WO2022003744A1

WO2022003744A1 - Apparatus for packaging items of clothing

Info

Publication number: WO2022003744A1
Application number: PCT/IT2021/050202
Authority: WO
Inventors: Enrico Maria Santicchi
Original assignee: Immobiliare Metalprogetti S.R.L.
Priority date: 2020-06-30
Filing date: 2021-06-29
Publication date: 2022-01-06
Also published as: IT202000015721A1

Abstract

The apparatus for packaging items of clothing into bags provided with lateral gussets comprises a unit (40) for feeding a tubular packaging film (30) comprising two lateral gussets (32), and able to feed the tubular packaging film (30) in a feed plane (P) in a feeding direction (D), a guide unit (50) disposed downstream of the feed unit (40) in the feeding direction (D), and able to guide said tubular packaging film (30) and to keep it in a flattened condition during its feed, and a drawing unit (100) disposed downstream of the guide unit (50) in the feeding direction (D) and able to draw the tubular packaging film (30) in the feeding direction (D).

Description

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING ITEMS OF CLOTHING

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns an apparatus for packaging items of clothing into packaging bags, and the corresponding method. In particular, the packaging bags are of the type provided with lateral gussets, which have to be preserved during the step of packaging the items of clothing inside the bags.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of plastic bags to package items of clothing has long been known, particularly in the context of cleaning in laundries, when the items of clothing have been washed and are ready to be collected by the owner.

Generally speaking, ordinary plastic bags simply comprise a tubular plastic film provided with two lateral folds that delimit two sheets.

There are also known machines, so-called bagging machines, which allow to package items of clothing automatically inside these known bags. These machines comprise a bag-feeding unit, in which the tubular plastic film is fed in a flat shape, that is, stretched between its two lateral edges in correspondence with which the folds are made. The plastic film is fed along a feed plane, usually vertical, in which it is drawn by a suitable drawing unit comprising two counter rotating rollers between which the film is fed.

Subsequently, downstream of the drawing unit a unit to open the bag is provided, which opens the film by moving the two sheets away from each other, so as to be able to insert an item of clothing, generally disposed on a hanger.

To package the items of clothing effectively, it is important that the plastic film remains under tension along the feed plane, that is, in the sense of its width between the two lateral folds. For this purpose, known machines comprise a tension unit, located inside the plastic film when it is being fed, and equipped in particular with two wheels that rotate around respective axes perpendicular to the feed plane. In other words, the two lateral wheels are disposed in the feed plane. The two wheels are disposed at the two ends of the tension unit, and are reciprocally distanced so as to press the inside of the lateral folds of the plastic film, keeping it under tension in its width.

Known machines also comprise lateral wheels located externally to the lateral folds of the plastic film, aligned with the feed plane, and configured to meet the wheels of the tensioning unit in order to facilitate the automatic feed of the film.

Examples of machines known in the state of the art are described in the Japanese patent application published under no. JP H 11321805 A and in the Korean document no. KR 200408079 Yl.

As known in the state of the art, one disadvantage of ordinary plastic bags is that they are suitable for items of clothing whose width falls within a predefined range. If they are used to package items of clothing outside this range, whether too wide or too narrow, ordinary bags have an unpleasant visual effect, for example due to the appearance of folds in the empty lateral areas, in the case of an item of clothing that is too narrow, as well as in the case of items of clothing that are too wide, they also tend to compress the item of clothing and risk creasing it, compromising the ironing of the item of clothing just performed.

The same disadvantages are encountered when ordinary plastic bags are used to package two or more items of clothing, each put on a respective hanger. In this case, it will be understood how the set of items of clothing occupies a certain thickness, considerably increasing the distance between the two sheets, which - depending on the thickness - can tend to compress the items of clothing and risk creasing them, compromising the previous ironing operation.

To overcome this disadvantage, plastic bags with lateral gussets have been designed. These gussets allow the bag on the one hand to widen to package a particularly wide item of clothing, or a plurality of items of clothing, and on the other hand to remain straight and without creases when the packaged item of clothing is of limited width.

