EP0615507A1 - Packaging method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention describes a method and a packaging device for carrying out a filling, shaping and sealing operation, so as to enclose a product inside a series of cushion-shaped packages connected to each other. others. The film (10) constituting said packages is provided, preferably on one side forming the interior in use, with printed indicia (12) which can serve as registration indicia and product detection indicia (26) during subsequent processing. and during packing. In a preferred embodiment, the product (26) within the shaped film and a strip sealed at its end is introduced as a continuous length and as a secondary product into the device. packaging where a main product is transported along a conveyor. In said device, individual packages in the form of a cushion are cut from the continuous strip, so as to fall into each main package simultaneously with their passage through a secondary filling station, said markers (12) serving to control the operation of a cutting element of said device.

Description

Packaging Method and Apparatus

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for packaging articles and articles packaged by the apparatus or method.

In particular the invention relates to the packaging of articles for use as free gifts in cartons of cereals and other products.

It has been the usual practice to place gift packages in cereal cartons by packaging each gift item separately in food quality packaging and dispensing the packaged articles from an apparatus such as a hopper so that one gift package is placed in each cereal carton.

However it has been found in practice that it is not uncommon for some cartons not to receive a package at all and for other cartons to receive more than one package. In order to ensure that each carton receives one package only, manually assistance is frequently required in order to ensure that the dispensing apparatus functions correctly.

The present invention seeks to provide a packaging method and apparatus and packaged articles produced by the packaging apparatus which will either reduce or eliminate the above problems. Accordingly the present invention provides a packaging apparatus comprising means for feeding a continuous length of packaging material, the material being provided with spaced position indicating markings, means for folding the material into a strip, means for feeding items to be packaged onto the strip at spaced apart intervals _r means for sealing the edges of the strip together, and means for sealing the strip laterally between each adjacent packaged item.

According to a further feature of the invention there is provided a package containing a number of spaced apart items, each item being separately sealed and located adjacent position indicating markings.

The present invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure l shows a diagrammatic representation of one form of packaging apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a schematic form of a side elevation of package sealing apparatus in two positions;

Figure 3 shows a sealed package according to the present invention;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a preferred machine for carrying out a first packaging method of the invention; Fig^ure 5 is a schematic view illustrating the packaging method carried out by the machine of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a schematic illustration showing a further preferred step in a packaging process as carried out using packages made in accordance with the invention.

Ref m.. -ing to figure 1 there is shown a length of packaging material (10) which is drawn by means (not shown) in the direction of arrows A from a feed reel (not shown) to a take up reel (not shown) .

The packaging material (10) is a food quality transparent material which is printed along one side with equi-spaced marking rectangles (12) . The markings (12) are preferably printed in white though other colours may be used and the marking rectangles serve as a position indicating means as will be described below.

Adjacent the strip of material (10) is an article feeding apparatus (14) comprising a hopper (16) , a conveyor belt (18) , which is driven by a motor (20) under the control of a controller (22) which operates in response to the signals from a sensor (24).

.m' icles (26) which are to be packaged are contained in the hσ'.r.er ^' ) and are transferred by means of the conveyor (18) toward.- „e moving strip of material (10) . The speed of the conveyc 18) is controlled by the signals from the sensor (24) which detects the passage of the markings (12) .The signals from the sensor (24) pass to the controller (22) which controls the speed of the motor (20) and thus the speed of the conveyor (18) .

The speed of the material (10) and the conveyor (18) are synchronised so that an article (26) is located adjacent each marking (12) .

A folding apparatus (not shown) comprising a folding box folds the strip (10) in half so that the edges of the strip are adjacent to one another. The edges of the folded strip are driven into a slot (not shown) in a plate (not shown) over a sealing apparatus (28) which is located downstream of the conveyor (18) . The sealing apparatus (28) comprises one or more pairs of rollers which seal the edges of the strip (10) together to form a tube.

A further sealing apparatus (30) which seals the tube laterally is located downstream of the sealing apparatus (28) .

As shown more clearly in figure 2, the sealing apparatus comprises a pair of crimp jaws (32) and (34) which seal the tube laterally at two spaced apart locations between (36) and (38) between adjacent articles (26) . An unsealed land (40) is left between the seals (36) and (38) . The width of the seals (36) and (38) and the w.--th of the land (40) can be varied by adjusting the dimensions A and'B on the jaws (32) and (34) .

