GB2483254A

GB2483254A - Packaging including a tear strip

Info

Publication number: GB2483254A
Application number: GB1014502.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Harby
Original assignee: Long Clawson Dairy Ltd
Current assignee: Long Clawson Dairy Ltd
Priority date: 2010-09-01
Filing date: 2010-09-01
Publication date: 2012-03-07
Also published as: GB201014502D0

Abstract

A method for packaging an article comprises the steps of wrapping the article with packaging material to form a package 200, forming a tear feature 230 in the package 200 and attaching a strip 132 to the packaging material such that the strip 132 covers the tear feature 230. The tear feature may be formed using laser beams 124 to score the packaging. The thickness of the packaging material may also be measured and used to control the depth of cut of the laser beams 124.

Description

A METHOD AND AN APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING AN ARTICLE

This invention relates to a method for packaging an article and particularly, but not exclusively, to a method for packaging a cheese or portion of cheese, to an apparatus for packaging an article and to a packaged article.

Food and other products are often packaged in flexible film for retail purposes. Such packaging facilitates the handling of the article by both a retailer and a consumer.

Food products are often shrink wrapped in order to maintain the freshness of the product and thus extend its shelf life.

The nature of the shrink wrapping process results in a package which tightly encloses the product.

This can make the package difficult to open, particularly for non-dextrous individuals, such as children and infirm adults.

It is therefore often necessary for consumers to require scissors or other sharp instruments to cut the film in order to open the package. This can lead to the possibility of injury to the consumer or to the product through improper use of the sharp instrument.

It is known to include in a shrink wrapped package, some type of feature to assist the consumer in opening the package.

Examples of this type of feature include a cut or perforation in the film or a pull tab attached to the film in the vicinity of the cut or perforation. Pulling the tab is intended to initiate a tear in the film to create an opening and thus allow access to the packaged article.

Many types of packaging film are biaxially oriented and thus cannot easily be torn in a predetermined direction.

As an example, frequently what happens is that although a tear is initiated at the cut, the edges of the tear soon converge, resulting in only a small sliver of film being removed along with the pull tab, thus producing only a small opening in the film.

When such a failure occurs, the consumer then has no convenient means of opening the package. In these circumstances, it may be necessary to resort to again using scissors or a knife to open the package.

In addition to the risk of injury when opening a package using a sharp instrument, a further disadvantage of such action is that the packaging material will generally have been cut in an irregular manner.

This can make any subsequent closure and/or resealing of the package difficult, if not impossible, which can result in the food article spoiling before it can be consumed or used.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for packaging an article, comprising the steps of: wrapping the article with packaging material to form a package; forming a tear feature in the package; and attaching a strip to the package such that the strip covers the tear feature.

By means of the invention an article may be wrapped in a packaging material. Any suitable process may be used in order to wrap the article in the packaging material. In some embodiments of the invention the article may be shrink wrapped within the packaging material.

After the package has been formed, a tear feature is formed in the packaging material, and a strip is subsequently attached to the package such that the strip covers the tear feature.

Because the article is wrapped in the packaging material before the tear feature is formed, conventional packing machinery may be used to package the material. The tear feature may subsequently be formed in a separate operation that will be described in more detail hereinbelow.

In order to then open the package when it is required to gain access to the article, it is necessary only to pull the strip away from the package thereby exposing the tear feature and thus allowing ready access to the article contained within the package.

Optionally, the step of forming the tear feature comprises the step of forming a slit in the packaging material.

In such an embodiment, the tear feature may extend completely through the thickness of the packaging material. This results a slit being formed in the packaging material along which the package may later be opened.

In such an embodiment of the invention, the strip that is attached to the package after the tear feature has been formed serves to ensure that the article is completely covered by the package. In some embodiments of the invention, the strip may serve to reseal the article within the package material. This can be particularly desirable when the article is a food product in which case it is necessary to prevent contamination of the food.

In another embodiment, the tear feature may extend only partially through the thickness of the packaging material to form a line of weakness to facilitate the subsequent opening of the package.