One disadvantage of gusset bags is that they cannot be used in known bagging machines, since the wheels of the tension unit press internally against the lateral gussets, which causes them to open and possibly damage them. To date, the operations of packaging items of clothing into bags with lateral gussets are completely manual.

There is therefore a need to perfect an apparatus for packaging items of clothing into bags provided with lateral gussets, as well as to perfect a corresponding operating method, which can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art. In particular, one purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for packaging items of clothing into bags provided with lateral gussets in an automatic manner.

Connected to this, another purpose of the invention is to provide an apparatus which does not open the lateral gussets of the bags, and which keeps them perfectly folded until the item of clothing is inserted inside it.

Another purpose is to perfect a method to automatically package items of clothing into bags provided with lateral gussets, which is able to keep the bags under tension along their width, but without opening the lateral gussets.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims. The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

In accordance with the above purposes, hereafter we describe an apparatus and a method for packaging items of clothing into bags provided with lateral gussets which overcome the limits of the state of the art and eliminate the defects present therein. In particular, the bags are obtained from a tubular packaging film comprising two sheets reciprocally connected by two lateral gussets, each comprising two external folds and one internal fold, facing respectively toward the outside and toward the inside of the tubular packaging film. The sheets consist of two single-layer zones of the tubular packaging film, that is, the zones delimited laterally by the internal fold as above.

In accordance with some embodiments, there is provided an apparatus for packaging items of clothing into bags provided with lateral gussets, comprising a feed unit able to feed the packaging film along a plane for feeding the film and in a feeding direction, a unit for drawing the packaging film disposed along the feed plane, and a unit for guiding the film, able to guide the film and keep it in a flattened configuration during its feed, so that the tubular packaging film is parallel to, or comprised in, the feed plane.

The packaging film is tubular and comprises two sheets and two longitudinal lateral gussets, which join the two sheets. By tubular packaging film parallel to the feed plane we mean, more precisely, that the sheets are parallel to the feed plane.

The guide unit is disposed downstream of the feed unit, in the feeding direction. The guide unit comprises a transverse tensioning device able to keep the tubular packaging film under tension in a direction transverse to the feeding direction. The transverse tensioning device is preferably disposed inside the tubular film during its feed. In one possible embodiment, the transverse tensioning device is configured to stretch transversely to the feeding direction only the sheets of the tubular packaging film, in lateral zones of the sheets disposed in the proximity of the lateral gussets. The transverse tensioning device is configured to not act on the lateral gussets.

The guide unit comprises a pair of guide rollers disposed parallel to each other according to a configuration that is symmetrical with respect to the feed plane, with each roller on one side of it, and which extend transversely with respect to the feeding direction, preferably orthogonally to the latter. The guide rollers are configured to act only on the sheets of the tubular film, and are preferably disposed outside the tubular plastic film.

The transverse tensioning device is advantageously located between the guide rollers of the feed unit.

Advantageously, the transverse tensioning device is disposed aligned to the feed plane and transverse to the feeding direction, and comprises at least two rolling members, able to come into sliding contact with the tubular film so as to facilitate its feed. The tensioning device is configured so that the rolling members do not come into contact with the lateral gussets. Preferably, the tensioning device has a shorter length than the width of the sheets of the tubular film. Even more preferably, the rolling members are each disposed at a respective end of the tensioning device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method to package items of clothing into bags provided with lateral gussets obtained starting from a tubular packaging film comprising two sheets and two longitudinal lateral gussets which reciprocally connect the two sheets, wherein the method comprises the steps of feeding a tubular packaging film in a feeding direction comprised in a feed plane, keeping at least one of the sheets under tension, transversely to the feeding direction, by means of a transverse tensioning device in correspondence with lateral zones of the sheets disposed in the proximity of the lateral gussets, guiding the film in the feeding direction by means of a guide unit, drawing the tubular packaging film around an item of clothing disposed in the feeding direction, by means of a drawing unit disposed downstream of the guide unit. Advantageously, the tensioning device is disposed inside the tubular plastic film.

