutions in which the laminar elements or sheets F are intended to be inserted in respective containers C operating in parallel on a number N (in the example considered N = 5, but nominally N can assume any value 1, â € ¦ N) of containers C arranged in a support block 1200, in particular by inserting the bodies C1 of the N containers in respective receiving cavities 140 provided in block 1200.

Turning now to consider the elements F (and recalling what has already been said in the introductory part of the present description), the illustrated examples refer to laminar elements having in general an elongated shape, in which a greater or maximum dimension can be distinguished. By way of example, the accompanying representations refer to sheets deriving from a first folding of the sheet on itself and from subsequent folds or, as shown separately on the left in Figure 1, from zig-zag folds (i.e. accordion or bellows) of a strip on which, for example, information or instructions relating to an object can be reported (for example a â € œsurpriseâ € intended to be inserted, mounted or mounted, in the container C).

In the examples considered here, the laminar elements or â € œfogliettiâ € F have a laminar structure, being able to consist of one or more sheets in a flattened condition, presenting themselves for example (the following list is not to be understood in an exhaustive sense) below shape of:

- plain strips or leaflets, for example in the form of a square or rectangular label,

- multi-layered sheet elements, for example a decal applied to a respective backing sheet of low-adhesion material,

- zig-zag folded strips, as shown in the left part of figure 1, so as to give rise to a multilayer laminar structure, - folded sheets with one or more subsequent folding operations so as to give rise to a flattened body with a laminar structure comprising several sheet layers superimposed on each other due to the folding effect, or

- strips of flattened shape, constituting for example components of the â € œsurpriseâ € or decorations for the same, of paper or plastic, for example derived from a reel that is cut in line.

Various embodiments demonstrate the ability to treat indifferently all these different morphologies of elements F, ensuring the achievement of the desired final result, ie the insertion into a container C in the folded condition (see Figure 13).

Figures 1 to 3 illustrate the fact that the elements F can be made available (by operating according to known criteria, for example by arranging them in distribution boxes that can be periodically restocked by an employee or automatically) in the form of an array of successive rows of elements F queued up to them. to each other (for example in a condition of relative support between the successive F elements in the same row so as to avoid their unwanted unfolding).

In the examples of implementation considered here (see figures 12 to 14) it has been assumed that the elements F are inserted by operating in parallel on N = 5 containers C carried by a block 1200. Consequently, it is assumed that the operation of withdrawal involves, starting from the configuration illustrated in Figure 1, five elements F at a time. This choice is, however, an example, since the number of elements F that can be "treated" simultaneously can be any.

In this regard, the fact that in figures 1 to 3 other possible rows of elements F are represented in dashed line, aims to highlight the possibility of providing several sets of elements F different from each other. This by differentiating the gripping operation as regards the elements F taken from time to time, so as to load - in groups of containers C treated subsequently - sets of elements F different from each other, without however modifying the other methods of handling the elements. F.

In the presence of elements F with an overall elongated shape, i.e. in which a greater or maximum dimension is generally identifiable, the side-by-side by row can be achieved (as illustrated in figures 1 to 3) in the condition of minimum encumbrance, i.e. by placing side by side the rows of elements F in the direction corresponding to their smallest or smallest size. In the embodiment examples illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, it was assumed that the elements F are generally rectangular in shape and that they are ordered in the withdrawal configuration so that the adjacent rows comprise elements F arranged "vertically", so ¬ to minimize the overall dimensions.

In figures 2 and 3 reference 10 indicates a gripping device such as the â € œhandâ € (or â € œhandâ €) an anthropomorphic robot - not completely visible in the representation, but of a known type - equipped with a plurality of gripping elements depression 12 (in short "suckersâ €) arranged side by side and can be activated in a number corresponding to the number N of the elements F to be removed at once.

Vacuum gripping devices or "hands" of the type considered here are known in the art, as documented, for example, by EP-A-0 239 547, EP-A-0 989 080, EP-A-0 968 940 , EP-A-0 768 254 or US-A-4 932 180. In particular, the operation of the robot carrying the hand 10 (including the operation of the hand itself) can be controlled by a processing unit K such as a personal computer for industrial use which supervises (according to criteria known per se) also the functioning of the various other moving and / or manipulation / processing elements described below.

