_The present invention relates to a system and method for a wrapping machine used for wrapping objects by means of sheets of heat-shrink material.

_Currently, see patent EP_1.013.551, are known methods and systems for wrapping objects by means of hot sheets of heat-shrink material, in which, briefly, by means of said methods/systems each individual object is wrapped in succession by means of a respective sheet of heat-shrink material, in which said sheet has been previously heated to a temperature greater than the softening temperature of the heat-shrink material.

_These methods/systems have a number of drawbacks.

_A first drawback is due to the fact that they do not allow to operate with high operating speeds and, therefore, they do not allow to obtain a high packing productivity.

_A second drawback is due to the fact that they do not allow the uniformly and/or quickly heating of the sheet.

_A third drawback is due to the fact that they do not allow a good synchronization between the various operations to be performed and/or between between the various operating means.

_A fourth drawback is due to the fact that they do not allow the execution of a rapid format change in relation to the size of the sheet of material and/or in relation to the size of the objects to be packaged and/or in relation to the type of heat-shrink material of the sheet.

_The object of the present invention is therefore that to solve the above mentioned drawbacks.

_The invention, which is characterized by the claims, solves the problem of creating a system for a wrapping machine of the "sleeve" type able to wrap hot sheets of packaging heat-shrink material around objects to be wrapped, wherein said system comprises: _first objects conveying means, wherein said first objects conveying means are able to move objects longitudinally in a spaced succession; _second objects conveying means, wherein said second objects conveyor means are positioned downstream and at a short longitudinal distance with respect to said first objects conveyor means in order to form a first opening between said first and said second object conveyor means, wherein said second objects conveyor means are able to receive the objects arriving from said first objects conveyor means, and wherein said second objects conveyor means are able to move the same objects along a wrapping surface which has an inlet end and an outlet end; _third objects conveyor means, wherein said third objects conveyor means are arranged downstream and at a short longitudinal distance from said second object conveyor means in order to form a second opening between said second and said third object conveyor means, wherein said third objects conveyor means are able to receive the objects arriving from said second objects conveyor means; _sheets wrapping means, wherein said sheet wrapping means are positioned in the vicinity of said second objects conveying means, wherein said sheet wrapping means comprise at least one suspended wrapping bar, wherein said suspended wrapping bar is oriented transversely with respect to the direction of advancement of the objects, in which said suspended wrapping bar is brought to move along an orbital path that passes through said first and said second opening, wherein said suspended wrapping bar transports the sheets of wrapping material; _control means, in which said control means are able to control, operate and synchronize the various operative means; in which said system is characterized by the fact that it comprises: _sheets heater_feeder conveyor means and _sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means, by the fact that said sheet heater_feeder conveyor means are able to heat the sheets of heat-shrink material; by the fact that said sheets heater_feeder conveyor means are able to feed the heated and hot sheets of heat-shrink material towards said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means; by the fact that said sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means are able to receive the heated and hot sheets of heat-shrink material from said sheets heater_feeder conveyor means; by the fact that said sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means are able to feed the received heated and hot sheets of heat-shrink material towards the sheet wrapping means.

_The invention, which is characterized by the claims, also solves the problem of creating a method for wrapping a product by means of a sheet of heat shrink material, in which said method is characterized by the fact of comprising in succession comprises: _a first station of sheets receiving_heating_feeding; _a second station of sheets receiving_feeding; _a third station of sheets receiving_wrapping; said method is also characterized by the fact of comprising the following operative steps: a)_positioning a sheet of heat-shrink material having a first temperature in the first station of sheet receiving_heating_feeding; b)_heating the sheet of heat-shrink material positioned in said first station of sheet receiving_heating_feeding to a second temperature having a value higher than the first temperature; c)_moving the heated and hot sheet from said first station of sheet receiving_heating_feeding to the second station of sheets receiving_feeding; d)_moving the heated and hot sheet from said second station of sheets receiving_feeding to the third station of sheets receiving_wrapping; e)_wrapping the heated and hot sheet around an object to be packagen the third station of sheets receiving_wrapping.

_Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more clear by the description that follows of some preferred forms of practical embodiment, given herein by ways of not limiting example, made with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:

• >_Figure 1 and 1A are schematic views of the system object of the present invention according to a first embodiment;
• >_Figure 2 and 2A are schematic views of the system object of the present invention according to a second embodiment;
• >_Figure 3 illustrates in particular the system of Fig. 1A and 1B;
• >_Figure 4 illustrates a block diagram relating to the methods object of the present invention.

_With reference to Figures 1 and 1A, they schematically illustrate a first embodiment of the wrapping machine of the "sleeve" type object of the present invention, in which the said system of machine is able to wrap the objects 10a, 10b, 10c, etc., by means of a respective sheet of heat-shrink material, Sa, Sb, Sc, etc., while said objects 10a, 10b, 10c, etc., reciprocally and longitudinally spaced between them, move longitudinally towards downstream and preferably with continuous motion, as indicated by arrow F1.

_This system substantially comprises: _first objects conveying means 100, wherein said first objects conveying means 100 are able to move objects 10a, 10b, 10c, etc. longitudinally in a longitudinal spaced succession; _second objects conveying means 200, wherein said second objects conveyor means 200 are positioned downstream and at a short longitudinal distance with respect to said first objects conveyor means 100 in order to form a first opening A1 between said first 100 and said second 200 object conveyor means, wherein said second objects conveyor means 200 are able to receive the objects 10a, 10b, 10c, etc. arriving from said first objects conveyor means 100, and wherein said second objects conveyor means 200 are able to move the same objects 10a, 10b, 10c, etc. along a wrapping surface which has an inlet end and an outlet end; _third objects conveyor means 300, wherein said third objects conveyor means 300 are arranged downstream and at a short longitudinal distance from said second object conveyor means 200 in order to form a second opening A2 between said second 200 and said third 300 objects conveyor means, wherein said third objects conveyor means 300 are able to receive the objects 10a, 10b, 10c, etc. arriving from said second objects conveyor means 200; >_sheets wrapping means 400 positioned in the vicinity of said second objects conveying means 200, wherein said sheet wrapping means 400 comprise at least one suspended wrapping bar 401, wherein said suspended wrapping bar 401 is oriented transversely with respect to the direction of advancement of the objects 10a, 10b, 10c, etc., in which said suspended wrapping bar 401 is brought to move along an orbital path that passes through said first A1 and said second A2 opening, wherein said suspended wrapping bar 401 transports the sheets Sa, Sb, Sc of wrapping material; _control means 500, in which said control means 500 are able to control, operate and synchronize the various operative means; _sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600, which are controlled by said control means 500 and _sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means 700, which are controlled by said control means 500.

_With reference to said first 100, said second 200 and said third 300 conveyor means, they, essentially, comprise a conveyor having a conveyor belt 110, 210, 310, in which said conveyor means 100, 200, 300, are preferably driven by a single motor M1 and a mechanical connections, or by two or three motors, in which said single motor M1 or said two or more motors are preferably brushless motors connected to the control unit 500, such way as to be operated in a phase relationship with respect the other operating means.

_With reference to the sheets wrapping means 400 they, for example, may comprise one or more suspended transporting bars 401, in which said bars 401 are brought to move along an orbit path P1 that passes through said first A1 and said second A2 opening, wherein said suspended wrapping bars 401 are for example carried by a pair of chains driven by a servo motor M2, as for example a brushless motor, which is driven and controlled by the control means 500.

_With reference to the sheet conveying_heating means 600, better described hereinafter, they are able to receive sheets Sd of heat-shrink material, in entrance, as well as able to heat the sheets Sd of heat-shrink material, and also act to feed the heated and hot sheets Sd of shrink material towards the sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means 700, with the direction of feed as indicated by the arrow F2.

_Said sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600 are preferably actuated by a third servomotor M3, such as a brushless servo motor driven and controlled by said control means 500.

_With reference to the sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means 700, better described hereinafter, they are able to receive the heated and hot sheets Sc of shrink material arriving from said sheet conveying_heating means 600 means, as well as able to feed said heated and hot sheets Sc received of shrink material towards the sheets wrapping means 400, with the direction of feed indicated by the arrow F2.

