WO2018233776A1

WO2018233776A1 - Packaging device, in particular for fruit and vegetables

Info

Publication number: WO2018233776A1
Application number: PCT/DE2018/100584
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rainer Dony
Original assignee: Polytrade GmbH
Priority date: 2017-06-23
Filing date: 2018-06-22
Publication date: 2018-12-27
Also published as: EP3642117B1; DE102017114027B3; ES2876234T3; EP3642117A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for sealing plastic shells, cardboard shells, paper shells or shells made from bamboo fibre and/or maize that are open on a half side, hereinafter 'shells' for short, by means of cold sealing. The device according to the invention comprises a control and drive unit (2), with the aid of which a carrier film (6) held on an unwinding roller (5) with sealing labels adhered thereto is supplied to a dispensing edge (10) in order to remove the sealing labels, wherein, at the same time, shells that are open at the top and contain foodstuffs are brought to said dispensing edge (10) and the shells, by means of an adhesive layer applied in the region of the circumferential border of the sealing labels, are glued to the circumferential edge of the shells at the open side by cold sealing and, as a result, are sealed, optionally in a resealable manner.

Description

DEVICE FOR PACKAGING,

IN PARTICULAR OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES The invention relates to a method and a device for packaging, in particular fruit and vegetables.

In this context, from US 2013/0020328 A1 a plastic tray is already known, which is suitable for receiving food. For this purpose, the plastic shell is connected to a film such that this package can be closed again after opening.

Furthermore, from DE 197 27 648 A1 in a completely different context, a device for labeling objects with self-adhesive labels, comprising a take-off roll for receiving a carrier roll comprising a carrier film with labels affixed, at least the peripheral edge of the Labels are provided with an adhesive layer. The said carrier film is further supplied via a handlebar roller to a donor edge, so that the label is detached at this donor edge and is taken over by a stamp, which then applies this label to the article.

Moreover, from DE 10 2013 103 661 A1 a device for closing containers with labels is already known, in which device the labels are detached from a carrier tape by the action of heat and subsequently containers are sealed by means of these labels.

In addition, so-called tray sealers are known from the prior art in this connection, with the aid of which the commercially available plastic shells for holding, in particular perishable goods, such as

Fruits and vegetables, using pressure and heat to be closed with a foil. These are generally gas-tight closures for the said plastic shells, which are suitable, for example, for picking up pieces of meat received in the plastic shell within a protective area. mosphäre, which is introduced by means of a vacuum in the packaging, gas-tight seal. In this case, the closure between the plastics involved in the packaging, so in particular a widened peripheral edge of the plastic shell by means of a film which is connected to this edge by means of a welded joint, made. Such professional

Sealing machines are commercially available at a price of approximately € 150,000.

A film sealed by means of a tray sealer can also be resealed if it has the same material properties. However, such resealable films are significantly more expensive than non-resealable films.

In addition, it is known from the prior art to provide the trays produced in this way after their closure with a label, said label is applied to the films and the label is provided with the required information. For this purpose, a labeler is usually used. The label is again glued by means of the labeler by a gluing process on the plastic film applied by means of the above-mentioned traysealer. The cost of such a labeler amount to about 20,000 €, depending on the version.

In connection with fruit and vegetable packaging, it should be noted that such goods are usually not packaged in a gastight manner, since the food mentioned relies on an air exchange to premature spoilage, such as rotting or composting, as in completely closed trays within a very short time is expected to be prevented by the exchange of air. In this connection, usually the ones mentioned above; used by welding applied foil closures with a subsequently applied label, wherein the applied in this context plastic films either from the front are perforated or perforated in or after application to the plastic shell to ensure the aforementioned air exchange.

The films used in this context are usually made of polypropylene or polyethylene.

