Packaging apparatus and method
AssigneeJT International SA
InventorsMichael Polikeit, Wolfgang Sevenich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A packaging apparatus, in particular for packaging smoking articles, includes a wrapping device for wrapping a barrier film around an item to be packaged, such as a pack of smoking articles; and at least one sealing head having a contact surface for contacting the barrier film wrapped around the item and sealing the barrier film along a seam to form a protective enclosure around the item. The contact surface of the sealing head is at least partially discontinuous to provide a non-sealing region in the sealing head. In this way, the non-sealing region can be positioned to at least partially, and preferably wholly, overlie a frangible part or strip provided in the barrier film.
Claims20
A packaging apparatus comprising:
- a wrapping device for wrapping a barrier film around an item to be packaged;
- and
- at least one sealing head having a contact surface for contacting the barrier film wrapped around the item and sealing the barrier film along a seam to form a protective enclosure around the item,
- wherein the contact surface of the sealing head is at least partially discontinuous to provide a non-sealing region in the sealing head and wherein a breadth of the non-sealing region varies across a width of the sealing head.
A method of packaging an item, such as a pack of smoking articles, comprising:
- providing a barrier film for wrapping around an item to be packaged, the barrier film including a frangible part or strip;
- wrapping the barrier film around the item to be packaged;
- providing at least one sealing head which has a contact surface for sealing the barrier film, wherein the contact surface is at least partially discontinuous to provide a non-sealing region in the sealing head having a breadth that varies across a width of the sealing head;
- and
- contacting the barrier film wrapped around the item with the sealing head to seal the barrier film along a seam, whereby the non-sealing region is positioned to at least partially overlie the frangible part or strip.
A packaged item produced by a packaging apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
- a wrapping device for wrapping a barrier film around the item to be packaged;
- and
- at least one sealing head having a contact surface for contacting the barrier film wrapped around the item and sealing the barrier film along a seam to form a protective enclosure around the item,
- wherein the contact surface of the sealing head is at least partially discontinuous to provide a non-sealing region in the sealing head and wherein a breadth of the non-sealing region varies across a width of the sealing head.
A packaged item produced by a method, the method comprising:
- providing a barrier film for wrapping around the item to be packaged, the barrier film including a frangible part or strip;
- wrapping the barrier film around the item to be packaged;
- providing at least one sealing head which has a contact surface for sealing the barrier film, wherein the contact surface is at least partially discontinuous to provide a non-sealing region in the sealing head having a breadth that varies across a width of the sealing head;
- and
- contacting the barrier film wrapped around the item with the sealing head to seal the barrier film along a seam, whereby the non-sealing region is positioned to at least partially overlie the frangible part or strip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.