In another embodiment, the step of forming the tear feature comprises the step of forming a plurality of perforations in the packaging material thus forming a line of weakness.

In such embodiments of the invention, the strip that is attached to the package after the tear feature has been formed serves to protect the line of weakness from possible unintended rupture.

In the embodiments described above the tear feature has been described as comprising a single slit, or line of weakness, for example. However it is to be understood, that the tear feature could comprise more than one such feature.

so For example, the tear feature may comprise a plurality of slits, for example two slits. The slits may be parallel to one another or may have some other relative orientation.

Similarly, the tear feature could comprise more than one line of weakness which may be formed by for example a plurality of perforations. Again, the lines of weakness may be orientated parallel to one another, or may have some other relative orientation.

The tear feature may be formed by means of a sharp bladed instrument, such as a slitting blade or knife, which is adapted to move across the surface of the package.

The cutting blade may be arranged so as to cut either completely or only partially through the packaging material.

Optionally, the step of forming the tear feature comprises the step of using a laser beam to form a tear feature in the packaging material.

The tear feature may be formed by using a laser beam to cut either completely or partially through the packaging material.

The method may comprise the step of sensing the thickness of the packaging material.

In such embodiments the method may comprise the further step of cutting or scoring the packaging material the depth that is dependent upon the sensed thickness of the packaging material. In embodiments of the invention where the tear feature is formed using a laser beam, the method may comprise the further step of adjusting the laser beam to cut either completely or partially through the material as required.

This enables the apparatus according to the invention to take into account variations in the thickness of the packaging material either between one package and another, or within a single package, and to ensure that the tear feature is appropriately formed in such a manner as to avoid damage to the article contained within the package.

Optionally, the step of attaching the strip to the packaging material comprises the step of attaching a strip to the packaging material such that the strip covers the tear feature to hermetically seal the article.

The step of attaching the strip to the packaging material may comprise the step of applying a pre-cut strip to the package. In such an embodiment, the strip may take the form of a pre-cut length of material which is sized to cover the formed tear feature.

In an alternative embodiment, the step of attaching the strip to the packaging material may comprise the step of cutting a length of material to form a strip of appropriate length prior to applying the strip to the packaging.

Optionally, the step of attaching a strip to the packaging material comprises the further step of attaching a tab to one end of the strip.

By including a tab at one end of the strip, it is possible for the consumer to more easily and conveniently remove the strip and open the package.

The tab may be printed with opening instructions or other consumer advice.

Optionally, the tab comprises an opening portion covering a tamper evident portion, whereby in use when the opening portion is separated from the tamper evident portion, the tamper evident portion is exposed.

The tab may cover a tamper evident portion of the package which indicates that the package has been opened. This tamper evident portion may take the form of a colour coded portion or may comprise text such as "OPENED".

Alternatively, the tab itself may include a tamper evident portion which becomes visible only after the strip has been removed or partially removed from the package.

Optionally, the strip is attached to the packaging material using a food sale adhesive.

In one embodiment of the invention, the force required to detach the strip from the packaging material is less than the force required to tear the packaging material itself.

This ensures that the strip can be removed by the consumer without damaging the packaging material thus enabling the package to be resealed.

The method may comprise the step of sensing the position of the strip on the packaging material.

In one embodiment, an optical sensor is used to detect the presence of the strip of the package. In other embodiments of the invention, other forms of sensor may be used to detect the presence of the strip.

The method may comprise the step of discarding the package if the strip is not correctly positioned on the packaging material.

If the strip is not correctly positioned on the package, i.e. the strip does not cover the tear feature, the package may be discarded. This is important since if the strip is not correctly positioned to cover the tear feature, the contents of the package will remain open to the environment. This may result in contamination or spoilage of the contents, particularly if the package contains foodstuff.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for packaging an article, comprising: a packaging station, adapted to wrap the article with a packaging material to form a package; a forming station, adapted to form a tear feature in the packaging material; and a sealing station, adapted to cover the tear feature with a strip.

In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a sequential arrangement of a packaging station, a forming station and a sealing station.

Optionally, the forming station comprises a cutter, adapted to form the tear feature.