In this context, from WO 2013/134495 A1 a food packaging for stacked chips is already known. The said stacked chips are placed according to the illustration in Figures 1-8 in a half-tube whose end faces are completely formed, wherein the peripheral edge is provided in each case with a wide peripheral edge. On this peripheral edge a lid film is applied. This is done in two steps. In a first step, the cover film is applied with a projection on the two end faces and then rolled in a further step on the peripheral edge according to and finally performed the complete closure by rotating the package under a pair of rollers. In this case, the cover sheet is connected according to the current claim 1 of the cited application by a sealing process with the peripheral edge of the plastic shell. This is a so-called heat sealing, ie the production of a bond between the cover film and the widened peripheral edge below

Heat.

In addition, it is previously known from WO 2006/053457 A2 to use a foil blank in the packaging industry as a covering for a cover ring made of metal. This prior art solution relates to a sealing machine to glue a foil blank with a cover ring and refers in this respect already to another object than the inventive solution. In the process, said film blank in the region of a connection zone of a processing machine, preferably a linear machine, is adhesively bonded to the covering of a packaging element, thereby initially achieving a partial bonding of the film blank to the fabric, in which case an additional bonding layer is formed in another processing station. Step is made, so that in this way the connection between the foil blank and the Besspannungssträger is reinforced. The bonding takes place in both cases by the action of heat and the use of an adhesive, which is applied as a coating on the film, so that it is also the case of producing a compound by way of Heißsiegeins.

Based on this prior art, the invention is based on the object to provide a method and an apparatus which makes it possible to produce the mentioned plastic packaging, in particular for the packaging of fruits and vegetables with less effort, in particular cost-effective.

This object is achieved by a device according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention can be taken from the dependent claims 2 to 9.

According to the current claim 1 can by means of the device according to the invention on the peripheral edge of a suitable for receiving food plastic shell, cardboard shell, paper cup or a bowl of bamboo fibers and / or corn applied mechanically, such as the plastic shell, cardboard shell, paper cup or a closure label Bowl made of bamboo fibers and / or corn, hereinafter referred to as shell, closed with the aid of a closure label. For this purpose, the device according to the invention initially comprises a motor-driven take-off roller for receiving a carrier roll. For its part, the carrier roll essentially consists of a carrier foil onto which the closure labels provided for closing the shells are glued. In this case, the closure labels applied to the carrier film are provided with an adhesive layer at least in the region of their peripheral edge. This support film is now supplied within the device according to the invention optionally via one or more deflection rollers of a dispensing edge, in the region of which the carrier film is deflected by at least approximately 180 °. Either by this deflection or by the additional use of a detachment tongue in this area, the Closing labels seemed detached from the carrier foil. At the same time, the upper-side opened trays are brought to the donor edge on the underside by means of a conveyor belt in such a way that the detached in the donor edge closure labels are applied to the open side of the shells such that these carrier labels cover the shells on the top, which provided with an adhesive layer Edge of the closure labels is applied to the peripheral edge of the shells and preferably, under the action of a subsequently arranged in the further conveying direction of the conveyor belt Anpressstempels with the shell, more precisely with the circumferential edge of the shell, are glued. As a result, the open side of the shells with the applied closure labels is thus closed. This means, as a result, that with the device according to the invention, such trays can not be closed for the first time with the aid of a traysealer but with the use of a significantly less expensive labeling machine.

The support film is fed to the device in a further conveying direction after the dispenser edge optionally via further deflection rollers of a downstream winding roller and rewound there - now without the detached closure labels. Accordingly, the carrier film can advantageously be reused as needed.

