EP0792803B1 - Method and machine for overwrapping products in sheets of thermoplastic material - Google Patents

Method and machine for overwrapping products in sheets of thermoplastic material Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0792803B1
EP0792803B1 EP97103135A EP97103135A EP0792803B1 EP 0792803 B1 EP0792803 B1 EP 0792803B1 EP 97103135 A EP97103135 A EP 97103135A EP 97103135 A EP97103135 A EP 97103135A EP 0792803 B1 EP0792803 B1 EP 0792803B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sheet
machine
along
sheets
intermediate portion
Prior art date
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Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP97103135A
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German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0792803A1 (en
Inventor
Fiorenzo Draghetti
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GD SpA
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GD SpA
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B11/00—Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
    • B65B11/06—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths
    • B65B11/28—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths in a curved path, e.g. on rotary tables or turrets
    • B65B11/30—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths in a curved path, e.g. on rotary tables or turrets to fold the wrappers in tubular form about contents
    • B65B11/32—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths in a curved path, e.g. on rotary tables or turrets to fold the wrappers in tubular form about contents and then to form closing folds of similar form at opposite ends of the tube

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method of overwrapping products in sheets of thermoplastic material.
  • the present invention is particularly advantageous for use in the tobacco industry, and in particular on machines for cellophaning tobacco products, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
  • a succession of products either packets or cartons, and a corresponding succession of sheets of transparent thermoplastic wrapping material, normally polypropylene, are fed to a wrapping wheel on which each sheet is wrapped about the respective product to form a wrapping, at least part of which is defined by superimposed portions of the respective sheet; and the wrapping so formed is then stabilized by heat-sealing the superimposed portions.
  • transparent thermoplastic wrapping material normally polypropylene
  • the heat-sealing step to stabilize the wrapping which is normally performed by bringing high-temperature heat-sealing devices into contact for a given length of time with the superimposed portions of the sheet, presents major drawbacks, mainly due to the conflicting requirements the heat-sealing devices are expected to meet. That is, to ensure perfect heat-sealing at the maximum operating speed of the cellophaning machine, the temperature of the heat-sealing devices must be kept as high as possible, preferably just below the melting point of the thermoplastic material, to heat-seal the sheet as quickly as possible.
  • the heat-sealing devices are set to a temperature just above the softening point of the sheet material, and are fed, together with the products and respective wrappings, along a relatively long path, the length of which is such as to ensure good-quality sealing even at maximum operating speed, while at the same time stabilizing the wrappings with no risk of singeing or ruining the sheets, due to the relatively low temperature of the heat-sealing devices, in the event the output speed of the machine is reduced.
  • GB901139 discloses an apparatus for welding package closure parts of thermoplastic films or foils, in which the packages to be closed are conveyed by a pair of belts past heating elements and, optionally, subsequently past cooling elements in the apparatus, with these belts running between the parts of the packages which are to be welded and the heating elements and, if used, the cooling elements, and in which a further locating means including a die is arranged after each of said heating elements in the direction of travel of the packages, the pressing surface of this die having a contour shape to correspond with that part of each package closure which is made up of more than one layer of film or foil.
  • the heating elements are preferably in the form of rotary cylinders, with the pressing surfaces embossed thereon. If the apparatus is designed for intermittent operation, the dies will preferably be movable in timed fashion backwards and forwards transverse to the direction of conveyance and each have a flat face, the pressing surfaces thereof being likewise embossed thereon.
  • the apparatus disclosed by GB901139 partially solves the aforementioned drawbacks; however, it does not ensure perfect heat-sealing at the maximum operating speed of the cellophaning machine and also at a low operating speed of the cellophaning machine.
  • the above method provides for extremely rapid heat-sealing, even with the heat-sealing devices at a relatively low temperature, as well as for eliminating any drawbacks (adhesion of the wrappings to the -respective conveyors, tearing of the sheets of overwrapping material, etc.) caused by premature softening of the sheets of overwrapping material.
  • the present invention also relates to a machine for overwrapping products in sheets of thermoplastic material.
  • Number 1 in the accompanying drawings indicates a cellophaning machine for overwrapping packets 2 - in the example shown, packets of cigarettes - with sheets 3 of transparent thermoplastic material, preferably polypropylene.
  • Machine 1 presents an output portion 4 comprising a substantially cylindrical wrapping wheel 5, which in turn presents a number of axial peripheral conveying pockets 6 open both radially outwards and at both axial ends, and a powered shaft 7 for rotating wheel 5 in steps clockwise in Figure 1.