It will be appreciated that the packaging apparatus described above produces a tubular package comprising a plurality of articles (26) which are located adjacent the markings (12) and each article (26) is individually sealed in the package.

Figure 4 shows a preferred machine (41) for carrying out the preferred method of the invention. The machine (41) has an infeed conveyor (49) , a wrapping feed unit (42) , a folding box (43) , a long seal unit (44) , a long seal unit (45) and a discharge conveyor (46) . The machine is controlled by an electrical cabinet (47) , a drier (49) and a control panel (52) . The infeed conveyor (49) is fed by hand with the product, which is pushed by the conveyor flights to the folding box (43) . The folding box (43) converts the web of wrapping material (50 in Figure 5) into a tube (51). The product (53) is pushed into the tube (51) by the infeed conveyor (49) . The wrapping tube (51) , formed by the folding box (43), has a longitudinal fold formed on its lower face. This fold is gripped, heat sealed and folded to form the long seal on the wrapping tube by rollers in the long seal unit (44) .

The long seal unit (44) passes the product (53), inside the wrapping tube (51) , to the end seal unit (45) which seals the tube (51) into individual bags (54) , each containing one unit of the product (53). In addition to forming the product bags, end seal unit (5) has a cutter (55) which can, if desired, cut the bags into individual sealed units. The cutter unit (55) is, of course, only used to produce individual packages (54) in the prior art construction. In accordance with the present invention the cutter unit (55) is dispensed with and the packages are produced in the form of a continuous length of sealed tube with the packages at spaced intervals therealong and the aforesaid register markings also provided on the packaging.

The supply of the package product in a continuous length is most advantageous when the aforesaid product, when eventually converted into an individual package, is to constitute a secondary package to be introduced into a main or first package having a first product therein prior to closure of that package.

Figure 6 illustrates a preferred step in the method and apparatus of the invention. In the apparatus (56) a conveyor (57) conveys cartons (58) or comparable first, main packages from left to right. Indicated schematically at (59) is a filling station where main product (60) is filled. The product (60) can be a cereal. Downstream of the filling station the packets (58) pass to a secondary product filling station indicated generally by the numeral (61) . At this secondary filling station (61) a secondary product (62) , essentially a single package formed by the aforedescribed method is introduced into the each packet. Downstream of station (61) the main packets together with the main product (60) and the secondary product (62) pass to glue, plough and seal stations (63), (64) and (65).

At the secondary filling station (61) is provided a store for a continuous length of secondary product. The store can be in the form of a roll (66) as illustrated, or in the form of a festoon as indicated at (67) . On leaving roll (66) in the direction of the arrow the continuous length of secondary product encounters a guide (68) along which it slides. Adjacent the path of travel of the secondary product (62) is a photo or like detector (69) which controls the operation of a cutter (70) where it controls circuitry (71) which also can control the rate of feed of secondary product (62) from the store roll (66) .

Sensing means such as (72) is also connected to the circuitry (71) and senses when a main packet (58) is to arrive at the secondary filling station. The sensor (69) further indicates the presence of a secondary product (62) at the discharge end of the guide (68) . The signals from the two detectors (69) and (72) are used by the circuitry to ensure that cutter (70) operates at such a time as to allow the end product (62) to fall directly into the open main packet (58) in synchronism as it passes the secondary filling station (61) . The circuitry also controls the rate of feed from the roll (66) so that the continuous length of product (62) and the conveyor (57) operate in synchronism.

As the operation between the cartons (58) on the conveyor (57) may vary, as the speed thereof may also vary, it is probably not practical to use the operational detector (72) to control the

/ rate of feed of the products (62) .

Instead, it is likely that there will be a ^window' of time during which the cutter can operate to allow the product (62) to fall into the much larger packet (58) . In such a circumstance the signals from the sensor (69) will be processed by the circuitry (71) in order to detect whether the operation of the cutter and the fall of the product are occurring during that time window or at a late stage. If the rate of feed of the product from store (66) becomes such that the drop is taking place too close to the beginning or to the end of that time window the rate of feed product from the roll (66) can be adjusted accordingly.