In a further embodiment, both the take-off reel and the take-up reel are releasably connected to the device so that they can each be easily exchanged so that, accordingly, the further operation of the device according to the invention is ensured and, accordingly, the closure of the shell is more or less uninterrupted can be carried out largely completely automated with a high number of cycles.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the closure labels can also be provided over the whole area with an adhesive layer on their side facing the carrier film, which initially results in the advantage of better bonding of the closure labels to the carrier film. This in turn has the advantage that despite the mechanical guidance of the carrier film by the device according to the invention premature detachment of the closure labels is largely avoided. In this embodiment, the device according to the invention additionally comprises a punching device in the region of the feed of the carrier film in front of the dispenser edge in such a way that the upper-side opening of the brought-up shells is cut out after its connection with the area of the closure labels covering the shell and then in the area of the dispenser edge with the lower side These closure labels still adhering carrier films is placed on the shell, so that the adhesive layer is in the area between the closure label and the carrier film, so does not get in touch with the food received in the shell. At the same time, however, the edge of the closure labels overlapping the peripheral edge of the closure labels is released from the carrier film releasing the adhesive surface arranged in this area and onto the peripheral edge of the brought-up shells to form the already mentioned adhesive bond between the peripheral edge of the shells and the peripheral edge of the Closure labels attached. This embodiment of the invention should be useful for forming a more stable cover of the shells and also allows a more robust guidance of the carrier film by the device according to the invention, since the closure labels are more stable connected to the carrier film used.

A further alternative embodiment of the solution according to the invention also provides a full-surface coating of the closure labels with the carrier foil with the advantages described above, wherein in this context instead of the mentioned punching device in the conveying direction before the dispenser edge a solvent stamp is assigned such that by means of the solvent stamp short before the attachment of the closure labels to the shells in the region covering the plastic shells, the applied adhesive layer is detached by means of the solvent stamp, so that once again the food in the shell is excluded from contact with the adhesive layer and the connection between of the further provided with an adhesive layer edge of the closure labels with the peripheral edge of the shell analogous to the embodiment according to the valid claim 1.

In connection with the device according to the invention, it has proven useful if the closure labels used are preferably made of polypropylene or polyethylene.

In a further embodiment, the device according to the invention can additionally be assigned a perforation device in the conveying direction after the dispensing edge, so that the closure of the shells realized by the closure labels applied to the shell is perforated as a result, ie an exchange of air between the foodstuffs packed in the trays and the ambient air given is. This is particularly useful in conjunction with foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to avoid premature aging of foods in the skins.

The inventive compound of the shells with the closure labels according to the current claim 8 offers the advantage that the adhesive bond preferably as a cold seal, d. H. can be done without the use of heat, so that the energy required for the closure of the shells is also significantly reduced.

In addition, the closure of trays according to the invention by means of a method of cold sealing offers the advantage that it is also possible to inexpensively reclose connections between the closure label and the tray by using adhesives suitable for this purpose. Such packaging has the advantage for the consumer that goods once opened can be easily reclosed and kept in the refrigerator, for example, without further packaging, until the food has been completely consumed. The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing.

It shows:

Fig. 1: a closure device for food trays in a side view.

Fig. 1 shows a side view of a device (1) for closing half-opened plastic trays, cardboard trays, paper trays or shells made of bamboo fibers and / or corn, hereinafter referred to as shells, the said shells are not shown in this view. The said device (1) initially comprises a control and drive unit (2) which is provided with a swivel arm (3) to which an electric motor-driven drive shaft (4) is articulated, to which a take-off roller (5) rotates is placed, so that accordingly the take-off roller (5) is rotatable. The unwinding roller (5) comprises a carrier film (6) with releasably adhered, but not shown in this illustration, closure labels.

In this case, the carrier film (6) with the glued-on closure labels is fed via a plurality of deflection rollers (7, 7 ^' , 7 ^" ) in the direction of the arrow to a tapered dispensing edge (10) deflected approximately 180 degrees, so that in this area equipped with a higher rigidity closure labels, possibly using a detachment tab, not shown, detach from the carrier film (6) and not shown in this drawing, with a lower side also not shown Conveyor zoom brought upside-opened trays are placed such that the peripheral edge of the upper-side opened trays connected to the applied at the outer edge of the closure labels lower side adhesive layer by cold sealing and accordingly the open side of the approached shells by the aforementioned closure closed by an adhesive bond between the surrounding forming the edge of the shells and the peripheral edge of the closure labels provided with the adhesive layer.