Preferably, the step of keeping under transverse tension provides that the tensioning device is provided with at least one pair of rolling members configured to come into contact only with the sheets of the tubular plastic film, not with the gussets. Even more preferably, the rolling members contact the film along a directrix of contact that is inclined with respect to the feed plane, even more preferably which is orthogonal to the feeding direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other aspects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-re strictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 is a perspective view of part of an apparatus for packaging items of clothing into bags provided with lateral gussets according to some embodiments described here, with an item of clothing packaged into a bag provided with lateral gussets;

- fig. 2 is a perspective view of a device comprised in the apparatus of fig. 1;

- fig. 2 A is an enlarged view of the detail A of fig. 2;

- fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device of fig. 2;

- fig. 3 A is an enlarged view of the detail A of fig. 3;

- figs. 4, 5 and 6 are lateral views, schematic and partly in section, of the apparatus of fig. 1, in three successive operating steps; and

- fig. 5 A is an enlarged view of the detail A of fig. 5.

To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

We will now refer in detail to the possible embodiments of the invention, of which one or more examples are shown in the attached drawings. Each example is supplied by way of illustration of the invention and shall not be understood as a limitation thereof. For example, one or more characteristics shown or described insomuch as they are part of one embodiment can be varied or adopted on, or in association with, other embodiments to produce another embodiment. It is understood that the present invention shall include all such modifications and variants.

Before describing these embodiments, we must also clarify that the present description is not limited in its application to details of the construction and disposition of the components as described in the following description using the attached drawings. The present description can provide other embodiments and can be obtained or executed in various other ways. We must also clarify that the phraseology and terminology used here is for the purposes of description only, and cannot be considered as limitative.

Fig. 1 partly shows the apparatus for packaging items of clothing into bags provided with lateral gussets, indicated as a whole with number 10. Fig. 1 also shows an item of clothing 20, located on a hanger 21, and packaged inside a packaging bag B, obtained from a tubular packaging film 30.

Usually, the packaging bags B and the tubular packaging film 30 are made of plastic material, but it is possible to provide bags and films made in a completely equivalent manner in other materials, such as for example paper, tissue paper or suchlike.

The tubular packaging film 30, and therefore also the bag B obtained therefrom, comprises two sheets 31 reciprocally connected by two lateral gussets 32. The lateral gussets 32 are generally of the type with three folds, having two external folds 33, facing toward the outside, and one internal fold 34, facing toward the inside of the tubular packaging film 30 (fig. 1).

We wish to clarify that, in the context of the present description, the term sheet 31 refers to the zones of the film outside the gussets 32, or outside the folds 33, 34. In other words, the sheets 31 are the two single-layer zones of the tubular film 30, that is, the zones delimited laterally by the internal fold 34 of the gussets 32. The external folds 33, on the other hand, form the external lateral edges of the tubular film 30. We wish to clarify that these external lateral edges are longitudinal with respect to the feeding direction of the tubular film 30. The sheets each comprise two lateral zones 31 A, or lateral flaps, each disposed in the proximity of a respective lateral gusset, in a longitudinal direction with respect to the film 30.

In a conventional manner, the bag B also comprises a transverse upper weld 35, with a central aperture provided for the passage of the hook 22 of the hanger 21. The bag B is shown in fig. 1, hooked to a support hook 11 of the apparatus 10.

The apparatus 10 comprises a feed unit 40 from which the tubular film 30 is fed, typically starting from a reel 36 (fig. 1). The feed unit 40 is known, and for the sake of simplicity will not be described in detail.

The tubular packaging film 30 is fed along a feed plane P, in which the tubular film 30 is extended, and in particular in a feeding direction D comprised in the feed plane P. In the example shown, the feed plane P is vertical and the feeding direction D is also vertical, oriented downward (fig. 1).

The apparatus 10 also comprises a guide unit 50 disposed downstream of the feed unit 40 in the feeding direction D, and able to guide the tubular packaging film 30 during its feed, keeping it in a transversely extended shape along the feed plane P (figs. 1, 2 and 3).

We wish to point out that the support hook 11 above is disposed in the feeding direction D, downstream of the guide unit 50 (figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6).