An important feature of the present invention is that of its particular applicability in the range of food extras, in particular small toys or other novelties which are packaged and then introduced into cereal packets. When packaged items are to be used in very close, indeed in direct contact with the foodstuffs themselves, it is not usually considered appropriate to have printing and like inks on the surface coatings actually in direct contact with the food product. Therefore, in the present invention it is important if the film used to package the individual secondary products is transparent or translucent to such an extent that it can be printed on one side, and which side is, during the folding process, converted to be the inside of the packet, the printing being visible and/or legible through the film yet not being present on the outside of the packet so as not to possibly contaminat the food. This does mean that printing or coating materials not usually possible in relation to food, for example reflective or dark coloured bands, can be provided to operate the sensor (69) . This can lead to much easier operation of the detecting and cutting machinery. Further, the inside of the packaging can be printed in such a way so as to contain a significant amount of information independent of, or in particular relating to t^!- second product, (for example directions for use in the case of the novelty toy or the like) without such printing becoming a possible contamination problem.

The invention is not limited to the precise details of the foregoing and variations can be made thereto.

The package produced by the apparatus according to the present invention can then be formed into a roll or a festoon. It will then be possible for the package to be fed from the roll or the festoon at the cereal product parking plant and each individual packaged article cut from the package length in the region of the land (40) so that each packaged article will fall into the cereal carton.

It will be appreciated that by providing articles packaged into a continuous length it is poss; - to ensure that each cereal carton receives only one package .rticle.

The cutting mechanism which is used to separate each packaged article from the continuous length of packaging can be operated in response to a signal from a detector which senses the passage r of the markings (12) . Thus the markings (12) serve two functions, namely the correct positioning of the articles in a packaging apparatus and the separating of each individual packaged article from the finished length of packaged articles.

The packaged articles can take a number of forms such as plastic three dimensional representations of comic or cartoon characters.

The markings (12) can take a number of forms and is not restricted to a marking comprising a printed rectangle. It is only necessary that the markings can be detected to ensure that the articles are packaged at regular intervals and to enable the packaged articles to be separated from the length of packaged articles.

Claims

1 A packaging apparatus comprising a means for feeding a continuous length of packaging material, the material being provided with spaced position indicating markings, means for folding the material into a strip, means for feeding items to be packaged onto the strip at spaced apart intervals, means for sealing the edges of the strip together, and means for sealing the strip laterally between each adjacent packaged item.

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indicating markings are printed on the side of the packaging which, in use, becomes an inside of a sealed tube.

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said markings are used to determine the introduction of product into the folded web.

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein individual products are fed laterally by means of a conveyor to the packaging web, the rate of supply of products along said conveyor being controlled in accordance with the passage of said markings past a sensor

Packaging apparatus substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing A package item containing a number of spaced apart products, each item separated from its neighbours by transverse seal line(s) and the or each item having a marking associated with it.

A package as claimed in claim 6 wherein said transverse seal lines are double seal lines with a land therebetween.

A package as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein a marking on the web forming the package is associated with each product item.

A package as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8 wherein the marking is a spacing marking and is provided on an inside surface of a tube forming packaging.

A package as claimed in claim 9 wherein product related printing is provided on the inside surface of the film which is transparent or translucent so as to enable the printing to be read from outside the package.

A package item substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the drawings.

A method of packaging including the steps of feeding containers to a filling station and introducing a first, main product, feeding said partly filled packets to a secondary filling station and introducing a secondary product, said secondary product being provided at said filling station in the form of a continuous package item including a chain of interconnected packages each containing an item of secondary product, third individual packages being separated, at the secondary filling station from the bulk of the package item and being caused to enter the package.

A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein markings on the continuous packaging item are used to determine the time of delivery of the package product and time of entry to the packet.

Apparatus for packaging including a conveyor for transporting a series of packets past a first filling head which introduces a first product and past a second filling head wherein a secondary product is introduced, the secondary product being in the form of a product item enclosed within a package, the secondary products being in the form of a continuous chain of products fed to said secondary filling station and individual packages being caused to separate from said continuous length and enter into the packets in synchronism with their movement past the secondary f^alling head.

A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein cutting and introduction of said secondary products is effected in accordance with signals from a sensor detecting the presence of the said individual packets using markings on the film.

A method of packaging as claimed in claim 14 or 15 wherein the secondary product is formed is a continuous length as in accordance with claim

A method of packaging substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.