WO2013091796A1

WO2013091796A1 - Method and device for producing packs having shrink film

Info

Publication number: WO2013091796A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/005125
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jens Schmidt; Burkard Roesler; Patrick BUDDE
Original assignee: Focke & Co. (Gmbh & Co. Kg)
Priority date: 2011-12-23
Filing date: 2012-12-12
Publication date: 2013-06-27
Also published as: BR112014015361A2; JP2015506312A; JP6261514B2; DE102011122327A1; EP3231717A2; BR112014015361A8; EP2794403A1; US20150232218A1; EP3231717B1; CN106275563A; EP3231717A3; CN104114448B; EP2794403B1; CN106275563B; CN104114448A

Abstract

In the production of packs (10) having an outer wrapping of sealable and shrinkable film, the packs (10) run individually and spaced apart from one another cyclically through several processing stations for sealing and/or shrinking. In an assembly station (40), units consisting of several, in particular four, packs (10) are combined into a functional unit and thereafter transported in a corresponding conveying cycle and processed simultaneously in the region of work stations.

Description

Method and apparatus for producing shrink-wrap packages Description

The invention relates to a method for producing outer shrink-wrap packages comprising the features of the preamble of claim 1. Further, the invention is concerned with a device for carrying out the method.

Packages made of, in particular, thin cardboard and an outer casing made of film are subjected to a shrinking treatment in accordance with the technical suitability of the film so that the package is surrounded by the film in a smooth and wrinkle-free manner and under tension. In the foreground are (cigarette) packs of the type folding box / Hinge Lid with such an outer wrapper.

It is known to combine the shrinkage treatment of the outer sheath - by means of plate-shaped heat elements - with the sealing of folding flaps of the outer sheath. The procedure is such that the tubular film folded around the package is stapled in the region of tubular or lateral longitudinal tabs, that is to say thermally sealed, but with small-area stapling members. Thereafter, laterally directed end and bottom flaps are folded and also stapled. This is followed by the end sealing of the tube lobes and then the sealing of the sideways-directed forehead and floor lobes in the area of a sealing station. Immediately thereafter, the packs are passed through a shrinking station, in the area of which the upwardly and downwardly directed large-area pack sides - front wall and rear wall of the outer casing - are subjected to a heat metered for the shrinking process by plate-shaped heat elements (EP 1 103 465 A1).

CONFIRMATION COPY The transport of individual packages at a distance from one another by straps which have cooperating webs for the packages is known from EP 2 019 783 B1. In this prior art, the packages are initially transported through a sealing station, which is used exclusively for sealing sideways directed packing surfaces with folding tabs. This is followed by a shrinkage treatment by means of heat plates arranged above and below the movement path. Of interest is the transfer of the packs from a bottom chord to a top chord and vice versa. The invention is concerned with the further development of this manufacturing process. It is all about ensuring a technically and qualitatively perfect seal of the folding flaps and beyond optimal shrinking treatment, namely at increased performance of the (packaging) machine and thereby shorter cycle times.

To solve this problem, the inventive method is characterized by the features of claim 1. A core of the invention is therefore that all surfaces or walls of the outer sheath are subjected to a shrink treatment, but at least the front wall and rear wall on the one hand and narrow (upright) side walls on the other. The process of shrinking, ie the areal supply of shrinking temperature, is combined with the thermal sealing of the folding flaps, in particular in connection with an upstream stapling of the folding flaps before the end sealing. Sealing and shrinking are carried out according to the invention in several steps, even at the same time with respect to transverse packing surfaces. Another peculiarity is to increase the performance of the device based on the delivery of packages one at a time, consecutively, preferably at a distance from one another and a tactile movement. In order to allow for a longer processing phase at short cycle times, several (successive) packs as a conveyor unit in common transported a conveyor cycle. It is also important that the packing units are moved transversely to the feed direction, namely in particular upwards, and are thereby transported cyclically through a plurality of processing stations arranged one above the other.

The device according to the invention comprises folding elements for the outer wrapping, stitching stations, sealing stations and shrinkage units. These are not according to the invention arranged and effective in the usual order. A first shrinking process takes place after stapling the folding flaps. It is important that sealing jaws on the one hand and (plate-shaped) heating elements for the shrinkage treatment in the same station are effective, but effective at different, in particular at an angle of 90 ° to each other facing surfaces or walls of the outer sheath. Further details of the method and the device will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. It shows:

Fig. 1 is a schematic overall view of the device in

Perspective,

2 shows a detail of the device according to FIG. 1, essentially a representation of the movement sequence of the packs, FIG.

