US 10,246,206 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for packaging groups of articles which are combined to form packaging units

AssigneeKHS GmbH

InventorsBernd Cox, Michael Jörissen

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Abstract

A method for packaging groups of articles to form packaging units, includes sheathing a packaging unit with a film as it moves in a running direction on a transporting path by simultaneously forming a film cover and flaps projecting beyond the packaging unit along a direction perpendicular to the running direction, and positioning the flaps against the packaging unit as the packaging unit moves through a folding unit, fixing the flaps, and forming a film wrapper that is closed on all sides of the packaging unit. A preliminary-fixing step, which includes positioning the flaps in relation to one another, and initially fixing the flaps by generating heat, and exposing the flaps to the heat, follows. This is followed by a definitive-fixing step that includes exposing the packaging unit, as a whole, to generated heat.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method comprising packaging groups of articles to form packaging units, wherein packaging said groups comprises receiving a packaging unit that has been wrapped by a piece of film over a top thereof while moving in a running direction on a transporting path during which said packaging unit passes over a front of said piece of film, wherein said packaging unit stands on overlapping ends of said piece of film thereby causing said piece of film to simultaneously form a film cover and flaps, wherein said flaps project beyond said packaging unit along opposite transverse directions that are perpendicular to said running direction, positioning said flaps against said packaging unit as said packaging unit moves through a folding unit, executing a preliminary-fixing step, and executing a definitive-fixing step, thereby forming a film wrapper that is closed on all sides of said packaging unit, wherein executing said preliminary-fixing step comprises passing said packaging unit between parallel heat-sources of a preliminary-fixing unit, moving said parallel heat sources along a path that extends along said running direction, and supplying an air current that applies heat to said flaps and that mechanically loads said flaps so that said flaps are reciprocally positioned and oriented relative to said packaging unit, thereby initially fixing said flaps, and wherein executing a definitive-fixing step comprises exposing said packaging unit, as a whole, to generated heat after having initially fixed said flaps.

An apparatus comprising a definitive-fixing unit towards which groups of articles that have been combined to form a packaging unit move along a transporting path that leads into said definitive fixing-unit, wherein said definitive-fixing unit is configured for applying heat to said packaging unit as a whole and for definitively fixing flaps of a film cover that surrounds said packaging unit using at least said heat, wherein, when said packaging unit is received by the definitive-fixing unit after having been moved on said transporting path in a running direction thereof, said packaging unit has been covered by a film as a result of having been caused to pass over a front of said piece of film, said piece of film having been wrapped over a top of said packaging unit, wherein said packaging unit is standing on overlapping ends of said piece of film thereby causing said piece of film to simultaneously form a film cover and flaps that project beyond said packaging unit in opposite transverse directions that are perpendicular to said transporting path, wherein said apparatus comprises a fixing device and a folding unit that is separate from said fixing device, wherein said folding unit is configured for positioning said flaps against said packaging unit as said packaging unit passes through said folding unit towards said fixing device, wherein said folding unit is disposed upstream from said fixing device in said running direction, wherein said fixing device is configured to fix said flaps to each other, wherein said fixing device comprises a preliminary-fixing unit and said definitive-fixing unit,

wherein said preliminary-fixing unit comprises a moving heat source that moves in a longitudinal direction parallel to said running direction and a source of an air current, wherein said source of an air current is configured for applying heat to said flaps that project in opposite transverse directions for preliminary fixing of said flaps to each other and for mechanically loading said flaps, and wherein said source of an air current is further configured for reciprocal positioning and orientation of said flaps relative to said packaging unit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/423,521Filed 8 Aug 2013
Priority: DE 10 2012 016 69924 Aug 2012
Published: US 2015/0183539 A12 Jul 2015
Granted: 2 Apr 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

B65B 51/20
Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof: by fluid pressure acting directly on folds or on opposed surfaces, e.g. using…
B65B 11/12
To fold the wrappers in tubular form about contents: and then to form closing folds of similar form at opposite ends of the tube
B65B 43/10
Forming three-dimensional [3D] containers from sheet material: by folding the material
B65B 49/08
Devices for folding or bending wrappers around contents: reciprocating or oscillating folders

Family

US 2015/0183539 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Jul 2015
US 10,246,206 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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