KR20040098512A - Sealing wrapper for food products, corresponding process and installation - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A sealing wrapper for food products, corresponding process and installation are provided to enable combining excellent sealing qualities(hermetic sealing) with extreme structural simplicity, and consequently with extreme simplicity and economy of fabrication. CONSTITUTION: The sealed wrapping for foodstuffs, such as chocolate, candy, almond seasoned with sugar, etc., comprises: a wrapping sheet(2) with a bent part(20), which receives at least one product(1), and a sealing line, which extends so as to close the wrapping sheet(2) along a path that surrounds at least one product(1) and has the ends located in a position corresponding to the bent part(20). The sealed wrapping wrap products quickly and accurately.

Description

Sealing wrapper for food products, corresponding process and installation

The present invention relates to a sealed wrapper (so-called "sealed" wrapper) for foodstuffs, for example, for confectionery products.

In the packaging of food products, it is necessary to take into account different requirements, and above all, to ensure that the product remains unchanged for as long as possible after packaging.

In order to achieve the above object, in some cases for small size foodstuffs (such as chocolates, candies, candied almonds, etc.), seals of the type commonly referred to as "flow-packs" Packaging of packaging products is known. This packaging technique is derived from a reel of sheet material, which wraps the circumference of the product in the longitudinal direction by a forming apparatus to form a continuous tubular intermediate portion of the package closed by the first longitudinal sealing line. It can be seen that the disclosure. The products to be packaged are advanced in the middle part of the tubular shape, and the whole so obtained is subjected to the action of one or more closing stations. Here, the tubular middle portion is flattened, welded, and cut at the separation site between successive products to produce an individual package. Examples of such techniques are disclosed in EP-A-0 957 043.

Consideration of functional features (eg, associated with the fact that the areas where the transverse end welds of the flow-pack package overlap with the longitudinal weld line or sealing line may constitute an important site for the purpose of the seal) Although a separate matter, flow pack packaging appears to be certain as a result of industrial processes. Thus, such packaging has proved inadequate for use in the case of products intended to be associated with more traditional types of packaging (such as certain confectionery products), where one or both of the ends of the packaging are twisted. It is contained in a fantail (which is a fantail torsional package).

For this reason, solutions have already been proposed in the art aimed at reproducing the more traditional packaging form.

This type of solution is disclosed, for example, in WO-A-02-22445, in which the individual lengths of the intermediate portions of the flow-pack packaging type, which wrap around the product to form a tubular structure, It will experience a tightening in the radial direction to form a somewhat corrugated area reminiscent of the twisted packaged end of the fan tail of the package for candy.

The main disadvantage of this type of packaging lies in the fact that the sealing action against the external environment must be carried out precisely at the site where it is subjected to radial compression. However, experiments show that the degree of effective sealing to the external environment is rather mediocre, even if it depends on the packaging material to undergo at least partial melting at the site subjected to radial compression. Given the fact that the packaging material subjected to radial compression in the above-mentioned areas tends to form wrinkles in a totally uncontrolled manner, the above facts are entirely understandable. As a result, wrinkles or ridges are formed, which have an overall random pattern, which can easily be left open between them, or after a short time, paths in communication with the external environment can be opened between them. .

Solutions to which a good degree of sealing can be obtained for the external environment are disclosed in the documents of EP-A-0 591 742 and EP-A-O 790 184. However, both cases are solutions in which a package comprising two sheet material elements is used.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a packaging which can combine structurally extreme simplicity, consequently extreme simplicity and economicality in manufacturing and significant sealing quality (sealed sealing).

1 to 5 show successive steps of the process designed to provide a packaging according to the invention.

6 is a side view of the corresponding installation.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by packages having the features mentioned in the following claims. The invention also relates to the corresponding equipment as well as the corresponding manufacturing process.

Basically, the solution according to the invention is characterized by generating a package with a single sheet element closed by a single welding or sealing line.

For the above purpose,

A packaging sheet having a bent portion or cavity for receiving at least one food product; And,

A sealing package for foodstuff is provided, the sealing line having an end positioned at a position corresponding to the bent portion and extending to close the packing sheet along a path surrounding at least one food product. .

Obviously, the term "wrapping sheet" is understood here to refer to any sheet material that can isolate the product from the external environment in an effective manner.

Once again, the term "circling" a grocery product is understood here to refer to a path extending around the product (a path that preferably has an arc shape as a whole, ie a C-shaped pattern). By giving a very tight packaging relationship, this ensures that the product is packaged as tightly as possible, a result that can be favored by actions that are possible by mitigating, brushing, or otherwise operating.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are purely non-limiting examples.