The guide unit 50 comprises a pair of guide rollers 51 configured to act only on the sheets 31 of the tubular packaging film 30, not on the lateral gussets 32. For this purpose, it is appropriate to provide that the guide rollers 51 have a length shorter than, or at most equal to, the width of the sheets 31. By width of the sheets 31 we mean the minimum distance between the internal folds 34 of the two lateral gussets 32.

The guide rollers 51 are each disposed on a respective side of the feed plane P, and are oriented transversely, preferably orthogonally, to the feeding direction D of the film 30. Each guide roller 51 is mounted on a respective support rod 51A. According to some embodiments, the guide unit 50 also comprises lateral guide rollers 52, disposed at both ends of each of the guide rollers 51 (fig. 1), preferably aligned therewith. Even more preferably, the lateral guide rollers 52 are also mounted on respective support rods 51 A on which the guide rollers 51 are mounted. It should be noted that in figs. 2 and 3, the guide unit 50 is shown without the lateral guide rollers 52.

The lateral guide rollers 52 are configured to act only on the gussets 32, possibly also on the lateral flaps of the sheets 31, in the vicinity of the gussets 32.

Advantageously, the lateral guide rollers 52 have a radius such that two of them, opposite each other with respect to the feed plane P, can come into sliding contact with the gussets 32. In this way, the gussets 32 guided between the lateral guide rollers 52 are kept flattened between them while the tubular packaging film 30 is unwound. This allows to ensure that the gusset does not open before an item of clothing 20 is inserted into the tubular film 30.

As can be seen from fig. 1, during use the guide rollers 51 and the lateral guide rollers 52, when present, are disposed outside the tubular packaging film 30.

The guide unit 50 preferably also comprises internal guide elements 53, during use disposed inside the tubular film 30, at the height of the guide rollers 51. The internal guide elements 53 are positioned in correspondence with the sheets 31 of the tubular film 30, that is, they are configured to not affect the lateral gussets 32.

The internal guide elements 53 are configured to be in sliding contact with the sheets 31 against the guide rollers 51, so as to keep the sheets 31 in contact with the guide rollers 51. Preferably, the internal guide elements 53 comprise wheels, for example rotating idle around the respective axis of rotation, so as to not damage the sheets of the tubular film 30.

Even more preferably, the internal guide elements 53 are divided into two groups of four wheels 53 each, the wheels being aligned two by two in the feeding direction D. Advantageously, each pair of wheels 53 aligned in the feeding direction D interacts with a single guide roller 51. Even more advantageously, in each group of wheels 53, one pair of wheels 53 interacts with a first one of the guide rollers 51, and the other pair interacts with the second one of the guide rollers 51 (see in particular fig. 3).

The guide unit 50 also comprises a transverse tensioning device 60 disposed in the feed plane P in the feeding direction D, preferably upstream of the guide rollers 51 (fig. 2), and able to keep the tubular packaging film 30 under tension in a transverse direction T with respect to the feeding direction D (fig. 1). During use, the transverse tensioning device 60 is placed inside the tubular packaging film 30.

Advantageously, the transverse tensioning device 60 is elongated in shape and comprises two ends 61 reciprocally distanced in such a way as to act only on the sheets 31 of the tubular film 30, not on the gussets 32. More preferably, the transverse tensioning device 60 is configured to act on the lateral zones 31 A of the sheets 31. For this purpose, the length of the transverse tensioning device 60, that is, the distance between its two ends 61, is preferably shorter than, or equal to, the width of the sheets 31.

In the example shown, the transverse tensioning device 60 comprises two support bodies 62 with an elongated shape, disposed in the feed plane P and aligned with each other in the transverse direction T, preferably orthogonal to the feeding direction D. It is however possible to provide a single support body 62 which extends from one end 61 to the other of the transverse tensioning device 60.

Advantageously, each end 61 of the transverse tensioning device 60 (which correspond to the ends of the two support bodies 62) is provided with at least one, preferably two, rolling members 63, able to come into contact with the tubular packaging film 30 without damaging it. In some embodiments provided here, the rolling members 63 are supported cantilevered, in a rotatable manner, by the support bodies 62.