The sequence of figures 2 and 3 shows that the robot equipped with the hand 10 can be operated (also in this case according to known criteria, also illustrated in the cited documents) so as to advance the "hand" 10 towards the array of elements F (Figure 2) making sure that each vacuum gripping element 12 can exert a "vacuum" or "vacuum" gripping action on a respective element F (i.e. for â € vacuum cleaner effectâ €), in such a way that therefore, when the robot moves the hand 10 back, each gripping formation 12 carries with it an element F, in a flattened condition, so as to be able to start it for further treatment operations with a general displacement movement represented by the arrow B of the figure 3.

In carrying out this movement, the gripping hand 10 can be led in such a way as to make it pass in front of a viewing unit such as a camera 14. The camera frames the array of elements F carried by the gripping hand 10 and detects any anomalies such as, for example, the lack of one or more elements F from the array taken or the incorrect positioning of one or more of the elements F.

The detection of any anomalies is carried out on the output signals of the unit 14 (typically a camera) by the processing unit K.

Having detected, starting from the signal provided by the camera 14, the presence of an anomaly in the array of elements F that has just been picked up, the unit K can send a command to the robot so that the picking units 12 of the hand 10 they are deactivated so as to drop the elements F just picked up in an underlying collection container - in a way that is not correct - avoiding to make them move towards further manipulation operations. In this case the robot is able to return to the operating condition to proceed with the withdrawal of a new array of F elements.

In various embodiments, the option is provided of deactivating the vacuum only in the gripping formations 12 where the element F is not picked up or positioned incorrectly.

When the robot moves back the hand 10, each gripping formation 12 carries with it an element F, in a flattened condition, so as to be able to start it for further processing operations with a general displacement movement represented by the arrow B in Figure 3. For example, if the removal operation of the elements F has been successful, at least in part, the hand 10 that leads to the elements F held by the gripping formations 12 in a flattened condition is advanced towards a receiving element 16 (Figure 4) comprising, in the embodiment illustrated here, a support block 160 in which a plurality of receiving formations 162 are mounted which, in the embodiment illustrated in the figures, have a general fork shape (or U-shaped) with a basin-shaped cavity 164.

Formations 162 are arranged in a linear array comprising a number N of formations. In the example illustrated here N = 5, having to take into account the fact that, at least in certain conditions of use (for example when the option to deactivate the vacuum is provided only in the gripping formations 12 where the ™ element F is not picked up or positioned incorrectly), not all receiving formations 162 may be intended to be used simultaneously.

When the hand 10 faces the element 16 to insert the elements F, the receiving formations 162 are arranged with their hollow parts 164 aligned in such a way as to jointly define a groove or channel.

As illustrated by the sequence of figures 4 and 5, the robot then drops the hand 10 towards the element 16 in such a way that the elements F carried by the gripping formations 12 are inserted into the hollow parts 164 of the receiving formations 162 and assume a corresponding U-shape, thus giving rise to a (first) bending operation of the elements F.

Once this condition has been reached (figure 5) the unit K can intervene on the robot which up to the moment has had the elements F delivered, determining:

- the deactivation of the gripping formations 12 of the hand 10, which interrupt their gripping action on the elements F, releasing them into the receiving formations 162, and

- the subsequent lifting of the hand 10 (see figure 6) which can then be brought back by the robot to the initial gripping condition referred to in figure 2.

It will be appreciated, however, that the choice of adopting, for the reception formations 162, a conch or fork shape is not imperative. Without prejudice to the intention of ensuring that the elements F, taken in a flattened condition, can assume a U-shape as a result of the insertion of said cavity 164, the receiving cavities 164 could appear, for example, in the form of open bottom cylindrical cavities.

In the example of implementation illustrated in the figures, it is also envisaged that in the cavities 164 openings 163 which can be selectively connected, by effect of a command issued by the unit K, with a source of subatmospheric pressure (such as the one to which the gripping elements 12) can be connected so as to exert a vacuum gripping action on the elements F inserted in the cavities 164.

In this case, once the condition of figure 5 has been reached, the unit K can intervene on the robot which up to the moment has had the elements F in delivery, determining in a coordinated way:

- the deactivation of the gripping formations 12 of the hand 10, which interrupt their gripping action on the elements F, and

- the activation of the openings 163, which retain the elements F in the receiving formations 162.