The exemplary embodiment shown next relates to the manufacture of a package for a food product 1, which for example consists of chocolate, candy, candied almonds, or the like of various shapes.

In particular, they may be products provided with a coating such as, for example, powdered hazelnuts, ground coconut, ground meringue, and the like.

In any case, the dimensions, shape, properties, and / or specific features of the product (single or complex) do not constitute an element that limits the invention.

The product 1 is designed to be packaged in a package composed of a single sheet element 2 which is a packaging material of laminar widely used for the packaging of confectionary products.

This is the sheet material that can eventually isolate the product from the external environment. For example it may be a sheet of aluminum foil and / or plastic material. The material in question may be a "bonded" material, ie with at least one first layer designed to constitute the outer part in the finished package and a second layer designed to constitute the inner part in the finished package. For example, it may be a material exhibiting a property that is sealed by heat.

A typical example of a combined material of this feature is a material consisting of an outer foil of aluminum coated on an inner surface with a plastic material such as polyethylene.

In any case it will be understood that the solution described herein is not limited in any way to the particular choice of sheet packaging material, nor to the adoption of a particular technical process of closing / sealing the packaging material itself.

In the exemplary embodiment shown here, these are highlighted again, which are entirely exemplary, elements of a sheet of sheet 2 having a square sheet with sides that are a few centimeters in length or a sheet that is approximately square. It is assumed that the process starts from.

As will become more apparent from the following disclosure, the elements of the individual packages may be in fact defined by a portion or length of continuous sheet material, which is released from the reel and partitioned to form individual packaging elements. segmentation).

On the element of the package 2 represented by FIG. 1, the product or item 1 to be packaged is placed in an approximately central position.

In the figure, the article is in the form of a fuselage with the shape of a cuboid, but it will be appreciated that the article 1 may be in any shape.

In another step of the process for forming the package, the elements of the sheet material 2 are

A bent portion 20 effectively receiving the product 1 therein; And,

The circumference of the product 1 to form; two lateral branching portions 21 extending from the bent portion 20 and lying on opposite sides of the product 1 (upper and lower in the direction shown here). Is packed in.

With reference to FIG. 3, whatever the shape of the product 1, the sheet of packaging is formed in such a way that the lateral branch 21 forms something like a bag or envelope that maintains a substantially planar orientation. It can be easily understood to surround the perimeter.

In practice, the two lateral branching portions 21 are separated by a distance substantially corresponding to the height or thickness of the product 1 and are substantially parallel to each other.

In another step of the subsequent process, as shown in FIG. 4, the two lateral branch portions 21 are connected to each other by a sealing line 3.

The sealing line 3 connects the two branch portions of the packaging sheet along the path surrounding the food product 1. It is thus a path which is generally arc-shaped, ie with a C-shaped pattern, the ends being located at a position corresponding to the bent portion 20, which bends clearly of the product 1 without any need to form a connecting line. Sealed receptive action is performed in advance.

In order to form the sealing line 3, one can rely on various techniques widely employed in the packaging industry, in particular in the packaging industry for the packaging of food products.

As a result, the sealing line 3 can be made, for example, by the action of hot sealing, cold sealing, with or without welding material, ultrasonic welding, laser welding or possibly only embossing. have.

Regarding the path of the sealing line 3, it is also possible to employ other choices despite maintaining the overall covering pattern for the product 1.

The tests currently conducted by the Applicant indicate that substantially continuous arc-shaped patterns, and eventually any sharp cusps and / or any overlap of the ridges or creases of the packaging material. The choice of a path that does not overlap (ie, does not overlap two or more layers of packaging material) is preferred. Sites of this type can result from, for example, two adjacent straight stretches, and can be laid down on the basis of a concentrated state of the forced state, which can weaken the seal of the sealing line.

As another finishing action, the packaging shown in FIG. 4 can be completed by forming twisted wrap portions 4 of one or two fan tails to give the appearance of a typical packaging for candy as a whole upon packaging. . This result can be obtained (in a known manner) by causing the longitudinal end or ends of the package to twist, or by relying on other methods aimed at obtaining a twist of the fan tail.

The torsion-packed parts of the fan tail (which is emphasized once again but do not represent an essential feature of the solution described here) do not adversely affect the sealing properties of the sealing line 3. This should be understood. In fact, this is obtained by connecting two lateral branch portions 2 of the sheet packaging material 2 while the branch portions remain in a substantially flat condition.

The connection between the two branching parts 21 is thus extremely close and continuous, and consequently withstands any subsequent possible deformation of the package without weakening.

Referring now to the diagram for the installation of FIG. 6, reference numeral 10 denotes a device for unwinding a reel from which the sheet material which constitutes the package 2 is released.