3 shows a first direction of the device in the direction of the device on an enlarged scale, also in perspective,

4 shows a sealing and shrinking unit as part of the device on an enlarged scale, in perspective,

5 shows a section of the device associated with the end of the manufacturing process, also in perspective,

6 is a cross-section Vl-Vl of Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale,

7 is a transverse vertical section of the unit of FIG. 4 in the sectional plane VII-VII, also on an enlarged scale,

8 shows a vertical section VIII-VIII of FIG. 4,

Fig. 9 is a vertical cross section IX-IX of FIG. 5, in enlarged

Scale,

10 is another cross section XX of FIG. 5, 11 is a cross section XI-XI in Fig. 5,

12 is a view substantially similar to FIG. 12 in a modified embodiment,

13 is a longitudinal section XIII-XIII of FIG. 12,

14 is a corresponding longitudinal section XIV-XIV of FIG. 12,

Fig. 15 shows a (cigarette) pack of the type folding box in perspective view.

The examples shown in the drawings relate to the treatment of cuboidal packs 10 of relatively rigid packaging material, in particular of (thin) cardboard. The concrete example concerns (cigarette) packs 10 in the form of a folding box or hanging lid pack. The package is surrounded on all sides by an outer envelope 11 made of film, which is thermally sealable - in the region of folding flaps - and by heat supply shrinkable (shrink film).

A blank of the outer casing 11 is folded around the package 10 or folding box so that a (large-scale) front wall 12, a corresponding rear wall 13, narrow, upright side walls 14, 15 and end wall 16 and bottom wall 17 arise. The outer casing 11 is folded so that on a side wall 15 (partially) overlapping folding flaps, namely hose tabs 18 arise. End wall 16 and bottom wall 17 are provided with complex folds (envelope folding) to form trapezoidal closure flap 19. The outer wrapper 11 has an opening aid, namely with a tear strip 20 running around. The folding tabs 18, 19 are connected to each other by thermal sealing.

The device shown schematically in Fig. 1 is part of a plant for manufacturing (cigarette) packs 10. These are transported along a horizontal, substantially rectilinear packing web. This is divided into sections, namely in track sections 21, 22 which extend in (the amount of) offset planes in the same direction. The coming of a packer, to the outer casing 11 finished packages 10 are supplied via an intermediate conveyor intermittently and at a distance from a folding device, namely a folding turret 23. This is preferably analogous to the folding turret of EP 1 103 465 A1. In the area of the folding turret 23 in particular the tube tabs 18 are formed and fixed by stapling members 24 in the sense of stapling (connection of the folding tabs by means of small sealing surfaces). The folding turret 23 is provided with three successive (different) stapling members 24.

Following the folding turret 23, the packages 10 reach a first region of the web section 21. The transport takes place by means of an endless belt, namely lower belt 25, which is expediently designed in accordance with the specifications of EP 2 019 783 B1, that is to say with special drivers 26, 27, each package 10 on the front - side wall 14 with tube tabs 18 - and on the back - side wall 15 - capture and thus fix exactly.

Following the folding turret 23, the packages are transported through a folding section of the web section 21 for the production of the closure tabs 19. For this purpose, folding trays 28 of known design are arranged laterally next to the belt 25 and form the folding tabs 19 during transport. With the completely folded outer casing 11, the packs 10 reach the area of another work station, namely stapling and shrinking station 29. A first stapling member, namely a stapling jaw 30 is partially laterally fixed in the area of the folding switch 28. The folding switch 28 is formed in this area by reducing the width as a lateral guide piece 31 in order to fix the folding tabs 18 in the folded position until the first stitching. The guide piece 31 has a recess 32 (FIG. 6) through which the stapling jaw 30 or a projecting stitching web 33 passes until it abuts against the end wall 16 or bottom wall 17 for the transfer of heat and pressure in a flat area (stitching). The guide piece 31 is angular in cross-section, so that the package 10 is supported with a horizontal leg on the underside. Furthermore, the web portion 21 is formed so that the narrower belt 25 of a elongated track plate 34 is supported with a central recess for the run of the lower chord 25 and with lateral support webs 35, on which rests the pack with marginal surface areas. The first stapling jaw 30 is followed by another stapling member for the laterally directed closing tabs 19, namely a (longer) stapling bar 36. This is dimensioned so that two (by far) successive packs 10 can be acted upon in one working cycle. The stapling bar 36 complements or completes the stapling in the region of the folding tabs 19. The working surface of the stapling bar 36 is designed accordingly, in this case with a convex stapling surface 37. The lateral folding tabs 19 are sufficiently fixed after this processing.