According to some embodiments, the rolling members 63 are inclined with respect to the feed plane P.

In particular, the rolling members 63 each have a surface 63A of contact with a sheet 31 of the tubular packaging film 30, oriented along a directrix of contact that is inclined with respect to the feed plane P (figs. 2, 2A, 3 and 3A). Even more preferably, the directrix of contact is inclined with respect to the feed plane P by an angle comprised between 5° and 90°, more preferably between 25° and 80°, even more preferably between 35° and 75°. Preferentially, the contact surfaces 63 A of the rolling members 63 are oriented externally with respect to the tubular packaging film 30 so as to keep the sheets 31 under tension in a direction transverse, preferably orthogonal, with respect to the feeding direction D.

One advantage of providing that the directrix of contact is inclined with respect to the feed plane is that in this way it does not intersect any fold 33, 34 of the lateral gussets 32 of the tubular packaging film 30. Consequently, the lateral gussets 32 advantageously do not undergo any transverse tensioning from the inside.

In the example shown, the rolling members 63 are wheels, but it is possible to provide other types of rolling members as long as they are able to allow the packaging film 30 to slide without damaging it, such as for example rollers, small rollers or spherical or hemispherical rolling members.

Conveniently, the guide unit 50 also comprises a pair of lateral striker devices 70 disposed laterally to the transverse tensioning device 60 and able to strike the rolling members 63 thereof (figs. 2, 2A, 3 and 3A).

Each lateral striker device 70 advantageously comprises an elongated body 71 disposed in the feed plane P transversely, preferably orthogonally, to the feeding direction D. Each body 71 is attached to a frame of the apparatus 10, not shown in the drawings, and comprises in correspondence of a free end 72 thereof at least one, but more preferably two, rolling counter-members 73, configured to interact with the rolling members 63 of the transverse tensioning device 60 in order to guide and keep under tension the tubular packaging film 30, more precisely its sheets 31.

The rolling counter-members 73 are configured to face the rolling members 63. More precisely, they have a contact surface 73 A configured to be, during use, facing the contact surface 63A and advantageously flush with it (figs. 2A and 3 A). In this way, the sheets 31 of the tubular film 30 can slide between the two contact surfaces 63A, 73A without being damaged. This allows to adequately guide the tubular film 30, keeping its sheets 31 stretched in a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction D.

Preferably, the lateral striker devices 70 each comprise a lateral guide slot 74 able to house and guide the gussets 32 of the tubular packaging film 30, and possibly also the lateral flap 31 A of the sheets 31 in the vicinity of the lateral gussets 32 (fig. 3A). The slots are preferably made longitudinally on the bodies 71, and are open in correspondence with the free ends 72 (figs. 2, 2A, 3, 3 A).

According to some embodiments, the transverse tensioning device 60 comprises a support body 80 (fig. 3) on which the tensioning bodies 82 are mounted. Preferably, the support body comprises a bottom part 81 from the ends of which there extend two vertical arms (fig. 2), giving the support body 80 a substantially U-shaped shape. The tensioning bodies 82 are mounted on the free ends of the vertical arms (fig. 2). During use, the bottom part 81 is disposed in the feed plane P and orthogonal to the feeding direction D, therefore substantially horizontal.

Advantageously, the internal guide elements 53 are also mounted on the support body 80, more advantageously on the vertical arms 82 (fig. 2). In this way, thanks to the contact provided by the internal guide elements 53 on the guide rollers 51, the support body 80 is simply resting on the guide rollers 51, without necessarily being attached to a frame of the apparatus 10.

According to some embodiments, the apparatus 10 also comprises a device 90 for opening the tubular packaging film 30, able to separate, that is, to move the sheets 31 of the tubular film 30 reciprocally away from each other (figs. 4 and 5). The opening device 90 is disposed in the feeding direction D, in the feed plane P, and is configured to act downstream of the guide unit 50. During use, the opening device 90 is preferably located inside the tubular film 30.

