US20220073224A1

US20220073224A1 - Packaging

Info

Publication number: US20220073224A1
Application number: US17/468,015
Authority: US
Inventors: Michael Bradley
Original assignee: Keymac Usa LLC
Current assignee: Keymac Usa LLC
Priority date: 2020-09-07
Filing date: 2021-09-07
Publication date: 2022-03-10
Also published as: GB202112746D0; GB2604200A; GB202014051D0

Abstract

A wraparound sleeving system is provided and comprises a sleeving machine having a conveyor for transporting packaging sleeves. The packaging sleeves comprise one or more apertures for receiving a portion of one or more respective products. The sleeving machine comprises a folder for folding the sleeve so as to wrap a portion of said sleeve over or around a portion of said product after said portion of said product is received in said aperture.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application cites the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(a) of United Kingdom Patent Application No. 2014051.3, filed on 7 Sep. 2020, which is currently pending, and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates generally to packaging and particularly, although not exclusively, to a packaging machine such as a sleever, to a method of forming a package, and to packaging formed using machines and/or methods provided by the present invention.
An aspect of the present invention provides a wraparound sleeving system comprising a sleeving machine having a conveyor for transporting packaging sleeves, said packaging sleeves comprising one or more apertures for receiving a portion of one or more respective products, the sleeving machine comprising a folder for folding the sleeve so as to wrap a portion of said sleeve over or around a portion of said product after said portion of said product is received in said aperture.
A sleeving machine based on the principles described herein is also provided.
A method of packaging a product using the machine and/or system described herein is also provided.
In some embodiments individual platens are provided to carry sleeves.
In some embodiments sleeves are loaded (e.g. directly) onto the conveyor.
The product may be a tight or snug fit in the sleeve.
In some embodiments both the sleeve and the product are handled in individual platens that are custom made to fit the profile of the sleeve and accept the product into a drop thru or neck thru hole or aperture.
The sleeve may be folded on the move. Some machines are provided with guides, surfaces or the like for causing a portion of the sleeve to be folded
In some embodiments sleeves are folded on the move with fixed guides that comb through grooves that are cut into platens.
Sleeves may be provided as flat blanks.
Individual platens may carry a paperboard sleeve, with product placement into an aperture that is cut into the sleeve that also aligns with an aperture cut into the platen.
Product may be hand-placed into sleeves. Alternatively a robot may used to collect product and/or place it into sleeves.
In some embodiments all operations are carried out from above. For example the apparatus for performing operations is mounted overhead.
In some embodiments sleeves are taken from a hopper by a rotary vacuum cup picker.
In some systems the product is pre-wrapped.
The sleeve may, for example, be formed from paper or paper-board material
In some systems the product is a vacuum pack product.
Guides may provided to fold part of a sleeve blank over so that it can be glued.
The sleeve may be glued into place after folding.
The present invention also provides a drop-thru or neck-thru wraparound sleeving machine.
Some aspects and embodiments relate to placing a product into a pack e.g. placing packaging (such as a sleeve) onto/into/around a product.
Some aspects and embodiments relate to the packaging of food products such as meats and cheeses.
The product may be pre-wrapped, for example in a plastics and/or paper-based material. The product may, for example be provided as vacuum packed prior to sleeving.
The sleeve may, for example, be formed from paper or paper-board material.
In some aspects and embodiments the present invention provides or relates to a drop-through wrap-around sleever. Some embodiments provide a machine for sleeving cup or vacuum pack style products.
In some embodiments individual platens are provided that carry a sleeve, with product placement into an aperture that is cut into the sleeve that also aligns with an aperture provided in the platen.
Guides may be provided to move parts of the sleeve e.g. fold or bend.
Some aspects and embodiments allow for a tight/snug fit of product in a sleeve, preventing it from moving significantly with respect to the sleeve. This reduces the chance the product will inadvertently fall out of the sleeve.
Different aspects and embodiments of the invention may be used separately or together.
Further particular and preferred aspects of the present invention are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Features of the dependent claims may be combined with the features of the independent claims as appropriate, and in combination other than those explicitly set out in the claims. Each aspect can be carried out independently of the other aspects or combination with one or more of the other aspects.
The present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Example embodiments are shown and described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to embody and implement the systems and processes herein described. It is important to understand that embodiments can be provided in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein.
Accordingly, while embodiments can be modified in various ways and take on various alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and described in detail below as examples. There is no intent to limit to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary, all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims should be included. Elements of the example embodiments are consistently denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings and detailed description where appropriate. The invention is not limited in the design and shape of the structure shown in the drawings.