Superimposed on the stapling of the folding tabs 19 is a (first) shrinking treatment. The large-area free side of the package, namely the upwardly facing front wall 12 (or rear wall 13) is acted upon by a flat shrink member, namely by a hot plate 38. This is movable up and down (with very small amplitudes). During the short-term full-surface contact with the pack 10, heat is transferred in the area of the shrinking temperature. The heating plate 38 is provided with a recess or groove 39 at the bottom in the region of the tear strip 20, so that it is not acted upon by heat.

Following the stapling and shrinking station 29, the packages reach the outer envelope 11, which is sufficiently fixed with respect to the folding flaps, into the region of another processing station - in the present case by continued transport by means of lower flange 25. An aggregate station 40 serves on the one hand to form groups or units of several, initially successively transported packages 10. In the present embodiment, four packages 10 each form such a processing unit. Furthermore, the packs 10 are transported in the region of the aggregation station 40 transversely to the incoming conveying direction, in this case in the upward direction. These are the packs 10 of the common belt 25 removed and transported by other conveyor.

The present aggregate station 40 has a plurality of vertical conveyors, namely pairs of vertical straps 41, 42. Each two opposing vertical straps 41, 42 are associated with a pack 10 or a sequence of (cyclically) upwardly transported packs 10. Each vertical belt 41, 42 is guided over upper and lower pulleys 43 (with drive below). Furthermore, the straps 41, 42 web-like projections 44, 45 as a driver for the packs 10. The projections 44, 45 detect the pack 10 to be transported on the underside and at the top, respectively in an edge region adjacent to the end wall 16 and bottom wall 17. The vertical straps 41, 42 and the projections 44, 45 have a smaller transverse dimension than the corresponding dimension (width) of the packs 10, so that on both sides of the straps 41, 42 at least the side walls 14, 15 of the packs 10 are completely exposed.

The vertical straps 41, 42 are driven together, intermittently. The conveyance movement of the packs by the lower chord 25 is adjusted to the movement of the vertical chords 41, 42 such that after inserting a number of packs 10 (four) into the region of the vertical conveyors (Figure 8), the vertical belts 41, 42 move one clock be, whereby the packages 10 are lifted from the belt 25 and fed to a first processing station in the area of the elevator. The machining takes place during the standstill, so that four packs 10 can be processed simultaneously, while the same number is supplied in the lower level by the belt 25, in conveying cycles of the belt 25, which correspond to the distances between individual packs 10, so four delivery cycles are required to provide the appropriate number of packages for takeover by the elevator.

In the area of the aggregate station 40, in particular the side walls 14, 15 are processed, in each case the (four) packs 10 of a unit at the same time. In a (lower) shrinking station 46 is by a strip-shaped radiator 47 causes a shrinkage of the side walls 14, 15. In the present case, only the folding flap-free side wall 15 is subjected to shrinkage heat. Opposite a support is provided in the region of the side wall 14. In the present case, a movable support member, namely a (short-stroke) cylinder 48 is arranged, which presses the pack 10 against the fixed radiator 47 for the shrinking process. This process takes place at the same time in the area of shrinking station 46 for all (four) packages lying in the same horizontal plane. Thereafter, the vertical straps 41, 42 are moved to the next work station, namely in a (first) sealing station 49. Here, the folding tabs 18 are connected in the region of the side wall 14 by sealing. A special feature is that the process of victory is resolved in at least two consecutive steps. In the sealing station 49 elongated sealing bodies 50 are effective, which have a crowned sealing surface, as in the staple bar 36. By thus formed cross-sectional shape of the sealing body 50, a central region of the surface of the side wall 14 with the required (seal) pressure applied, wherein the longitudinal edges of the package remain substantially pressure-free. Opposite to the sealing body 50 is also a (short-stroke) cylinder 48 is arranged so that the packs 10 are pressed against fixed sealing organs.