For example, the opening device 90 comprises at least one pair of retractor arms 91, which extend in the feeding direction D downstream of the guide rollers 51. The retractor arms 91 are hinged to the support body 80 and each comprise a respective gear 92, able to cooperate with each other in order to open and close the retractor arms 91 (figs. 4, 5 and 5A).

Advantageously, one of the retractor arms 91 is provided with an end actuation lever 93 able to actuate the opening and closing of the retractor arms 91. During use, the end actuation lever 93 is actuated by a special actuation member 94, also comprised in the opening device 90.

The actuation member 94 is disposed outside the tubular film 30, and is connected rotatable to the frame of the apparatus between an idle position (fig. 4) in which it does not interact with the actuation lever 93, and an actuation position (fig. 5) in which it does interact with the actuation lever, in particular thrusting it. For this purpose, the actuation member 94 comprises a thrust end 95, preferably comprising a rolling member, so as to not damage the packaging film 30 during its unwinding, and while the actuation member 94 thrusts the actuation lever 93 (fig. 5).

According to some embodiments, the apparatus 10 for packaging items of clothing 20 into bags B provided with lateral gussets 32 also comprises a unit 100 for drawing the tubular packaging film 30. The drawing unit 100, able to draw the tubular film 30 in the feeding direction D, is suitably disposed in the feeding direction D, downstream of the guide unit 50 and of the opening device 90 (figs. 4, 5 and 6 ).

The drawing unit 100 is mobile between a gripping position, in which the unit is located in the proximity of the opening device 90, preferably of the retractor arms 91 (fig. 5), and a packaging position, located downstream of the gripping position with respect to the feeding direction D (fig. 6). Both positions are in any case downstream of the guide unit 50 with reference to the feeding direction D.

The drawing unit 100, of a known type and indicated schematically with a rectangle in the attached drawings, is able to grip the lower end of the tubular packaging film 30 when it is open, as shown in fig. 5. In particular, the drawing unit 100 has a tubular shape configured to pass around the item of clothing 20 to be packaged.

The functioning of the apparatus 10 for packaging items of clothing 20 into bags B provided with lateral gussets 32 is as follows.

The tubular packaging film 30 is unwound from the reel 36 in the feed unit 40 and is made to pass between the guide rollers 51, after the tensioning device 60 has been inserted inside it. The tubular film 30 is drawn until its free end is located just downstream of the retractor arms 91, and in any case upstream of the support hook 11, as shown in fig. 4. It should be noted that the support hook 11 is located in the feeding direction D downstream of the guide unit 50, preferably also downstream of the retractor arms 91.

Before an item of clothing 20 to be packaged is hooked onto the support hook 11, the opening device 90 is actuated, by means of the actuation device 94 which presses on the actuation lever 93, causing the retractor arms 91 to move reciprocally away from each other, and therefore the opening of the tubular film 30. The reciprocal movement of the retractor arms 91 away from each other can be modulated according to the sizes of the item of clothing to be wrapped. For example, for a thin item of clothing (as in fig. 1), there can be provided a minimum movement of the arms 91 away from each other, or in any case such as to keep the gussets 32 in a folded shape, and in the case of a bulky item of clothing, there can be provided a wider movement of the arms 91 away from each other, for example such as to open the gussets 32.

The drawing unit 100 is taken into its gripping position (fig. 5) so as to grip the free end of the tubular packaging film 30.

Subsequently, an item of clothing 20, located on a hanger 21, is supplied hooked on the support hook 11. The opening device 90 is returned to its inactive position, that is, with the retractor arms 91 moved close to each other, and the drawing unit is displaced in the feeding direction D until it arrives downstream of the item of clothing 20, drawing the tubular packaging film 30 with it (fig. 6).

At this point, it is provided to cut and weld the tubular packaging film 30 in correspondence with a cutting and welding station, not shown in the drawings but in any case comprised in the apparatus 10, disposed downstream of the guide unit 50 and upstream of the support hook 11.

This cutting and welding step determines the separation of the bag B from the tubular film 30. The drawing unit 100 releases the lower end of the bag B, thus allowing to transport the packaged item of clothing 20 out of the apparatus 10, which is ready to package a new item of clothing 20 according to the same functioning mode.