The carrier film (6), which has now been freed from the closure labels, is optionally fed via a few further deflection rollers (7, 7 ', 7 ") to a take-up roll (11) following the direction of the arrow, which is likewise detachably connected to the device (1) This carrier film (6) wound up can be removed and recycled after all closure labels have been removed, for example by applying again closure labels suitable for closing trays to the carrier film (6) by means of a device not further illustrated here.

In an embodiment not shown here, the device according to FIG. 1 may be provided with additional elements, such as a downstream perforation device, for perforation of the applied closure labels, or an additional pressure stamp, to assist in the formation of the adhesive bond between the closure labels and the aforementioned shells.

In the foregoing, therefore, a device is described which makes it possible, with the equipment features of a largely conventional labeling machine, to close the closure of shells suitable for packaging foodstuffs with a high degree of efficiency at relatively low cost.

REFERENCE LIST

device

Control and drive unit

swivel arm

drive shaft

off roller

support film

idler pulley

dispenser edge

winding reel

Claims

P A T E N T A N S P R E C H E

Device (1) for closing half-open plastic trays, cardboard trays, paper trays or shells made of bamboo fibers and / or corn, hereinafter referred to as shells, in particular for containing foodstuffs, comprising a motor-driven take-off roll (5) for receiving a carrier roll, comprising one Carrier film (6) with glued-on closure labels, wherein at least the peripheral edge is provided with an adhesive layer, wherein the carrier film (6) via one or more deflection rollers (7, 7 ', 7 ") under a defined bias of a dispensing edge (10) is supplied , in the region of which the carrier film (6) is deflected by at least approximately 180 ° in such a way that the glued-on closure labels are detached from the carrier film (6), preferably by using a release tongue, and to the dispenser edge (10) on the underside thereof by means of a conveyor belt Donor edge (10) brought-up shells are applied so that the sluggish Reticules cover the shells on the top and provided with the adhesive layer edge of the closure labels is applied to the peripheral edge of the shells and are glued to this, preferably under the action of a subsequently arranged in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt Anpressstempels.

Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Carrier film (6) after passing through the dispenser edge (10), optionally via further deflection rollers (7, 7 ', 7 "), in the conveying direction of the carrier film (6) subsequently arranged motor-driven winding roller (1 1) is supplied. Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that both the take-off reel (5) and the take-up reel (11) are detachably connected to the device (1).

Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure labels are covered over their entire surface with an adhesive layer on their side facing the carrier film (6), wherein the closure labels in the region of the dispenser edge (10) prior to the application of these closure labels the shells pass through a punching device in such a way that the area of the closure labels overlapping the upper-side opening of the shells is cut out and placed on the shells with the carrier foil (6) adhering to these closure labels and at the same time the edge of the closure labels overlapping the peripheral edge of the closure labels is released the adhesive surface arranged in this area is pulled off from the carrier film (6) and onto the peripheral edge of the brought-up shells to form an adhesive bond between the peripheral edge of the shells and the peripheral edge of the Locking label can be placed in each case.

Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the closure labels are covered over their entire surface with an adhesive layer on their side facing the carrier film (6), wherein the closure labels in the region of the dispenser edge (10) after their detachment from the carrier film (6) and in front of the attachment to the open side of the brought-up trays, a solvent stamp of the device is driven over in such a way that the adhesive is detached in the area of the closure labels covering the trays and then the closure labels are formed to form an adhesive bond between the circulating ones Edge of the shells and the peripheral edge of the closure labels can be placed in each case.

6. Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure labels are at least substantially made of polypropylene or polyethylene.

7. Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dispenser edge in the further conveying direction of the shells with attached closure label is associated with a perforation device such that the closure labels are perforated by the perforation device.

8. Device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adhesive bond between the shells and the closure labels each without heat, d. H. as a cold seal, is made.

Device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the adhesive used in connection with the device (1) according to the invention is suitable for forming a reclosable connection between the closure label and the shell.