In a further (upper) sealing station 51, a second sealing step in the region of the tube tabs 18 is performed. An elongate sealing body 52 is formed with a substantially flat sealing surface and dimensioned so that the side walls 14 are covered over the entire surface or with a supernatant. Also, this embodiment of seal bodies 52 is assigned a (short-stroke) cylinder 48 respectively. The aggregate station 40 is thus equipped with three workstations 46, 49, 51, wherein in each of these stations at the same time several - in the present case four - packs 10 are processed during a standstill phase, this about four times the duration of a stoppage phase in the field of delivery of the packs 10 (FIG. Belt 25). The operation of the Aggregate station 40 is set up so that the packs 10 are transported further apart as a unit, in particular while maintaining the previous relative position as a unit. The packages 10 thus have within the unit distances from each other and from the packages of the preceding and following units.

A further conveying cycle of the vertical straps 41, 42 leads the packs 10, which are completely sealed in the area of the side wall 14, into a discharge station 53. Here the horizontally adjacent packs 10 are taken over by a discharge conveyor, an upper belt 54. This is analogous to the lower belt 25, including the driver 26, 27. A special feature, however, is that the top flange 54 consists of two single straps 55, 56 of matching design. The packs 10 are each detected by two drivers 26. 27 at a distance from each other and out of the range of vertical straps 41, 42 out (Fig. 7). Another special feature is that due to appropriate transport movement of the upper belt 54 at the same time held in the discharge station 53 (four) packs 10 are transported away. The conveying cycle of the upper belt 54 thus corresponds to the dimension of a unit from the packages 10 transported away. The packages are detected between the mutually associated vertical belts 41, 42, by drivers 26, 27 of the upper belt 54 and the single belts 55, 56 and at the same time out of the range the vertical straps 41, 42 conveyed out in the transverse direction. Gaps between the vertical straps 41, 42 are bridged by horizontal support plates 65.

Following the aggregate station 40, the packs 10 are fed along the web section 22 to further treatment stations, specifically immediately thereafter a combined sealing and shrinking station 57. In the present case, four packs 10 are deposited in the area of this station 57 at each working or conveying cycle. Here, the packs 10 are processed during a (longer) stoppage phase on different sides of the pack. The packs 10 rest on (lower) heat plates 58, which cause shrinkage treatment of lower large-area sides of the pack - rear wall 13 -. The heat plates 58 are sized so that at least the full package area is covered (Fig. 9). The heat plates 58 also serve to support the packages 10 during transport, with the packages 10 sliding on the heat plates 58. The heat plates 58 are movable up and down, namely for performing a shrinking stroke upwardly movable to produce a slight increased contact pressure on the packages 10. Preferably, the heat plate 58 extends over the full length of the station 57, that is over a length corresponding to (present) four Packings 10. In the sealing and shrinking station 57 further packing surfaces are processed, namely sideways areas - end wall 16, bottom wall 17. It is about the sealing of the complex folding tabs 19. In a first step, sealing webs 59 with spherical sealing surface 60, analogous to Stapling bar 36 (Figure 6). Accordingly, internal surface areas are applied in the sense of a thermal seal. The station 57 is designed so that simultaneously several (four) packs 10 are acted upon, here by two sealing webs 59 corresponding to the dimension of two packs 10. A subsequent transfer station 61 serves to transfer the transport of the packs 10 from the upper belt 54 to a This is composed of a single belt, largely coinciding with the lower flange 25. The transfer of the packs 10 from the feeding belt 54 to the continuing belt 62 is carried out analogously to the examples in EP 2 019 783 B1. The incoming packages are taken over during a conveying cycle of the upper belt 54 successively from the belt of the end conveyor 62 and while maintaining the movement characteristics - in the present case four packs 10 per conveyor cycle - transported on.