Also in this case, the unit K can command the lifting of the hand 10 which can then be brought back by the robot to the initial gripping condition referred to in figure 2.

Figure 2 alone illustrates the possibility that the hand 10 carries several rows of grip formations. For example, Figure 2 shows that, in addition to the (first) array of grip formations 12, the hand 10 can carry at least one second array of grip formations 120. For example, each grip formation 120 (again can be a vacuum gripping formation) can be mounted at the distal end of an arm 122 which extends from the body of the hand 10. All this in such a way that the two arrays of gripping formations 12 and 120 (comprising for example the same number of elements, so that each formation 12 corresponds to a formation 120) are arranged at the ends of the two branches of an ideal L-shaped conformation.

Figure 2 shows that, in this way, it is possible to provide, for example, one or more reels B, each of which is automatically unwound and cut (at 124) to form strips of flattened shape Fâ € ™ capable of forming for example a piece of â € œsurpriseâ € or a decorative part possibly on a self-adhesive support.

These flattened elements Fâ € ™ can be taken from the gripping formations 120 and inserted into the formations 162 according to the same methods described above with reference to Figures 1 to 6 in relation to the flattened elements F and the gripping formations 12.

In various forms of implementation, for example, one can think of programming (according to criteria known per se) the unit K in such a way as to ensure that, according to needs that evolve over time, the hand 10 picks up, alternatively, by inserting them in the reception formations 162:

- the F elements taken from the 12 formations, or - the Fâ € ™ elements taken from the 120 formations.

In various forms of implementation, for example, one can think of programming (always according to criteria known per se) the unit K in such a way as to ensure that:

- with a first movement, the hand 10 takes the elements F with the formations 12, inserting them into the receiving formations 162, and

- with a second movement, the hand 10 takes the elements Fâ € ™ with the formations 120, inserting them inside the elements F already inserted in the receiving formations 162, thus superimposing the elements F and Fâ € ™.

For the rest, the operating modes (including the possible rejection of elements considered incorrectly positioned) can take place according to substantially identical criteria.

In the embodiment example referred to in Figure 7, the receiving formations 162 are mounted on the body 160 with a rotation capacity of 90 ° with respect to their main axis X162.

This rotation can be controlled by the unit K which intervenes on the respective motorizations 166 (only one of these is schematically indicated with a broken line in figure 7) so as to ensure that the concave parts 164, initially aligned with each other thus to define a general channel structure - figures 4 to 6 - are to be found, following the 90 ° rotation imparted to the formations 162 around their respective main axes X162, oriented in a position exactly orthogonal to the one they had previously. All this in such a way as to ensure that the cavities 164, and the elements F that are inside them, form a row of elements side by side with a configuration roughly similar (see figure 7) to a sort of toothing or to the battlements of a medieval castle with each cavity 164 and the element F inside which practically defines the cavity or void between two adjacent battlements.

Figure 8 highlights the fact that the rotatable mounting of the receiving formations 162 on the support block 160 of the receiving element 16 is not a mandatory feature. The receiving element 16 can in fact also be made in the form of a comb-like body (see figure 8) having, in a stable manner, a `` scalloped '' or comb conformation similar to that shown in figure 7, reached after the rotation of formations 162.

Whatever the structure of the receiving element 16, as schematically illustrated in Figure 9, the elements F (and / or Fâ € ™) received in the cavities 164 of the receiving formations 162 and folded according to a general U-shaped configuration can be taken over by the â € œhandle "20 of a further gripping element (once again it can be a known anthropomorphic robot, not completely visible in the figures) controlled by the K unit.

The hand 20 has a plurality of gripping elements 200 in the shape of straight fingers side by side which extend from the body of the hand 20, side by side according to a fork configuration. As schematically illustrated in figure 10, the hand 20 can be controlled (by the unit K) in such a way as to make the gripping fingers 200 penetrate - moving transversely with respect to their length - into the cavities 164 of the reception formations 162 each entering the loop part of a respective element F.

In various embodiments, the gripping fingers 200 can present, at their distal ends, gripping members intended to â € œgripâ € the U-bent elements F (and / or Fâ € ™) which are located in the cavities 164 .