It can be inferred that, in the method according to the invention, and also thanks to the apparatus 10, first it is provided to wrap the item of clothing 20 while keeping the tubular film 30 open at the end, and subsequently, once the item of clothing 20 has been wrapped, it is provided to weld the tubular film 30 over the item of clothing 20, unlike apparatuses of the state of the art in which it is provided to first weld a bottom of the tubular film, and then the package thus created is filled.

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, there is also described a method to package items of clothing 20 into bags B provided with lateral gussets 32, wherein the tubular packaging film 30 referred to above is fed in the feeding direction D in the feed plane P.

The method provides at least to keep at least one sheet 31 of the tubular film 30, preferably both sheets 31, under tension in a transverse direction T with respect to the feeding direction D, more preferably in a direction that is orthogonal to the feeding direction D.

The keeping under tension is suitably carried out by means of the tensioning device 60, preferably disposed inside the tubular packaging film 30, as explained above, and suitably equipped with rolling members 63 configured to come into contact only with the sheets 31 of the tubular film 30, and not with the lateral gussets 32.

Advantageously, the rolling members 63 have a surface 63A of contact with the packaging film 30 oriented along a directrix of contact inclined with respect to the feed plane P, more advantageously also orthogonal to the feeding direction D.

The method also provides to guide the tubular packaging film 30 in the feeding direction D by means of the guide unit 50, which comprises the transverse tensioning device 60. The guide unit 50 comprises the guide rollers 51 described above, which act only on the sheets 31 of the tubular film 30, and not on the gussets 32.

Preferably, the method provides that the secondary guide rollers 52 with which the guide unit 50 is equipped act on the gussets 32, in order to keep them closed in a flattened condition.

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts or steps may be made to the apparatus and to the method as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of apparatus and method for packaging items of clothing into bags provided with lateral gussets, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

In the following claims, the sole purpose of the references in brackets is to facilitate reading: they must not be considered as restrictive factors with regard to the field of protection claimed in the specific claims.

Claims

1. Apparatus for packaging items of clothing (20) into bags (B) obtained from a tubular packaging film (30) comprising two sheets (31) reciprocally connected by two lateral gussets (32), each comprising two external folds (33) and one internal fold (34), facing respectively toward the outside and toward the inside of the tubular packaging film (30), wherein said sheets (31) are the two single-layer zones of the tubular packaging film (30), that is, the zones delimited laterally by said internal fold (34), and wherein said apparatus comprises: a feed unit (40) able to feed the tubular packaging film (30) in a feed plane (P) in a feeding direction (D); a guide unit (50) disposed downstream of said feed unit (40) in said feeding direction (D), and able to guide said tubular packaging film (30) and to keep it in a flattened configuration during its feed so that the tubular packaging film (30) is parallel to said feed plane (P); and a drawing unit (100) disposed downstream of said guide unit (50) in said feeding direction (D) and able to draw said tubular packaging film (30) in said feeding direction (D); characterized in that said guide unit (50) comprises a transverse tensioning device (60) able to keep said tubular packaging film (30) under tension in a transverse direction (T) with respect to the feeding direction (D), said transverse tensioning device (60) being configured to act on said sheets (31) of the tubular packaging film (30), in lateral zones (31A) of said sheets (31) disposed in the proximity of said lateral gussets (32).

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, characterized in that the transverse tensioning device (60) is disposed inside the tubular packaging film (30).

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transverse tensioning device (60) has a shape extending longitudinally in said transverse direction (T) and comprises at least two rolling members (63), able to come into sliding contact with the tubular packaging film (30), and disposed at opposite ends (61) of said transverse tensioning device (60), said transverse tensioning device (60) being configured so that the rolling members (63) do not come into contact with the lateral gussets (32).

4. Apparatus as in claim 3, characterized in that the rolling contact members (63) have a surface (63A) of contact with the tubular packaging film (30) oriented along a directrix of contact inclined with respect to the feed plane (P) by an angle comprised between 5° and 90°, more preferably between 25° and 80°, even more preferably between 35° and 75°.