For this purpose, the transfer station 61 is formed in a special way. The heat plates 58 of the station 57 terminate with this. In the area of the transfer station 61, the packs 10 rest on a track plate 66 adjoining the heating plates 58. This serves at least in the region of a first Sub-station 63 - in the dimensions of two successive packs 10 - as a support for the packs 10. Subsequent thereto, namely in the area of a following substation 64, the packs 10 rest on lateral web webs 67, between which the belt of the end conveyor 62 is guided ( Fig. 10, Fig. 11). Up to the first sub-station 63, the packs through the upper belt 54, at least from the sub-station 64, the final conveyor 62 takes over the transport. However, it remains at a conveying cycle of several (four) packs 10. Also in the area of the transfer station 61, the packs 10 are treated during the standstill phase. Lateral sealing webs 68 complete the sealing of the folding tabs 19 of the laterally directed packing walls 16, 17. The sealing webs 68 are formed with flat sealing surfaces 69, which bear against the package walls 16, 17 over the whole area and preferably project beyond them.

The packages 10 reach a region of a finishing station 70 due to a further conveying stroke of the final conveyor 62. This station 70 is also aligned to the dimensions of a unit of several (four) packages 10. The packs rest on the web webs 67. At the top, a (continuous, one-piece) heat plate 71 is operative, which shrinks the tops of the packs 10, in this case the front wall 12. The heat plate 71 is sized to extend over the surfaces of the webs Packs 10 protrude. The movable up and down heat plate 71 receives contact with the packs 10 during the standstill phase.

Furthermore, lateral sealing webs 72 are effective, which are moved up again to the end wall 16 and bottom wall 17 in order to complete the sealing of the folding tabs 19. The sealing webs 72 are formed with crowned or curved sealing surfaces 60.

In Figs. 12 to 14, the present technology is shown in a modified embodiment. The first web section 21 of the device may correspond to the embodiment described above. The same applies to the unit station 40. In the area of the subsequent track section 22 is a larger number of processing stations, and also for the treatment of special packaging forms, namely with contoured packing edges. These may be formed as round edges 73 or as a bevel 74. In this case, all four packing edges can be identical or - as shown - different. It is about the shrinking treatment of the outer sheath 11 in such packages 10 also apply to the specially designed packing edges 73, 74.

The packing edges 73, 74 are subjected to a shrinking treatment in a separate working cycle. For this purpose, special shrink plates 75, 76 are provided, which are used in shrinking stations for the packaging edges, namely edge stations 77, 78.

The special (edge) shrink plates 75, 76 have each edge of webs 79, 80 associated with each package edge to be treated, which in one of the number of simultaneously (four) packages 10 corresponding to a number of carriers, namely a support plate 81, 82 than Up or down projecting ribs are attached. Each of the edge webs 79, 80 has at the free end of a packing edge corresponding shape edge 83, 84, namely as a quarter circle (for the treatment of round edges 73) or as a chamfer for the treatment of bevelled edges 74. At least the edge webs 79, 80 are corresponding to Shrinking temperature heated.

The edge-shrinking members 75, 76 are adapted to the operation of the device, namely arranged according to the arrangement of a belt conveyor below (FIG. 13) or above (FIG. 14) the path of movement of the packs 10. The shrink plates 75, 76 are movable up and down, such that in an upper position, the packs through the respective belt 54, 62 are freely movable.

At least in the area of the edge stations 77, 78, the packs 10 are supported on the side facing the shrinking member 75, 76. According to FIG. 13, web plates 85 are arranged on the underside as a support for the packs, in sections or intermittently, so that the upright Edge webs 79 lie between the web plates 85 and can be moved. In the case of a top-side arrangement of the shrinking plate 76 (FIG. 14), at least in the region between the edge webs 80 associated with a pack 10, plate-shaped supporting members 86 are fixedly arranged, which fix the packs 10 during the shrinking treatment and during the movements of the shrinking plate 76. Furthermore, at least in the region of the edge stations 77, 78 support members for the belt 54 and 62 are arranged, namely a top plate 87 above the belt 54 in Fig. 13 and a bottom plate 88 below the belt 62 in Fig. 14. Both edge stations 77, 78th are directed to the multiple treatment of packages 10 during a machining cycle, in this case based on four packages per power stroke.