For example, Figure 9 illustrates the fact that, in various embodiments, the fingers 200 may have openings 204 which are also intended to be connected - in analogy with what occurs for the suction cup formations 12 (and 120) of the hand 10 described above - with a source of sub-atmospheric pressure not visible in the drawings, so as to achieve once again a vacuum gripping / retaining action.

In various embodiments, in particular when it is desired to grasp two elements F and Fâ € ™ superimposed and U-bent located in the cavities 164, it is possible to provide - at the distal ends of the fingers 200 - pincer formations 204â € ™ (one of these is schematically illustrated with dashed line in figure 12) capable of clamping and â € œto graspâ € a pair of U-bent elements F and Fâ € ™ located in the cavities 164 by acting on the edges of these slightly protruding from the cavities 164 .

The unit K operates in such a way that, once the fingers 200 are inserted into the cavities of the formations 162 (observe the sequence of figures 9 and 10), the gripping members 204 or 204â € ™ are activated in such a way elements F (and / or Fâ € ™) to be grasped.

At this point, the unit K can intervene on the command of the robot carrying the hand 20 in such a way as to raise the hand 20 away from the element 16 (see figure 11), so that the gripping fingers 200 of the hand 20 they carry with them the elements F (and / or Fâ € ™).

At this point, the transfer element 16 is available (if applicable after rotating the receiving formations 162 to bring them back to the initial condition represented in Figure 4) so as to be able to receive further elements F (and / or Fâ € ™ ) in the meantime taken from the hand 10 from the power supply array according to the modalities previously illustrated with reference to figures 1 to 3.

As illustrated in figure 12, the hand 20 with the elements F (and / or Fâ € ™: for simplicity, in the rest of the description we will refer only to the elements F) taken from the cavities 164 of the element 16 is advance towards a corresponding array of containers C.

The fingers 200 of the hand 20 which carry the elements F to their distal ends can thus penetrate inside the cavities of the bodies C1 of the containers C by inserting a respective element F in the folded condition inside each of them.

All this ensuring that, due to the folded condition already achieved previously, the elements F do not form an obstacle to the further introduction into the bodies C1 of further elements of a toy item (a so-called â € œsurprise ") intended for be inserted into containers C.

The insertion sequence of the elements F inside the containers C (for simplicity and clarity of illustration, in figures 13 and 14 the sequence is illustrated with reference to a single finger 200 carrying a respective element F) provides:

- the penetration of the fingers 200 carrying at their distal end the elements F inside the cavities of the bodies C1 of the containers C, and

- the deactivation of the gripping members 204 or 204â € ™, so as to cause the fingers 200 to release the elements F: the latter thus remain inside the containers C when the hand 20 is recalled away from the block 1200 where are the containers C with the elements F inserted inside them.

The observation of figures 12 to 14 highlights the fact that, in order to facilitate the insertion of the fingers 200 and the elements F carried by them into the containers C, the block 1200 in which the bodies C1 are inserted (inside the respective cavities 140) it can be tilted forward (by an angle β - see figure 12) towards the hand 20 carrying the fingers 200. This overturning forward, which possibly can also assume the character of an overturning in a horizontal condition, favors the movement of introduction of the fingers 200 inside the containers C.

The elements F can have a certain elastic memory so that, once released by the fingers 200 inside the cavity of the containers C, they tend at least slightly to â € œwidenâ €, that is to spread apart from the U-shaped configuration given to them by effect of the insertion of reception formations 162 into cavities 164.

By dividing inside the containers C, the elements F leave inside them more space available for the insertion, for example, of the surprise or the components of the surprise destined to be inserted in the container C. The latter are inserted in the containers C with subsequent manipulation operations carried out in a known way and not forming the specific subject of the present description.

The aforementioned enlargement phenomenon can be positively emphasized, providing for the presence of a further treatment station 300 (figures 15 and 16) comprising a unit 302 capable of being selectively lowered (under the action of motor means not visible in the drawings , but of a known type) towards the containers C so as to make the pads 304 carried below by the crew 302 penetrate into them. In various embodiments, the pads 304 are connected to one or more pressurization lines 306 and are therefore inflatables.