5. Apparatus as in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that it also comprises a pair of lateral striker devices (70) disposed laterally to the transverse tensioning device (60) and outside the tubular packaging film (30), and able to strike the rolling members (63) outside said tubular packaging film (30).

6. Apparatus as in claim 5, characterized in that each lateral striker device (70) comprises an elongated body (71) disposed in said feed plane (P) transversely to said feeding direction (D), said body (71) being attached to a frame of said apparatus (10) and comprising, in correspondence with a free end (72) thereof, at least one rolling counter-member (73), configured to interact with a respective one of said rolling members (63) in order to guide said sheets (31) and keep them under tension.

7. Apparatus as in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the lateral striker devices (70) each comprise a guide slot (74) able to house one of said lateral gussets (32) of the tubular packaging film (30).

8. Apparatus as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that the guide unit (50) comprises a pair of guide rollers (51) reciprocally facing each other and symmetrical with respect to the feed plane (P) and configured to act only on the sheets (31) of the tubular packaging film (30), and at least one pair of secondary guide rollers (52) configured to guide the lateral gussets (32) keeping them in a flattened form.

9. Apparatus as in claim 8, characterized in that said guide rollers (51) have a length shorter than, or at most equal to, the width of the sheets (31), that is, the minimum distance between said internal folds (34) of the two lateral gussets (32), said guide rollers (51) each being disposed on a respective side of said feed plane (P), and being oriented transversely, preferably orthogonally, to said feeding direction (D).

10. Apparatus as in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that said guide rollers (51) and said pair of secondary guide rollers (52) are mounted on support rods (51 A), outside the tubular packaging film (30), wherein said lateral guide rollers (52) are disposed at both ends of each of said guide rollers (51).

11. Apparatus as in any claim from 8 to 10, characterized in that said guide unit (50) also comprises internal guide elements (53), disposed inside the tubular film (30), at the height of said guide rollers (51) and positioned in correspondence with the sheets (31) so as not to affect the lateral gussets (32), and in that said internal guide elements (53) are configured to be in sliding contact with the sheets (31) against said guide rollers (51), so as to keep the sheets (31) in contact with said guide rollers (51).

12. Apparatus as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it comprises an opening unit (90) able to open the tubular packaging film (30) downstream of the guide unit (50), and in that said opening unit (90) comprises at least one pair of retractor arms (91) disposed inside the tubular packaging film (30) during its feed, and an actuation device (94) disposed outside the tubular packaging film (30) and able to come into contact with an actuation lever (93) of one of said retractor arms (91).

13. Method to package items of clothing (20) into bags (B) obtained from a tubular packaging film (30) comprising two sheets (31) reciprocally connected by two lateral gussets (32), each comprising two external folds (33) and one internal fold (34), facing respectively toward the outside and toward the inside of the tubular packaging film (30), wherein said sheets (31) are the two single-layer zones of the tubular packaging film (30), that is, the zones delimited laterally by said internal fold (34), said method comprising the steps of: feeding, by means of a feed unit (40), the tubular packaging film (30) in a feeding direction (D) and in a feed plane (P); guiding the tubular packaging film (30) in the feeding direction (D) by means of a guide unit (50) disposed in the feeding direction (D) downstream of said feed unit (40), keeping the film (30) in a flattened condition, so that the tubular packaging film (30) is parallel to said feed plane (P); and drawing said tubular packaging film (30) in said feeding direction (D) and around an item of clothing (20) to be packaged; wherein said method is characterized in that it provides to keep under tension, in a transverse direction (T) with respect to the feeding direction (D), at least one of said sheets (31) of the tubular packaging film (30), by means of a transverse tensioning device (60) in correspondence with lateral zones (31A) of said sheets (31) disposed in the proximity of said lateral gussets (32).

14. Method as in claim 13, characterized in that during said keeping under tension it is provided that at least one pair of rolling members (63) comes into contact with the sheets (31) of the tubular packaging film (30), but not with said lateral gussets (32).