_Said sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 are preferably actuated by means of a fourth servomotor M4, as for example a brushless servomotor driven and controlled by said control means 500.

_Furthermore, said system also comprises sheet forming_feeding means 800, such as for example a cutting_feeding unit 800, which provides to cut a continuous strip of heat-shrink material in order to form the sheets that will be fed into the sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600, in which said sheet forming_feeding means 800 are driven by a motor/actuator M5, connected to and actuated by the control unit 500.

_With reference to the system above described, in order to wrap a product by a sheet of heat-shrink material, as FIRST embodiment, it executes the following operating steps: a)_positioning a sheet Sd having a first temperature within said sheet heater_feeder conveyor means 600; b)_heating said sheet Sd by said sheet heater_feeder conveyor means 600; c) when said sheet Sd has reached and/or exceeded the softening temperature, moving said heated hot sheet having a temperature equal to or higher than the softening temperature by said sheet heater_feeder conveyor means 600 toward said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 in phase relation with respect to the operative steps provided to said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700; d)_positioning said sheet Sc having a temperature equal to or higher than the softening temperature within said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700; e)_feeding said heated hot sheet Sc having a temperature equal to or higher than the softening temperature by said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 towards the sheets wrapping means 400 in phase relation with respect to the operative steps provided for said sheets wrapping means 400; f)_wrapping said heated hot sheet Sc having a temperature equal to or higher than the softening temperature around the object to be wrapped by said sheets wrapping means 400.

_With reference to the system above described, in order to pack a product by a sheet of heat-shrink material, as second embodiment, the following operating steps are executed : a)_positioning a sheet Sd having a first temperature within said sheet heater_feeder conveyor means 600; b)_heating said sheet Sd by said sheet heater_feeder conveyor means 600; c)_when said sheet Sd has reached and/or exceeded a pre-determined second temperature, moving said heated and hot sheet by said sheet heater_feeder conveyor means 600 towards said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 in phase relation with respect to the operative steps provided for said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700; d)_positioning said sheet Sc within said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700; e)_feeding said heated and hot sheet Sc by said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 towards the sheets wrapping means 400 in phase relation with respect to the operative steps provided for said sheets wrapping means 400; f)_wrapping said heated and hot sheet Sc around the object to be wrapped by said sheets wrapping means 400.

_With reference to the operating steps relating to the first and second embodiment above described, preferably, it is provided a phase relationship in which a subsequent heated and hot rear sheet Sc is transferred by said sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600 towards said sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means 700, a previous heated and hot sheet Sb is transferred by said sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 towards said sheet wrapping means 400.

_In this manner, the rear second heated and hot sheet Sc is disposed within said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 while the first front sheet Sb is taken over by the sheets wrapping means 400 for winding this latter around the product 10b to be wrapped.

_Again with reference to the first and to the second embodiments described above, preferably, it is provided a phase relationship in which, while a previous heated and hot sheet Sc is transferred from said sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600 towards said sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means 700, a subsequent sheet Sc is inserted and positioned into said sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600.

_In this manner, a front sheet Sc is positioned on the sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 in view of the subsequent step of feeding it to the sheets wrapping means 400 and the rear second sheet Sd is positioned on the second sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600 for the execution of the heating.

_Again with reference to the first and to the second embodiment described above, preferably, a phase relationship is provided between said sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600 said sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 and said sheet wrapping means 400, in which said phase relationship is intended to limit and/or obviate the stop time of said heated and hot sheet into said sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means 700, in order to limit the cooling of said heated and hot sheet during its transfer from said sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600 towards and until this said sheet wrapping means 400.

_With reference to Figure 2 and 2A it shows a variant of embodiment of the system object of the present invention, in which said sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 further comprise heating means 760.

