A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING OF PRODUCTS

Abstract

 A method for forming packages (10), comprising the steps of:
- folding a packaging film (14) into the form of a tubular sleeve (56) elongated in a reference direction (B),
- carrying out four longitudinal welds (18, 38) on said tubular sleeve (56) so as to form four longitudinal ribs (26, 28) parallel to said reference direction (B),
- carrying out first transversal welds (20') on the tubular sleeve (56) and transversely cutting said tubular sleeve (56) in proximity to said first transversal welds (20') so as to form a succession of individual bags (58) closed at a first end and with a second end open,
- forming ordered groups of products (12), each of which includes a plurality of products (16) having respective product axes (A) arranged with the same orientation with respect to said reference direction (B),
- inserting said groups of ordered products (12) into respective bags (58), and
- closing the second ends of said bags (58) by means of respective second transversal welds (20").

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention refers to packaging of products and relates to a method and an apparatus for packaging of products according to the "flow-pack" packaging technique.

Description of the prior art

[0002] The flow-pack package is one of the most widely used systems for packaging of food products, such as, for example, biscuits, snacks, bars, etc.

[0003] In flow-pack packages, a packaging film is arranged in a tubular form in order to surround the products to be packaged. The packaging film is closed by means of a longitudinal weld that joins the opposite longitudinal sides of the packaging film, and by means of two transversal welds that seal the tubular film at opposite sides with respect to the products.

[0004] Machines for forming flow-pack packages are divided into two categories:

• horizontal packaging machines, in which the packaging film and the products to be packaged - arranged in an ordered manner- advance in a horizontal direction, and
• vertical packaging machines, in which the packaging film is closed in the form of a bag with a closed lower end and an open upper end through which products are randomly inserted.

[0005] In packages formed by horizontal packaging machines, the products are always arranged with a predetermined order with respect to the packaging direction. The packaging film adheres to the products and has a single longitudinal weld formed on a longitudinal fin, which is folded against one of the faces of the package. One of the limitations of the packages obtained with horizontal flow-pack packaging machines is that the packaging film does not have the consistency to stably support the products in a vertical position.

[0006] In packages obtained with vertical packing machines, the products are arranged randomly. Packages of products arranged randomly are known that are obtained with vertical packaging machines in which the packaging film has four parallel longitudinal welds, which form longitudinal ribs that delimit flat faces of the package and give the package greater rigidity in the packaging direction. Packages of this type, thanks to the greater rigidity of the ribs, have the ability to remain upright in the vertical direction. Packages of this type are obtained with vertical flow-pack machines that fill the packages with products arranged randomly, fed by gravity into partially closed bags. Vertical flow-pack machines for forming packages with parallel longitudinal ribs are unable to fill the bags with products arranged in an ordered manner.

Object and summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a method and an apparatus for packaging of products that overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0008] According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a method and by an apparatus having the characteristics forming the subject of claims 1 and 3.

[0009] The claims form an integral part of the disclosure provided here in relation to the invention.

Brief description of the drawings

[0010] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, given purely by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flow-pack package obtained by the method according to the present invention,
• Figure 2 is a cross-section along the line II-II of Figure 1,
• Figures 3 and 4 are details on an enlarged scale of the parts indicated by the arrows III and IV shown in Figure 2,
• Figure 5 is a schematic side view illustrating a vertical packaging machine for forming bags open at the top,
• Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the filling step of the bags with ordered groups of products, and
• Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the closing step of the bags.

Detailed description

[0011] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, numeral 10 indicates a flow-pack package comprising a group of products 12 enclosed in a casing formed by a packaging film 14.

[0012] With reference to Figure 2, the group of products 12 is formed by a plurality of individual products 16 arranged in an ordered manner. The products 16 of each group of products 12 are identical to each other and can have any shape, such as parallelepiped, cylindrical, prismatic, etc. The products 16 can be packaged individually or can be devoid of packaging. Each product 16 could be formed of a pack containing a slug or stack of individual products. In each product 16, a product axis A is identifiable, consisting of a longitudinal axis of the product 16 or of a generic axis of symmetry of the product 16. In the group of products 12, the products 16 are arranged so that the homologous product axes A of all the products 16 are oriented in the same manner with respect to a reference direction B (Figure 1) of the package 10. In particular, all the product axes A form the same angle with respect to the reference axis B of the package 10.

[0013] The packaging film 14 forming the casing envelops the group of products 12 and is sealed by means of a longitudinal weld 18 parallel to the reference direction B and two transversal welds 20', 20" orthogonal to the reference direction B.

[0014] With reference to Figures 2 and 4, two opposite longitudinal edges 22, 24 of the packaging film 14 are facing each other and are joined by means of the longitudinal weld 18. The opposite longitudinal edges 22, 24 of the packaging film form a first longitudinal rib 26 parallel to the reference direction B of the package 10.

[0015] With reference to Figures 1 to 3, the casing of the package 10 has three second longitudinal ribs 28 parallel to the reference direction B. As illustrated in Figure 3, the second longitudinal ribs 28 are formed by flaps 30, 32 of the packaging film 14 folded by 180° along one edge 34, and joined together by means of respective longitudinal welds 38.