  • each pocket 6 When arrested at a loading station 8, each pocket 6 simultaneously receives a respective sheet 3 of transparent wrapping material supplied by known supply means (not shown), and a packet 2 supplied by known supply means (not shown) which, in known manner, insert the packet 2 and respective sheet 3 into pocket 6 so as to fold sheet 3 in a U about packet 2.
  • Each pocket 6 feeds respective packet 2 and respective wrapping 10, which form a group indicated as a whole by 11, through at least one heat-sealing station 12 (in the example shown, stations 12 are two in number) where each group 11 is arrested to enable a respective known outer axial heat-sealing device 13 to be brought into contact with and completely heat-seal the superimposed ends of wrapping 10 before group 11 reaches an unloading station 14.
  • Wrapping wheel 5 comprises two parallel, coaxial disks 15 (only one shown) fitted a given distance apart to shaft 7, and each presenting a number of peripheral cavities, each of which, together with a corresponding cavity on the other disk 15, defines a respective pocket 6.
  • portion 4 also comprises a conveyor assembly 16 in turn comprising an initial or input conveyor 17, an intermediate conveyor 18, and a final or output conveyor 19.
  • Conveyor 17 comprises a belt 20 looped about two pulleys 21 and 22, the first of which is mounted in a fixed position between disks 15 of wheel 5, and the second of which is a powered pulley rotating continuously clockwise (in Figure 1) about an axis 23 parallel to shaft 7, to feed the conveying branch 24 of belt 20 through station 14 and in a direction 25 substantially radial in relation to disks 15 and directed outwards in relation to wheel 5.
  • Conveyor 17 also comprises a plate 26 facing the portion of branch 24 extending outside wheel 5 to define, with branch 24, a channel 27 of a height approximately equal to but no smaller than the thickness of groups 11, and defined laterally by known fixed helical folding devices 28 for folding the opposite ends of tubular wrappings 10 on to the respective ends of respective packets 2 as groups 11 travel along channel 27, and so forming closed wrappings 29.
  • Belt 20 presents a number of projections 20a equally spaced along belt 20 with a spacing greater than the width of groups 11, and forms, for groups 11, a non-reciprocating extracting device capable of operating at relatively high speed.
  • Conveyor 19 comprises a drum 30 fitted to a powered shaft 31 so as to rotate clockwise (in Figure 1) about an axis 32 parallel to axis 23, and presenting a central annular groove 33 along which are equally spaced a number of known seats 34, which rotate with drum 30 along a circular path P coaxial with axis 32, and each provide for receiving and retaining a respective group 11.
  • Groove 33 presents a width approximately equal to but no smaller than the length of a wrapping 29, and defines, on drum 30, two lateral disks 35, each of which is fitted, at each seat 34, with a heat-sealing element 36.
  • Each seat 34 therefore presents two heat-sealing elements 36 facing each other and each facing, in use, a respective longitudinal end of a respective wrapping 29.
  • each group 11 Throughout its travel along the periphery of drum 30, each group 11 is kept contacting the respective pair of heat-sealing elements 36, which are normally pushed towards each other by respective known actuating devices (not shown) to heat-seal the ends of respective wrapping 29.
  • Groups 11 are transferred from conveyor 17 to conveyor 19 by intermediate conveyor 18, which comprises an elongated plate 39 parallel to direction 25, coplanar with branch 24 of belt 20 and tangent to path P of seats 34; and a belt 40 looped about two pulleys 41 parallel to axis 23 and one of which is powered.
  • Belt 40 presents a conveying branch 42 parallel to and facing plate 39 to define, with plate 39, a channel 43 coaxial with channel 27; and a number of projections 44 equally spaced along belt 40 with a spacing greater than the width of groups 11.
  • each of which is looped about two pulleys 46 - one of which is powered - with respective axes perpendicular to axis 23, and comprises a branch 47 extending, parallel to direction 25, between plate 39 and branch 42 of belt 40.
  • the surface of each branch 47 opposite to that facing branch 47 of the other belt 45 is connected in sliding manner to a respective heating plate 48 integral with the end of a linear actuator 49 for moving plate 48 towards the other plate 48 and controlling the width of channel 43 as a function of the speed of machine 1.
  • plates 48 define an adjustable preheating unit 50 for heating the folded ends of wrappings 29 to a temperature below the softening temperature of the material of sheets 3.
  • conveyors 17, 18 and 19 are replaced by a single conveyor presenting a single belt looped about pulley 21 and drum 30, and presenting a conveying branch extending along channels 27 and 43 and partly about drum 30 along path P.
  • preheating unit 50 provides for maintaining heat-sealing elements 36 at just above the softening temperature for a relatively short period of time to heat-seal and stabilize the folded ends of wrappings 10. This therefore provides not only for substantially eliminating the possibility of sheets 3 melting and/or being singed, but also for minimizing the length of the portion of the path of products 2 affected by heat-sealing elements 36, and so reducing the overall size of machine 1.
  • preheating sheets 3 to a temperature of 100°C provides for reducing the normal heat-sealing time to roughly one fifth of that required with no preheating. Moreover, preheating to below the softening temperature of the material of sheets 3 prevents part of the material of sheets 3 from adhering to and so fouling belts 45.
EP97103135A 1996-02-28 1997-02-26 Method and machine for overwrapping products in sheets of thermoplastic material Expired - Lifetime EP0792803B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT96BO000090A IT1285569B1 (it) 1996-02-28 1996-02-28 Metodo e macchina per il sovraincarto di prodotti con fogli di materiale termoplastico
ITBO960090 1996-02-28