Starting from the reel releasing device 10 (known type), the sheet material 2 is fed towards the forming assembly 12, which is formed in the sheet material with a bent portion 20 and a lateral branching ( 21) is designed to impart a U-shaped shape as a whole (see FIG. 3).

The shaping device 12 can also be regarded as an element of known type per se. In fact, this can be obtained according to a widely used standard for manufacturing molding apparatus, which closes the sheet material along a tubular pattern as a whole in a flow-pack type packaging apparatus.

A tubular package formed in a flow-pack device (or in the solution described in WO-A-02 / 22445) is typically a cross-sectional shape in which it is closed by a longitudinal sealing line and is substantially circular. On the other hand, in that the two lateral branching parts are not connected to each other at a position corresponding to their distal edge, the corresponding intermediate part obtained in the installation of FIG. 6 is instead opened. (See FIG. 3 again).

Once again, the middle part indicated in FIG. 3 shows a U-shaped development as a whole, and the two lateral branch parts 21 remain substantially flat. As already mentioned before, this fact is important for achieving a continuous and intimate connection, provided by the sealing line 3, which is laid on the basis of the sealing properties of the final package.

The supply of the product 1 to be packaged in the direction of the site where the shaping device 12 operates is ensured by the conveyor 14, which is driven by a motor of the type which is widely used, for example, in equipment for packaging food products. Consisting of a belt conveyor.

The conveyor 14 cooperates with the shaping device 12 to allow the product 1 to be inserted into the folded packaging material to form a spaced U-shape at evenly spaced intervals. Create a loading station.

In this condition, it is supplied by another conveyor (usually the middle part of the packaging material constitutes the active element, since it carries the product 1 located therein), and the products are closed station 18 The closing station is made of a ribbon of packaging material at the site where the sealing line 3 and the compartment are left free of product in order to generate individual packaging.

According to a structure known per se, the closing station 18 may be of a type that performs vertical reciprocating motion and thus has an active movable element 18b as well as a base or anvil part 18a so that it moves vertically By periodically descending to the anvil portion 18a, the sealing line 3 is made and cutting of individual packaging portions is performed. For this purpose, the base portion 18a and / or the active element 18b typically exhibit the serration of the surface defining the path of the sealing line 3. The base portion 18a and / or the active element 18b may be a heating element and / or ultrasonic generator (not shown in detail but of known type when the sealing technique employed includes the application of heat and / or ultrasonic waves). Can be associated with it.

Advantageously (and also according to the criteria known per se herein), the closing station 18 is a vertical movement which causes the base portion 18a and the active element 18b to be closed with respect to each other with the insertion of the package. In addition, it may be configured to perform a "tracking" movement of the packaging advancement. The above tracking motion causes the forming action of the sealing line 3 to occur under conditions in which there is substantially no relative motion.

The fixed anvil portion 18a may exhibit at least a slightly cavitationed upper surface, which is a sealing line 3 (made of a pavement provided between the closed portion 18a and the portion 18b with respect to each other). This is to ensure that it can be obtained under conditions of perfect symmetry.

At all times, the sealing device 18 has cutting elements associated with it (not shown in detail, but of a known type), which produce a separate packaging, such as the packaging indicated by C in FIG. 6. It is for this purpose that after the formation of the sealing line 3 or at the same time the continuous ribbon of sheet material 2 is separated.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a shaping station, in which one or both of the longitudinal ends of the packaging part C are subjected to other processing (such as torsion) to form the fan tail portion of FIG. 5. Receive.

The completed packages are then collected at collection station 22 for further packaging.

As already described above, the formation of one or more fan tail portions 4 constitutes an optional or not essential step of the solution described herein.

The present invention has the advantage that can be quickly and accurately packaged products of confectionery such as candy.

With respect to the illustration and illustration of non-limiting examples in its entirety, without prejudice to the principles of the present invention, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims, the details of the completed invention and its modifications are It will be understood that modifications can be made to the main scope.