_With reference to said second embodiment of figure 2, in order to wrap a product, the following operating steps are executed: a)_positioning a sheet Sd having a first temperature within said sheet heater_feeder conveyor means 600; b)_heating said sheet Sd a first time by said sheet heater_feeder conveyor means 600; c)_when said sheet Sd has reached and/or exceeded a pre-determined second temperature moving said heated and hot sheet by said sheet heater_feeder conveyor means 600 towards said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 in phase relation with respect to the operative steps provided to said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700; d)_positioning said heated and hot sheet Sc within said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700; e)_heating said heated and hot sheet Sc a second time by said sheet heating means 760; f)_when said sheet Sc has reached and/or exceeded a pre-determined third temperature moving said heated and hot sheet by said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 towards the sheets wrapping means 400 in phase relation with respect to the operative steps provided for said sheets wrapping means 400; g)_wrapping said heated and hot sheet Sc around the object to be wrapped by said sheets wrapping means 400.

_With reference to the operational steps above described, said third temperature may be equal and/or greater than the softening temperature of the heat-shrink material, in order to wrap an object and obtain the heat shrinkage of the sheet wound around the packed object without the heating of the unit (sheet wrapped and product) within a tunnel oven for the so-called heat-shrinkage.

_With reference to figures 1A and 2A, the sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600 can further comprise first temperature sensor means 650, in which said first temperature sensor means 650 are able to detect/estimate the temperature of the sheet Sc of heat-shrink material positioned within said sheet heater_feeder conveyor means 600, in which said first temperature sensor means 650 are connected with the control means 500 for the transmission of the relative signals regarding the temperature of the sheet Sc.

_Again with reference to figures 1A and 2A, said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 can further comprise second temperature sensor means 750; in which said second temperature sensor means 750 are able to detect/estimate the temperature of the sheet Sc of heat-shrink material positioned within said sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700, in which said second temperature sensor means 750 are connected with the control means 500 for the transmission of the relative signals regarding the temperature of the sheet Sc.

_With reference to the sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600, preferably, they comprise a conveyor 600 comprising a transport belt 610 which is wound in a closed loop, in which said transport belt 610 configures an upper transport branch, in which along said upper transport branch the sheet of heat-shrink material Sc/Sd is positioned, and in which along said upper transport branch said sheet Sc/Sd of heat-shrink material is heated by said transport belt 610.

_In this context, for example, the conveyor belt can be a hot belt heated by a heater 660 that provides to heat the same belt 610, in which this latter transmit heat by thermal conduction to the heat-shrink material sheet Sd.

_With reference to the sheets receptor_feeder conveyor means 700, they preferably comprise a conveyor 700 comprising a transport belt 710 of suction type which is wound in a closed loop, in which said transport belt 710 defines an upper transport branch, in which along said upper transport branch said sheet Sc of heat-shrink material is positioned, and in which, if it is required, along said upper transport branch said sheet Sc of heat-shrink material is heated by said transport belt 710.

_In this context, for example, the conveyor belt 710 can be heated by a heater 760 that provides to heat the belt 710, in which the latter transmits heat by thermal conduction to the sheet Sc/Sd of heat-shrink material.

_With reference to the First and the Second system illustrated by the figures 1A and 2A, the wrapping bar 401 can be equipped with separating means 402, which are able to prevent and/or limit the contact between the front portion Sb1 and the rear portion Sb2 of the heated and hot sheet Sb during the steps of wrapping of the sheet Sb around the product 10b.

_Said separator means 402, see fig. 3, may have the form of a pendant curtain, having one side supported by and associated to the wrapping bar 401, wherein said curtain 402 is made by a material having low coefficient of friction and a low/zero grip with respect to the material of the sheet Sb, in order to enable the sheet Sb to slip over said curtain 402 during the winding phases.

_The present invention also relates to a first method for wrapping a product by means of a heat-shrink material sheet, in which, with reference to Fig. 4, said first method comprises positioned in succession _a first station S1 of sheet receiving_heating_feedings, _a second station S2 of sheets receiving_feeding, _a third station S3 of sheets receiving_wrapping, in which said method comprises the following operative steps: a)_positioning a sheet of heat-shrink material having a first temperature in the first station S1 of sheet receiving_heating_feedings; b)_heating the sheet of heat-shrink material positioned in said first station S1 of sheet receiving_heating_feedings to a second temperature having a value higher than the first temperature; c)_moving the heated and hot sheet from said first station S1 of sheet receiving_heating_feedings to the second station S2 of sheets receiving_feeding; d)_moving the heated and hot sheet from said second station S2 of sheets receiving_feeding to the third station S3 of sheets receiving_wrapping; e)_wrapping the heated and hot sheet around an object to be wrapped in the third station S3 of sheets receiving_wrapping.