The area of the track section 22 differs from the embodiment of Fig. 1 also in that a larger number of processing stations is provided. The packs 10 are transported away in the manner described from the area of the unit station 40 by the upper belt 54 (which extends over a relatively long conveying area), likewise in packing units of a plurality, for example four packs 10, at a distance from one another. The aggregate station 40 is followed by a sealing and shrinking station 57, which may be designed in accordance with FIG. 5, FIG. 9. In this area, therefore, seals are performed on the sideways packing surfaces and shrinking treatments on the bottom. The station 57 comprises a packing unit (four packs 10). This is followed by the already described (first) edge station 77, which is covered by the upper belt 54 with regard to the transport of the packs 10. This is followed by the transfer station 61, which is designed and operates in the manner described (FIGS. 5, 10). The packs 10 then enter a range of finishing. This consists in the present case ^'of two stations, namely a finishing station 70 according to Fig. 1 or Fig. 5 and Fig. 11. It is to top-side shrinking treatment and lateral sealing. Subsequently, the unit of the packs 10 (in another conveyor cycle) already described edge station 78 supplied. The finished treated packages are deposited on a discharge conveyor 89, which feeds the packages for further processing, in particular the production of bundle packs. The sealing and shrinking elements are formed in a basically known embodiment. In the elongated sealing jaws or sealing webs 36, 50, 52, 59, 68, 72 elongated heating cartridges 90 of known type are arranged. Plate-shaped heat elements 38, 58, 71 have a plurality, in the present case two balanced heating cartridges 90. The movable members are mechanically adjustable by appropriately trained actuating gear. If in a workstation, for example in the stapling and shrinking station 29, several organs must be operated at about the same time, a common actuating gear is provided both for movement of the staple bar 36 and the heating plate 38th

A peculiarity of the present technology is that the packs 10, which are preferably supplied individually cyclically along a conveyor track - corresponding to the spacing of the individual packs 10 - are grouped into one unit of several successive packs 10 without changing the relative position thereof and subsequently for each of these units a simultaneous treatment of the packs 10 during a stoppage phase of the unit or pack group is performed. In the present case, the units are formed in the area of the aggregate station 40. This can also be designed such that the packs 10 or the units formed are transported further from a plurality of (four) packs 10 without changing the conveying direction and treated in the manner described. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 pack 53 discharge station

11 outer sheath 54 upper chord

12 front wall 55 single belt

13 Rear wall 56 Single belt

4 side wall 57 sealing and shrinking station

15 side wall 58 heat plate

16 front wall 59 Siegelsteg

17 bottom wall 60 sealing surface

18 tube lobes 61 transfer station

19 closing flaps 62 final conveyor

20 tear strips 63 sub station

21 track section 64 sub station

22 track section 65 support plate

23 Folding turret 66 Track plate

24 Stapling mechanism 67 Web bridge

25 lower chord 68 Siegelsteg

26 drivers 69 sealing surface

27 driver 70 finishing station

28 Folding switch 71 Heat plate

29 Stapling and shrinking station 72 Sealing bar

30 Stapling jaw 73 Round edge

31 guide piece 74 bevelled edge

32 recess 75 shrink plate

33 Heftsteg 76 Shrink plate

34 track plate 77 edge station

35 Support bar 78 Edge station

36 stapling bars 79 edge bar

37 Stapling surface 80 Edge web

38 heating plate 81 support plate

39 groove 82 support plate

40 Aggregate station 83 Form edge

41 vertical belt 84 shaped edge

42 vertical belt 85 track plate

43 guide roller 86 support member

44 projection 87 top plate

45 projection 88 lower plate

46 Shrink station 89 Removal conveyor

47 radiator 90 heating cartridge

48 cylinders

49 sealing station

50 sealed bodies

51 sealing station

52 sealed body

Claims

claims

A method of manufacturing (parallelepipedic) packages (10) having an outer wrapper (11) of sealable and shrinkable film, in particular cigarette pack of the folding box type, wherein foldable flaps (18, 19) of the outer wrapper (11) are thermally stapled and (hereinafter) Sealing connected to each other and the outer sheath (11) by in particular planar heat elements in the region of opposing surfaces or walls of the pack (10) or outer sheath (11) - in a (cigarette) folding box front wall (12) and rear wall (13) on the one hand and (upright) side walls (14, 15) on the other hand - is subjected to a shrinking treatment, characterized in that surfaces of the packs (10) or walls of the outer casing (11) individually or in pairs simultaneously or successively with heat and pressure for sealing and / or shrinking treatment are applied, wherein walls of the outer sheath (11) of a treatment Sealing and other walls of the outer sheath (11) - be applied - at about the same time for shrinking treatment with heat and pressure.