Optionally, the forming station comprises a depth sensor adapted to determine the thickness of the packaging material.

Alternatively, or in addition, the apparatus may comprise a laser module adapted to form a tear feature. In embodiments of the invention in which the apparatus comprises a depth sensor, the laser module may be adapted to form a tear feature using data obtained by the depth sensor.

In one embodiment the laser module itself senses the thickness of the packaging material and then adjusts the power of the laser beam so as to cut either completely or partially through the thickness of the packaging material.

The apparatus may further comprise a dispenser for dispensing the strip.

In some embodiments the apparatus may further comprise a length sensor adapted to determine the length of the tear feature. In such embodiments, the dispenser may be adapted to dispense a strip having an appropriate length to cover the tear feature.

The apparatus may further comprise an applicator for applying the strip to the packaged article in order to reclose and/or seal the package.

Optionally, the apparatus may comprise a detector station adapted to detect the position of the strip on the packaging material.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a package for enclosing a product, comprising: packaging material comprising a tear feature, and a strip attached to the packaging material, which strip covers the tear feature.

The package according to the third aspect of the invention may comprise one or more of the features described hereinabove with reference to the first and second aspects of the invention.

There now follows a description of an embodiment of the invention, by way of non-limiting example, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an apparatus for packaging an article according to an embodiment of the invention; and Figure 2 shows a packaged article which has been packaged using the apparatus of Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 an apparatus for packaging an article is designated generally by the reference numeral 100.

The apparatus 100 is specifically intended for the packaging of cheese. However, it is to be understood that the method for packaging an article as implemented in the apparatus may be applied to the packaging of many different types of article.

The apparatus 100 comprises a packaging station 101, a forming station 110, a sealing station 130 and a detector station 140 which are arranged in a sequential layout and are linked together by a conveyor belt assembly 102.

The conveyor belt assembly 102 comprises a conveyor belt 103 which is supported by a plurality of rollers 104. The conveyor belt 103 may be driven by any suitable means.

In this embodiment, the packaging station 101 takes the form of a conventional shrink wrapping machine. An example of such a machine is the CryoVac CJ55 machine which is marketed by Sealed Air Corporation.

Figure 2 shows a segment shaped cheese block 210 having two first faces 202 and a second face 204.

The cheese block 210 enters the packaging station 101 and exits as a packaged cheese 200.

The packaged cheese 200 then moves along the conveyor belt 103 until it reaches the forming station 110. The forming station comprises a laser module 120 which in this embodiment emits two substantially parallel laser beams 124 which are directed towards the packaged cheese 200.

The laser module 120 is movable in an arc relative to the packaged cheese 200 such that the laser beams 124 impinge on the first and second faces 202,204 of the packaged cheese 200.

In an alternative embodiment, the laser module 120 remains fixed while the conveyor belt 103 further comprises a plurality of alignment blocks (not shown). The alignment blocks orient the packaged cheese 200 such that the laser beams 124 can impinge on the first and second faces 202,204 of the packaged cheese 200.

The forming station 110 further comprises a depth sensor (which is not shown), which is used to determine the thickness of the packaging material 220 at a point which the laser beams 124 are incident on the package 200. Once the depth sensor has determined the thickness of the packaging material at the point where the laser beams 124 are incident on the package, the laser module 120 controls the output of the module 120 to ensure that the laser beams 124 do not damage the article that has been packaged.

The laser module 120 may be set up so that the laser beams 124 cut through substantially the entire thickness of the packaging material 220, or alternatively, the laser beam 124 may be set up such that the laser beams 124 penetrate only partially through the thickness of the packaging material 220.

The laser beams 124 may also be operated so that they form a continuous tear feature 230, for example a continuous slit, or a continuous line of weakness, or alternatively the laser module 120 may be operated so that a plurality of perforations are formed by the laser beams 124.

In the illustrated embodiment, the laser module 120 emits two laser beams 124, which form two substantially parallel slits, lines of weakness, or lines of perforations that are connected at one end by a third shorter slit, as shown in the figures.