[0016] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the four longitudinal ribs 26, 28 delimit four flat faces 40 of the casing 14, parallel to the reference direction B of the package 10, with each flat face 40 located between each pair of adjacent longitudinal ribs 26, 28.

[0017] Figures 5-7 illustrate the formation sequence of the packages 10.

[0018] Figure 5 shows a vertical packaging machine 42, comprising a stationary frame 44 carrying a stationary folding device 46, a longitudinal welding device 48, a pulling device 50, and a transverse welding device 52, arranged one on top of the other along a vertical axis B.

[0019] The packaging film 14 is unwound from a reel 54 and is closed in the form of a tubular sleeve 56 in the stationary folding device 46. The tubular sleeve 56 advances from the top downwards along the axis B pulled by the pulling device 50. Downstream of the stationary folding device 46, the tubular sleeve 56 passes through the longitudinal welding device 48, which carries out the first longitudinal weld 18 on the tubular sleeve 56 between the opposite edges 22, 24 of the film 14 and the three second longitudinal welds 38 on the folded flaps 30, 32 of the film 14. The longitudinal welds 18 and 38 form four continuous longitudinal ribs 26, 28 on the tubular sleeve 56 while it advances through the longitudinal welding device 48.

[0020] The pulling device 50, located below the longitudinal welding device 48, advances the tubular sleeve 56 from the top downwards through the longitudinal welding device 48. The transverse welding device 52 is arranged below the pulling device 50, which carries out first transversal welds 20' on the tubular sleeve 56. At the same time as the welds, the transverse welding device 52 also carries out transverse cuts of the tubular sleeve 56 below the transversal welds 20'.

[0021] Below the transverse welding device 52, individual bags 58 are obtained, each of which is closed at the bottom by a transversal weld 20' and with an open upper end. Each bag 58 has four longitudinal ribs 26, 28 formed by respective longitudinal welds 18, 38 and has four flat faces 40.

[0022] The bags 58 formed by the vertical packaging machine 42 are empty. Below the transverse welding device 52, the empty bags 58 are picked up by a conveyor 60 having a plurality of seats that receive respective bags 58.

[0023] With reference to Figure 6, the conveyor 60 picks up the bags 58 from the packaging machine 42, which are vertically oriented with the open part upwards, and it moves the bags 58 along a horizontal direction C through a filling station 62. At the filling station 62, a manipulator 64 picks up individual ordered groups of products 12 by means of a gripping head 66 and inserts the groups of products 12 into respective bags 58 through the upper opening of the bags 58 while the bags 58 advance on the conveyor 60 in the direction C. The ordered groups of products 12 are formed in a forming station according to conventional techniques.

[0024] The bags 58 containing respective ordered groups of products 12 then advance towards a closing station indicated by 68 in Figure 7. At the closing station 68, a second welding device 70 carries out the second transversal welds 20" that close the open upper ends of the bags 58 and complete the packages 10.

[0025] Of course, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the details of construction and the embodiments can be widely varied with respect to those described and illustrated, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A method for forming packages (10), comprising the steps of:

- folding a packaging film (14) into the form of a tubular sleeve (56) elongated in a reference direction (B),

- carrying out four longitudinal welds (18, 38) on said tubular sleeve (56) so as to form four longitudinal ribs (26, 28) parallel to said reference direction (B),

- carrying out first transversal welds (20') on the tubular sleeve (56) and transversely cutting said tubular sleeve (56) in proximity to said first transversal welds (20') so as to form a succession of individual bags (58) closed at a first end and with a second end open,

- forming ordered groups of products (12), each of which includes a plurality of products (16) having respective product axes (A) arranged with the same orientation with respect to said reference direction (B),

- inserting said groups of ordered products (12) into respective bags (58), and

- closing the second ends of said bags (58) by means of respective second transversal welds (20").

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of said bags (58) has four flat faces (40), wherein each flat face (40) is located between each pair of adjacent longitudinal ribs (26, 28).

3. An apparatus for forming packages (10), comprising:

- a stationary folding device (46) configured to fold a packaging film (14) into the form of a tubular sleeve (56) elongated in a reference direction (B),

- a longitudinal welding device (48) configured to carry out four longitudinal welds (18, 38) on said tubular sleeve (56) so as to form four longitudinal ribs (26, 28) parallel to said reference direction (B),

- a transverse welding device (52) configured to carry out first transversal welds (20') on the tubular sleeve (56) and to transversely cut said tubular sleeve (56) in proximity of said first transversal welds (20') in order to form a succession of individual bags (58) closed at a first end and with a second end open,

- a forming station configured to form ordered groups of products (12), each of which includes a plurality of products (16) having respective product axes (A) arranged with the same orientation with respect to said reference direction (B),

- a filling station (62) comprising a manipulator (64) configured to insert said groups of ordered products (12) into respective bags (58), and

- a closing station (68) comprising a welding device (70) configured to close the second ends of said bags (58) by means of respective second transversal welds (20'').

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a conveyor (60) configured for receiving a series of bags (58) within respective seats and transporting said bags (58) along a horizontal direction (C) orthogonal to said reference direction (B).

Drawing