Method according to claim 1, characterized by the following features: folding flaps (18, 19) of the outer sheath (1) are fixed (immediately) after production in the area of overlaps by stitching - thermal sealing with small sealing surfaces -

during stitching of laterally directed folding tabs (19), in particular in the region of an end wall (16) and a bottom wall (17) of the outer sheath (11), selected packing surfaces are subjected to heat for the shirring process, namely upwards and / or downwards directed large packing surfaces - front wall (12) and / or rear wall (13), c) thereafter, further packing surfaces, in particular side walls (14, 15) of the outer casing, are subjected to heat and pressure for sealing and / or shrinking,

d) then folding flaps (18, 19) of the outer sheath (11) are finished sealed.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sealing of folding flaps (18, 19) in at least two steps, each with different loading of the folding tabs (18, 19) is performed, in particular such that in a first step, a ( in the sense of a curvature deformable) inner area of a surface of the pack (10) and then the full area including marginal edge edges are subjected to heat and pressure.

4. A method for treating (cuboid) packages (10), in particular cigarette packs of the folding box type, with an outer envelope (11) made of sealable and shrinkable film, the folding tabs (18, 19) connected by thermal sealing and their walls by particular flat Heat elements are subjected to shrinking treatment, the packages (10) are transported individually, in a row sequentially and at a distance from each other, characterized by the following features:

a) during a first phase of transport, the packages (10) are intermittently transported while maintaining the spacing of the packages (10) from each other,

b) in an aggregate station (40), a plurality of successive packages (10) are combined into one unit, preferably maintaining the distances between the packages (10) of a unit and the distances between successive units, with regard to transport and treatment,

c) the unit of several, in particular four packs (10) is transported in the area of the aggregate station (40) and / or subsequently thereto in each case in a common conveyor cycle, d) during the stoppage of the packages (10) of a unit they are preferably processed simultaneously and in the same way, namely subjected to pressure and / or heat for stapling and / or sealing and / or shrinking treatment.

5. The method according to claim 4 or one of the further claims, characterized by the following features:

a) in the aggregate station (40), the units of several packs (10) are transported transversely to the feed direction, in particular in the vertical direction and at a distance from each other, b) during the transverse, in particular upward, cyclic transport of the units are in several side or processing stations (46, 49, 51) arranged one above the other are each carried out on all packs (10) of a unit, in particular sealing and / or shrinking treatment in the area of transversely directed side walls (14, 15) of the packs (10), c) after the processing has been carried out in the area of the aggregate station (40), the packages (10) are transported away while maintaining the unit and in particular supplied to further processing stations.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the packs (10) along a first, straight (horizontal) track section (22) of the unit station (40) successively fed individually at a distance and following the aggregate station (40) as Units of several packs (10) along a subsequent (horizontal) track section (22) are transported further, wherein this according to the working height of the aggregate station (40) of height offset from the track section (22).

7. The method according to claim 4 or one of the further claims, characterized in that in the aggregate station (40) at least three processing stations (46, 49, 51) are arranged (one above the other), preferably in a first (lower) processing station (46). the flap-free side wall (15) of a shrinking treatment and in further (below) Stations (49, 51), the tube tabs (18) are connected by sealing.

8. The method according to claim 4 or one of the further claims, characterized in that in the area of the unit to the station (40) subsequent track section (22) a plurality of workstations for sealing sideways walls - end wall (16), bottom wall (17) - and for shrinking treatment of upwardly or downwardly directed front wall and / or rear wall (13) are arranged.

9. The method of claim 1 or one of the further claims, characterized in that in packs (10) - folding boxes for cigarettes - with complex, contoured packing edges, in particular with round edges (73) and / or bevels (74), surfaces in the area of this Pack edge (73, 74) are subjected to a shrinking treatment separately by transfer of heat and surface pressure, preferably in a subsequent to the unit station (40) portion of the web section (22) by means of special shrinkage - edge webs (79, 80).