In an alternative embodiment the forming station 110 comprises a bladed cutting system (not shown) in place of the laser module 120. The bladed cutting system may incorporate circular blades which are biased into contact with the first and second faces 202,204 of the packaged cheese 200.

Once the tear feature 230 has been formed, the conveyor belt conveys the packaged cheese 200 to the sealing station 130. In this embodiment, the sealing station 130 comprises a reel 138 of a sealing strip 132 which is fed by means of applicators 134 to a second reel 136.

As the packaged cheese 200 is conveyed towards the sealing station 130, a measuring device (not shown) determines the length of tear feature 230 and a strip 132 is cut to the appropriate length by means of a retracting blade (not shown).

The cut strip 132 is then applied to the newly formed tear feature 230 such that the strip 132 covers the tear feature 230 and an opening tab 250 is applied to one end of the sealing strip 132.

In another embodiment, the reel 138 comprises a plurality of sealing strips 132 which are formed as individual die-cut self-adhesive labels mounted on a backing web.

The packaged cheese 200 then moves along the conveyor belt 103 until it reaches the detect& station 140. The detector station 140 comprises a detector 142 and a reject arm and an actuator 152.

The detector 142 scans the first and second faces 202,204 of the packaged cheese 200 as the cheese 200 and is configured to detect the presence of the tab 250.

If the detector 142 does not detect the presence of a tab 250 on the packaged and resealed cheese block 200, the reject arm 150 is actuated by the actuator 152 to push the incorrectly packaged cheese block 200 off the conveyor belt 103.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, because the article that has been packaged is a food product (in this case a block of cheese 210), the sealing strip 132 serves not only to reclose the package 200 that has been opened by the formation of the tear feature, but also to reseal the package in order to prevent contamination of the cheese 210.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing strip 132 has applied thereto a tab 250 which extends from the package 200. This tab 250 may be used by a consumer who wishes to subsequently open the package 200 to remove the strip 132 covering the tear feature 230. Once the strip 132 has been removed in this manner, the package may be readily removed from the cheese.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method for packaging an article, comprising the steps of: wrapping the article with packaging material to form a package; forming a tear feature in the package; and attaching a strip to the packaging material such that the strip covers the tear feature.
2. A method according to Claim I wherein the step of forming the tear feature comprises the step of using a laser beam to form the tear feature in the packaging material.
3. A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 comprising the step of sensing the thickness of the packaging material.
4. A method according to Claim 3 comprising the further step of cuffing or scoring forming the packaging material to a depth that is dependent upon the sensed thickness of the packaging material.
5. A method according to any one of Claims I to 4 wherein the step of attaching a strip to the packaging material comprises the further step of attaching a tab to one end of the strip.
6. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the step of attaching the strip to the packaging material comprises the step of cutting a length of material to form a strip of an appropriate length prior to applying the strip to the packaging.
7. A method according to any one of Claims I to 6 comprising the further step of sensing the position of the strip on the packaging material.
8. A method according to Claim 7 comprising the further step of discarding the package if the strip is not correctly positioned on the packaging material.
9. An apparatus for packaging an article, comprising: a packaging station, adapted to wrap the article with a packaging material; a forming station, adapted to form a tear feature in the packaging material; and a sealing station, adapted to cover the tear feature with a strip.
10. An apparatus according to Claim 9 wherein the forming station comprises a cutter adapted to form the tear feature.
11. An apparatus according to Claims 9 or Claim 10 wherein the forming station comprises a depth sensor adapted to determine the thickness of the packaging material.
12. An apparatus according to any one of Claims 9 to 11 comprising a laser module adapted to form the tear feature.
13. An apparatus according to any one of Claims 9 to 12 wherein the sealing station comprises a length sensor adapted to determine the length of the tear feature, a dispenser adapted to dispense a strip having a length suitable for covering the tear feature, and an applicator adapted to attach the strip to the packaged article.
14. An apparatus according to any one of Claims 9 to 13 further comprising a detector station adapted to detect the position of the strip on the packaging material.
15. A package for enclosing a product, comprising: packaging material comprising a tear feature, and a strip attached to the packaging material, such that the strip covers the tear feature.
16. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
17. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
18. A package substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.