Method and apparatus for product packaging
AssigneeBuralls of Wisbech Limited
InventorsJohn Colin Ogden, Richard Patrick Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of product packaging wherein oblong sleeve-simulating product packaging labels are adapted to be printed with variable product information as weight data and are fed long-edge first towards a product packaging station while being maintain in an indexed relationship to a series of product items which are likewise fed towards the product packaging station. By adopting a long-edge-first feed direction for the packaging elements the indexed relationship with the product items can be established and maintained whereby direct printing of the variable data on the packaging elements or sleeves is feasible without the need to resort to printing on adhesive labels for application to the sleeved product.
Claims7
A method of product packaging of the kind wherein:
- a) a series of product items are fed lengthwise of a product feed line to a product packaging station;
- b) in said product packaging station a series of oblong product packaging elements adapted to be mounted on said product items in sleeve or sleeve-simulating format are each applied to respective ones of said series of products by being caused to be held to the product and to extend around an entire periphery of the product or at least around a major portion of a periphery thereof;
- c) variable information relating to individual ones of said series of product items is printed on printable surfaces and is caused to be carried by said product packaging elements on the relevant ones of said product items when said product packaging elements have been applied thereto, by establishing an indexed relationship between said printed printable surface and said product packaging elements and said product item;
- wherein
- d) the step of providing said printable surface on said product packaging elements and by the step of printing said variable information directly onto said printable surface on said product packaging element as they pass sequentially through said printing station;
- e) said step of establishing an indexed relationship between said printed printable surface on said product packaging elements and said product items comprising providing said oblong product packaging elements in a series moving in a feed direction towards said product packaging station with the long edge of each product packaging element extending generally transverse to the direction of feed of said product packaging elements.
A method of product packaging wherein by providing a printable surface on a series of oblong product packaging elements and by the step of printing variable information directly onto said printable surface of said product packaging elements as they pass sequentially through a printing station, and establishing an indexed relationship between said printed printable surfaces of said product packaging elements and a series of product items by feeding said oblong product packaging elements in a series moving in a feed direction towards a product packaging station with the long edge of each product packaging element extending generally transverse to the direction feed of said product packaging elements.
Product packaging apparatus for respectively applying a series of oblong product packaging elements to a series of product items, comprising a product feed line, packaging station, and printer station;
- in which said product packaging elements are adapted to be mounted on said product items in sleeve or sleeve-simulating format, the product feed line is arranged to feed said series of product items to the product packaging station where the series of oblong product packaging elements are applied by said packaging station to respective ones of said series of product items by being caused to be held to the product and to extend around an entire periphery of said product or at least around a major portion of a periphery of said product, and in which said printer station is arranged to print variable information relating to individual relevant ones of said series of product items on a printable surface, said printable surface arranged to be carried by said product packing items when said product packaging elements have been applied thereto,
- wherein said printable surface is provided on said product packaging elements and the printer is arranged to print said variable product information directly onto said printable surface on said product packaging element as, in use, said product packing elements pass sequentially through said printing station;
- and in which said oblong product packing elements are arranged to be moved, in use, in a feed direction towards said product packing station with a long edge of each product packaging element extending generally transversely to the feed direction in order to establish an indexed relationship between said printed printable surface and said product packaging elements and said product items.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.