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0792803A1 EP0792803A1 (en) 1997-09-03
EP0792803B1 true EP0792803B1 (en) 2003-05-21

Family

ID=11341148

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97103135A Expired - Lifetime EP0792803B1 (en) 1996-02-28 1997-02-26 Method and machine for overwrapping products in sheets of thermoplastic material

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0792803B1 (ja)
JP (1) JP3739514B2 (ja)
CN (1) CN1083376C (ja)
DE (1) DE69722056T2 (ja)
IT (1) IT1285569B1 (ja)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
IT1310493B1 (it) 1999-09-27 2002-02-18 Gd Spa Macchina automatica provvista di una ruota operatrice con controllosenza fili.
US20060130433A1 (en) * 2004-12-22 2006-06-22 Philip Morris Usa Inc. Multi-stage heater plates for sealing and shrinking overwrap
ITBO20080076A1 (it) * 2008-02-06 2009-08-07 Gd Spa Macchina per il condizionamento di prodotti in involucri in materiale d'incarto.
DE102022105780A1 (de) 2022-03-11 2023-09-14 Focke & Co. (Gmbh & Co. Kg) Vorrichtung zum Siegeln und/oder Schrumpfen von Außenumhüllungen von Packungen

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1130351B (de) * 1959-12-16 1962-05-24 Hesser Ag Maschf Vorrichtung zum Verschweissen der Verschlussfaltungen thermoplastischer Verpackungen
GB1134500A (en) * 1965-05-20 1968-11-27 Heinz Hermann Focke Improvements in or relating to packaging machines
US4362593A (en) * 1980-11-17 1982-12-07 Nordson Corporation Walking-beam band sealer

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH09323709A (ja) 1997-12-16
DE69722056D1 (de) 2003-06-26
JP3739514B2 (ja) 2006-01-25
IT1285569B1 (it) 1998-06-18
CN1168849A (zh) 1997-12-31
ITBO960090A0 (it) 1996-02-28
DE69722056T2 (de) 2004-01-29
CN1083376C (zh) 2002-04-24
EP0792803A1 (en) 1997-09-03
ITBO960090A1 (it) 1997-08-28

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