By controlling the lowering movement of the crew 302 (see the sequence of figures 15 and 16), the unit K also controls the feeding of the pads 304, which swell and, inserted in the cavities of the individual containers C, widen , pushing the elements F (and / or Fâ € ™) towards the peripheral wall of the container C.

The possible engagement of the pads 304, which descend into the containers C, with the elements F (and / or Fâ € ™) can also have the effect of further pushing the elements F (and / or Fâ € ™) into the containers C, avoiding that these elements protrude excessively upwards beyond the mouth edge of the containers, which could hinder the insertion of further elements (for example the â € œsurprisesâ €, possibly in several pieces) in the containers C.

Finally, it will be appreciated that the reference to â € œhandlesâ € 10 and 20 provided with gripping elements of the pneumatic type, in particular with depression (suction cups 12, openings 204) is purely illustrative. These gripping operations could in fact be carried out with equivalent elements, for example pliers.

It follows that, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the details of construction and the embodiments may vary, even significantly, with respect to what is illustrated here purely by way of non-limiting example, without thereby departing from the scope of invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (13)

CLAIMS 1. Device for inserting laminar elements (F; Fâ € ™) into a container (C), comprising: - at least one first gripping member (12; 120) to pick up at least one laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) in a flattened condition, - a transfer device (16) comprising at least one receiving cavity (164) for receiving said at least one first gripping member (12; 120) in insertion ratio, whereby a laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) carried by said at least one first gripping member (12; 120) in flattened condition assumes a U-shape due to its insertion into said receiving cavity (164), and - at least a second gripping member (200) with a finger configuration that can be inserted into said receiving cavity (164) to pick up from said receiving cavity (164) at least one laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) with said U-shape , said at least a second gripping member (200) being also movable for insertion into said container (C) to insert said laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) into said container (C). 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said receiving cavity (164) is selectively orientable between: - a first angular position, for receiving said at least one first gripping member (12; 120) in insertion ratio, and - a second angular position, in which said at least one second gripping member (200) can be inserted in said receiving cavity (164). 3. Device according to claim 2, wherein said first angular position and said second angular position are spaced apart by 90 °. 4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a plurality of said receiving cavities (164) oriented or orientable side by side and jointly defining a structure similar to a toothing or crenellation. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein holding means, preferably vacuum holding means (163), are coupled to said at least one receiving cavity (163), for retaining in said at least one receiving cavity ( 164) a laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) with said U-shaped conformation. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of said at least one first gripping member (12; 120) and said at least one second gripping member (200) is a vacuum gripping member. 7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one, and preferably both, between said at least one first gripping member (12; 120) and said at least one second gripping member (200) are carried by a manipulator device such as a robot. 8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a support body (1200) for receiving said container (C), said support body (1200) being selectively orientable (β) in overturning towards said at least one second gripping member ( 200) to facilitate the insertion of said at least one second gripping member (200) into said container (C). 9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a vision unit (14) is associated with said at least one first gripping member (12; 120) to detect the correctness of picking up said at least one laminar element ( F; Fâ € ™) by said at least one first gripping member (12; 120), said at least one first gripping member (12; 120) being controllable (K) to release a laminar element (F; Fâ € ™ ) taken in a way detected as incorrect by said vision unit (14). 10. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a station (300) for enlarging said at least one laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) comprising at least one plug (304), preferably expandable (306), which can be introduced into a laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) inserted in said container (C) to push said laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) against the wall of said container (C). 11. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, configured to insert a plurality of laminar elements (F; Fâ € ™) in respective containers (C) and comprising corresponding pluralities of said first gripping members (12), of said receiving cavities (164) and said second gripping members (200). 12. Process for inserting laminar elements (F; Fâ € ™) into a container (C), comprising: - take (12; 120) at least one laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) in a flattened condition, - inserting said at least one laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) in a flattened condition in a receiving cavity (164), whereby said at least one laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) assumes a U-shape due to the insertion in called the receiving cavity (164), - taking (200) from said receiving cavity (164) said laminar element (F; Fâ € ™), and - insert in said container (C) said laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) taken from said receiving cavity (164). 13. Process according to claim 12, comprising retaining in said receiving cavity (164), preferably by means of vacuum holding means (163), a laminar element (F; Fâ € ™) with said U-shape.