Claims (29)

A packaging sheet 2 having a bent portion 20 for receiving at least one product 1, and With a sealing line 3 extending to close the packaging sheet 2 along a path surrounding the at least one product 1 with ends positioned at positions corresponding to the bent portion 20. , Sealed wrappers for foodstuffs. The method of claim 1, The packing sheet 2 can withstand the sealing made by a technique selected from the group consisting of hot sealing, cold sealing, sealing made of welding material, sealing made without welding material, ultrasonic welding, laser welding, and embossing. Wrapping paper comprising a material. The method according to claim 1 or 2, At a position corresponding to the sealing line 3, the packaging is in a group consisting of hot sealing, cold sealing, sealing made of welding material, sealing made without welding material, ultrasonic welding, laser welding, embossing. A wrapping paper, characterized by the sheet material (2) subjected to the selected action. The method of claim 1, wherein Said sealing line (3) is characterized in that it extends along a path without a pointed portion. The method of claim 1, wherein Said sealing line (3) is characterized in that it extends along a path where there are no overlapping portions of bumps or folds of the packaging material (2). The method of claim 1, wherein The sheet of packaging has two lateral branch portions 21, the branch portions extending from the bent portion 20 on opposite sides of the at least one product 1, the sealing ring Wrapping line, characterized in that the line (3) extends to connect the lateral branch portion (21). The method of claim 6, Wrapping paper, characterized in that at least at the site of the sealing line (3), the lateral branching portions (21) are substantially coplanar with respect to each other. The method according to claim 6 or 7, Wrapper, characterized in that at least in a position corresponding to the sealing line (3), the lateral branches (31) are substantially free of pleats or bumps. The method of claim 1, wherein The wrapping paper, characterized in that the sealing line (3) extends along the entire arc-shaped path. The method of claim 1, wherein And at least one end portion (4) having a fan tail shape. Forming 12 a wrapping sheet 2 having a bent portion 20, Setting at least one product 1 into the bent portion, and A sealing line 3, having end portions located at a position corresponding to the bent portion 20, extending to close the packaging sheet 2 along a path surrounding the at least one product 1. A method of packaging a food product (1), comprising the act of forming (18). The method of claim 11, The packaging sheet having a material capable of withstanding the sealing by a technique selected from the group consisting of hot sealing, cold sealing, sealing with welding material, sealing without welding material, ultrasonic welding, laser welding, and embossing. (2) A method characterized by comprising the action of producing. The method according to claim 11 or 12, Work for making the sealing line 3 by a work selected from the group consisting of hot sealing, cold sealing, sealing material with welding material, sealing without welding material, ultrasonic welding, laser welding, and embossing. Characterized in that. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, And forming said sealing line (3) along a path free of pointed portions. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, And forming said sealing line (3) along a path free of ridges or folds of wrapping material. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, Forming (12) in the packaging sheet two lateral branches 21 extending from the bent portion 20 on opposite sides of the at least one food product 1, and And forming the sealing line (3) such that the sealing line is connected with the lateral branch (21). The method of claim 16, And a step of keeping the lateral branches (21) on a substantially common plane with respect to each other at the site of formation of the sealing line (3). The method according to claim 16 or 17, And maintaining the lateral branch (21) substantially free of pleats or bumps at least at a position corresponding to the sealing line (3). The method according to any one of claims 11 to 18, And forming said sealing line (3) along an entire arc-shaped path. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 19, And forming at least one portion (4) in the form of a fantail in said packaging. A molding apparatus 12 for forming the package sheet 2 having the bent portion 20; A loading station (16) for setting said at least one food product (1) in said bent portion; And, A sealing line 3, having an end extending in a position corresponding to the bent portion 20 and extending to close the packaging sheet 2 along a path surrounding the at least one food product 1, is provided. And a sealing station (18) configured to form the device for the sealed packaging of the food product (1). The method of claim 21, The sealing station 18 operates according to a technique selected from the group consisting of hot sealing, cold sealing, sealing with welding material, sealing without welding material, ultrasonic welding, laser welding, and embossing. Device characterized in that. The method of claim 21 or 22, The sealing station (18) is characterized in that it is configured to form the sealing line (3) along a path free of cusps. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein The sealing station (18) is characterized in that it is configured to form the sealing line (3) along a path free of overlapping portions of bumps or folds of the packaging material (2). The method according to any one of claims 21 to 24, The forming apparatus 12 is configured to form two lateral branches 21 in the sheet of packaging, the branches having the bent portions on both sides of the at least one food product 1. Extending from 1), said sealing station (18) being configured to form said sealing line (3) to connect with said lateral branch (21). The method according to any one of claims 21 to 25, The sealing station (18) is characterized in that it is configured to keep the lateral branches (21) in a substantially common plane with respect to each other at the site of formation of the sealing line (3). 27. The method of any of claims 21 to 26, The sealing station (18) is characterized in that it is configured to keep the lateral branch (31) substantially free of creases or bumps at least at a position corresponding to the sealing line (3). The method according to any one of claims 21 to 27, The sealing station (18) is characterized in that it is configured to form the sealing line (3) along the entire arc-shaped path. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 28, Apparatus characterized in that it comprises a shaping station (20) which forms at least one end portion (4) having a fantail shape.