The terminology used herein to describe embodiments is not intended to limit the scope. The articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are singular in that they have a single referent, however the use of the singular form in the present document should not preclude the presence of more than one referent. In other words, elements referred to in the singular can number one or more, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, items, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, items, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein are to be interpreted as is customary in the art. It will be further understood that terms in common usage should also be interpreted as is customary in the relevant art and not in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
FIG. 1 illustrates part of a drop through wrap around sleeving machine 10 formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention and the stages of a product drop thru and sleeve wrap around process formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
A paperboard sleeve 15 is placed on a platen 20.
The platen 20 includes a groove 21 for receiving a conveyor rail.
Individual platens 20 are provided to carry a sleeve/product through the machine using a conveyor system.
The product 25 is loaded into an aperture 16 in the sleeve 15. The product 25 includes a flange 26 which is larger than the aperture. The product does pass completely through the aperture and becomes seated on the sleeve.
A back panel 17 of the sleeve is folded over. The sleeve includes a panel 18 to receive a glue line 19 to which the back panel is secured.
The finalised product is formed.
In this embodiment both the sleeve and the product are handled in individual platens that are custom made to fit the profile of the sleeve and accept the product into a drop thru hole or aperture. The sleeve is then folded on the move with fixed guides that comb through grooves that are cut into the platen.
FIGS. 2 to 6 illustrate various steps in the functioning of a packaging machine formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Sleeves 115 (which in this embodiment are provided as flat blanks) are taken from a hopper by a rotary vacuum cup picker 130—FIG. 2.
The sleeves 15 are placed onto platens 20—FIG. 3.
Individual platens 20 are shown that carry a paperboard sleeve 15, with product placement into an aperture that is cut into the sleeve that also aligns with an aperture cut into the platen—FIG. 4. Conveyor rails 140 are shown.
In the Figures the product is shown being hand-placed into sleeves. In other embodiments, for example a robot may be used automatically to collect product and place it into sleeves. The product is “dropped through” the sleeve blank.
In this embodiment the platens cruise through the machine continuously.
The sleeve 115 and product 125 then remain aligned as they are conveyed forward and the sleeve is folded/glued over the top of the product—FIGS. 5 and 6. Guides 150 are provided to fold part 117 of the sleeve blank over so that it can be glued. The sleeve “wraps around” the product.
In some aspects and embodiments all/most operations may be carried out from above; accordingly the apparatus for performing operations may be mounted overhead e.g. things that manipulate the sleeve.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show examples of final packaged product formed using machines provided by the present invention.
FIG. 9 illustrates a drop thru/neck thru wrap around sleever formed in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 shows an example of final packaging formed using the sleever of FIG. 9. In this embodiment three condiment bottles 425 a-c are received in a sleeve. Bottle necks are loaded into apertures 416 a-c formed in a folded sleeve panel 435. A further portion 440 of the sleeve is folded over onto a glue line panel 445.
Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A wraparound sleeving system comprising a sleeving machine having a conveyor for transporting packaging sleeves, said packaging sleeves comprising one or more apertures for receiving a portion of one or more respective products, the sleeving machine comprising a folder for folding the sleeve so as to wrap a portion of said sleeve over or around a portion of said product after said portion of said product is received in said aperture.

2. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which individual platens are provided to carry sleeves. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which the sleeves are loaded onto the conveyor.

4. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which the product is a tight or snug fit in the sleeve.

5. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which both the sleeve and the product are handled in individual platens that are custom made to fit the profile of the sleeve and accept the product into a drop thru or neck thru hole or aperture.

6. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which the sleeve is folded on the move.

7. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which the sleeve is folded on the move with fixed guides that comb through grooves that are cut into the platen.

8. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which sleeves are provided as flat blanks.

9. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which individual platens carry a paperboard sleeve, with product placement into an aperture that is cut into the sleeve that also aligns with an aperture cut into the platen.

10. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which product is hand-placed into sleeves.

11. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which a robot is used to collect product and place it into sleeves.

12. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which all operations are carried out from above.

13. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 12, in which the apparatus for performing operations is mounted overhead.

14. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which sleeves are taken from a hopper by a rotary vacuum cup picker.

15. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which the product is pre-wrapped,

16. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which the sleeve is formed from paper or paper-board material.

17. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which the product is a vacuum pack product.

18. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which guides are provided to fold part of the sleeve blank over so that it can be glued.

19. A sleeving system as claimed in claim 1, in which the sleeve is glued.

20. A drop thru or neck thru wraparound sleeving machine.