10. An apparatus for producing (cuboid) packs (10) with an outer sheath (11) made of sealable and shrinkable film, in particular (cigarette) packs of the type folding box, the packages (10) with folded outer sheath (11) workstations for stapling of folding flaps (18, 19), for sealing them and for shrinking the film, in each case with binding organs, sealing organs and (flat) heat elements, characterized by the following features:

a) the packages (10) are following a Faltaggregat - folding turret (23) - for the outer casing (11) along a first web portion (21) individually and at intervals from each other intermittently - by belt conveyor (25) - transportable,

b) an aggregate station (40) adjoining the web section (21) serves to form groups or units of a plurality of packs (10) which arrive successively and at a distance from one another, each unit of several packs can be transported as a unit in the aggregate station (40) and subsequently in the region of a further track section (22) - with a corresponding conveying cycle, preferably while maintaining the relative position of the packs (10)

in the aggregate station (40) and / or in the region of the adjoining web section (22), the packs (10) of a unit can be acted upon at the same time by appropriately designed or dimensioned sealing or shrinking members.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that in the aggregate station (40) formed units of a plurality of packages (10) are intermittently conveyed in the vertical direction, in particular by each pack (10) of a unit associated with vertical straps (41, 42), detecting the packs (10) in an area facing an end wall (16) and bottom wall (17) of the packs (10) such that at least side walls (14, 15) of the packs (10) are exposed in the aggregate station (40), wherein sealing and / or shrinking organs act during standstill on each package (10) in the region of a workstation (46, 49, 53) of the aggregate station (40).

12. The device according to claim 10 or one of the further claims, characterized in that in the aggregate station (40) in a first (lower) workstation - Shrinking station (46) - Shrinking members, namely elongated radiator (47), at flap-free side walls (15) the packs (10) act and that in the following - above the shrinking station (46) effective - work stations - sealing station (49), sealing station (51) - elongated seal body (50, 52) on the tube flap (18) having side wall (14 ) are effective.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 or one of the further claims, characterized in that in the work stations (46, 49, 51) on the opposite to the processing organs (47, 50, 52) side wall (14, 15) of each pack (10) movable support members are mounted, in particular (Kurzhub-) cylinder (48).

14. The device according to claim 11 or one of the further claims, characterized by the following features:

a) an (upper) conveyor station (53) serves for the removal of successively arriving units from a plurality of packages (10) while maintaining the distances of the packages (10) within a unit,

b) the removal of the units transversely to the conveying direction of the vertical straps (41, 42) of the aggregate station (40) by a discharge conveyor, preferably by a top flange (54) with drivers (26, 27) for detecting and fixing each pack (10) one Unit at its upper side, wherein the transport preferably takes place with the number of packages of a unit corresponding conveying acts,

c) the packs (10) can be conveyed through the upper belt (54) along the (horizontal) web section (22) through a sealing and shrinking station (57), in which preferably downward facing large surfaces of the pack (10) - front wall (12 ) or rear wall (13) - by heat plates (58) of a shrinking treatment and folding flaps (19) sideways walls - front wall (16), bottom wall (17) - by sealing webs (59) are subjected to a sealing treatment, d) on the sealing and Shrinking station (57) are followed by further work stations for the treatment of the packages (10), preferably following a transfer station (61), namely a finishing station (70), preferably with an uppermost arranged heat plate (71) for a shrinkage treatment of upward large area Walls - front wall (12) or rear wall (13) - and with lateral sealing webs (22) for a (final) sealing of folding flaps (19) sideways directed walls (16, 17),

e) the packages (10) can be fed through the upper belt (54) following the sealing and shrinking station (57) to a transfer station (61), in which the packages, preferably as a unit of several packages, are conveyed through an end conveyor (62). for the continuation of the transport can be detected, wherein the final conveyor (62) preferably below the movement path of the packs (10) as an endless belt with drivers (26, 27) for the packs (10) is formed.

15. The device according to claim 10 or one of the further claims, characterized in that for the production of packages with contoured packing edges, in particular with round edges (73) and / or beveled edges (74) in at least one separate processing station - edge station (77, 78). - Heated organs for shrinking treatment of the round edges (73) and / or beveled edges (74) are arranged, in particular elongated shrink plates (75, 76) with projections - edge web (79, 80) - which is aligned with the shape of the packing edges, at this two working stations, namely edge stations (77, 78) are preferably arranged with shrink plates (75, 76) for the shrink treatment of the packing edges (73, 74), wherein the shrink plates (75, 76), depending on the position of the pack edges (73, 74) to be treated, are mounted movable up and down above or below the path of movement of the packs.