_With reference to said first method, preferably, said second temperature has a value such as to maintain the sheet of heat-shrink material at a temperature equal to or greater than the softening temperature during the subsequent stages c), d) and e), in order to obtain, after the operations of wrapping of the heated and hot sheet around the product to be packaged, a heat-shrinkage against the product without a re-heating of the previous wrapped sheet, such as, for example, without the execution of a heating of the sheet into a heat shrinking tunnel.

_The present invention also relates to a second method for packing of a product by means of a sheet of heat-shrink material, in which, with reference to Fig. 4, said second method comprises positioned in succession _a first station S1 of sheet receiving_heating_feeding; _a second station S2 of sheets receiving_heating_feeding; _a third station S3 of sheets receiving_wrapping, in which said method comprises the following operative steps: a)_positioning a sheet of heat-shrink material having a first temperature in the first station S1 of sheet receiving_heating_feedings; b)_heating the sheet of heat-shrink material positioned in said first station S1 of sheet receiving_heating_feedings to a second temperature having a value higher than the first temperature; c)_moving the eheated and hot sheet from said first station S1 of sheet receiving_heating_feedings to the second station S2 of sheets receiving_heating_feeding; d)_heating the sheet of heat-shrink material positioned in said second station S2 of sheets receiving_heating_feeding to a third temperature having a value higher than the second temperature; e)_moving the twince (two time) heated and hot sheet from said second station S2 of sheets receiving_heating_feeding to the third station S3 of sheets receiving_wrapping; f)_wrapping in the third station S3 of sheets receiving_wrapping the hot and twice (two times) heated sheet around an object to be packaged.

_With reference to said second method, preferably, said third temperature has a value such as to maintain the sheet of heat-shrink material to a temperature equal to or greater than the softening temperature during the subsequent stages e) and f), in order to obtain, after the operations of wrapping of the heated and hot sheet around the product to be packaged, a heat-shrinkable of the sheet against the products without having to re-heat it, such as, for example, without the execution of a heating of the sheet into a heating shrinking tunnel.

_With reference to the above description by means of the systems/methods of the present invention the following results are obtained.

_The relative wrapping machine can operate with high operating speeds and, therefore, it is obtained a high wrapping productivity.

_The sheet of heat-shrink material can be heated uniformly, placing the same sheet in a lying manner on the heating floor of the sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600, acted to perform the heating of said sheet (stationary or in forward moving manner) through an optimal and programmable time period by the control of the motor M3, regardless of the wrapping operations.

_In fact, the wrapping operations are performed using a prior sheet Sb (previously heated) and by means of the sheet receptor_feeder conveyor means 700 and the sheet wrapping means 400, actuated by the motors M4 and M2, wherein said motors M4 and M2 can be operated independently with respect to the motor M3 which drives said sheets heater_feeder conveyor means 600.

_More particularly, the various operating means 100/200/300, 400, 600, 700 may be driven individually, and in an independent manner between each other by means of the control unit 500 and, therefore, by means of the systems/methods object of the present invention it is possible to set an optimal synchronization between said operating means 100/200/300, 400, 600, 700 in correlation with the various operations to be performed and, in addition, it is also possible to electronically perform a quick and easy change of size in relation to the size of the sheet of shrink material and/or in relation to the size of the object to be packaged and/or in relation to the type of heat-shrink material, as well as, the posibility of changing change the parameters regarding the heating of the sheet.

_The above description of the system and of the methods are provided purely by way of example and without restrictive intent and, therefore. it is evident that said systems and said methods can be subjected to all modifications or variations suggested by experience or by the use and within the scope of the following claims. _In this context, the following claims form an integral part of the above description.