Patent Application
20240150051
The present invention relates generally to packaging methods and packaging equipment. For example, the packaging equipment can be packaging machines of a packaging line.
For the packaging of products such as beverage containers, the products can be grouped onto horizontal conveyor devices and combined into groups having a defined number of products via a packaging means. In this case, it is common to use packaging means consisting of thermoplastic material and shrunk onto a group of articles/products. Such packaging materials, which are referred to as shrink wraps, are applied to the respective group of articles prior to temperature exposure and subsequently shrunk onto the respective group of articles.
There is an ongoing need to keep the consumption of packaging materials as low as possible. In particular, it is desired to use packaging materials that come in particular from renewable sources where there is no competition for food production, in particular. After use, the material can be recycled in a simple manner and without great effort in the circular economy (recycling) and also allows other manners of disposal, for example by composting, without negative consequences for the environment. These positive properties of the selected packaging materials can be optically facilitated by brown tones of an unbleached paper and/or cardboard packaging, which can be optionally printed, but is or will be only partially printed, in particular.
The underlying problem of the present invention is to specify a packaging method as well as a corresponding packaging machine with which a plurality of products can be safely held together as a multi-pack, wherein as little material use as possible is necessary for this purpose.
With regard to the method, the underlying problem of the invention is solved by the subject matter of the claimed invention.
Accordingly, the invention relates in particular to a method for producing a multi-pack having a plurality of products, wherein the method comprises the following method steps:
With the method according to the invention, multi-packs can be produced that can be securely held together and can thus serve as a sales unit. A further advantage can be seen in that the use of a strip-shaped packaging blank requires as little use of the material as possible.
Preferably, the strip-shaped packaging material or the strip-shaped packaging blank consists in particular of a biocompatible and/or biodegradable material.
In this context, it is conceivable, for example, that the strip-shaped packaging blank consists of a material consisting substantially of fibers of plant origin.
Alternatively or additionally, the strip-shaped packaging blank can consist of a paper-containing material and/or a cellulose acetate-containing material.
According to implementations of the method according to the invention, it is provided that the aligned products are strapped with the strip-shaped packaging material in such a way that the top and bottom of the aligned products are covered at least regionally with the strip-shaped packaging material. In this context, in particular, it lends itself that the products are aligned in a single row, wherein the aligned products are then strapped with the strip-shaped packaging material in such a way that the opposing end faces of the product group formed by the aligned products are at least regionally covered with the strip-shaped packaging material.
This embodiment has the advantage that any barcodes applied to the individual products of the multi-pack can also be simultaneously covered with the strip-shaped packaging material.
Different solutions can be considered for fixing the opposing end regions of the strip-shaped packaging blank. For example, it is conceivable that the opposing end regions of the strip-shaped packaging blank are joined together, in particular with a hot melt or hot glue.
Alternatively, however, it is also conceivable that the opposing end regions of the strip-shaped packaging blank are fixed to a product of the group of products formed by the aligned products, in particular with a hot melt or hot glue.
With regard to the apparatus, the problem underlying the invention is solved by the subject matter of the claimed invention.
Accordingly, the apparatus according to the invention serves to produce a multi-pack having a plurality of products, wherein the apparatus comprises for this purpose a device for aligning a plurality of products provided for a respective multi-pack, wherein this device is configured in such a way that the products are aligned so that a strip-shaped packaging blank can subsequently be applied to the aligned products.
The apparatus according to the invention further comprises a device for strapping the aligned products with a strip-shaped packaging blank. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises a device for fixing the opposing end regions of the strip-shaped packaging blank.
The apparatus according to the invention is in particular configured in order to perform the method according to the invention as described above.
The invention further relates to a multi-pack consisting of a plurality of products produced according to the method according to the invention.
The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The multi-pack has a strapping, which is embodied as a vertical “cummerbund.” This is understood to be a strapping which, as illustrated in
A strip-shaped packaging blank is used for strapping the aligned products provided for the multi-pack. The strip-shaped packaging blank is placed around the products preferably grouped in single rows and provided for the respective multi-pack, namely by lifting the compiled products with the aid of a lifting unit, so that the packaging blank can then pass under the products. The packaging blank is then turned over and fixed.
The fixing can occur, for example, by gluing, in particular hot-gluing.
In this context, it is conceivable that the opposing end regions of the strip-shaped packaging material are glued or joined to one another. Alternatively, however, it is also conceivable that the opposing end regions of the strip-shaped packaging blank are fixed to a product of the group of products formed by the aligned products, in particular through gluing.
The strip-shaped packaging blank is formed from a preferably continuous strip-shaped packaging material, in particular a cardboard paper strip, which is cut after the strapping and a corresponding tightening.
The packaging or strapping method has the advantage that the packaging material covers the top side of the products, in particular. This is particularly advantageous for beverage containers because the outflow opening, which requires special protection, is normally provided at the top of beverage containers.
Furthermore, any barcode existing on the products is preferably simultaneously covered with the packaging material so that it is also protected accordingly.
According to embodiments of the invention, the packaging material is formed by at least one laminar packaging blank, which takes the form of an elongated rectangle.
Preferably, a paper or a packaging material consistently substantially of paper and having a thickness of between 0.001 mm and 2.0 mm, in particular a thickness of between 0.005 mm and 0.5 mm, is used as the packaging material.
The packaging material serves in particular to mechanically hold the products/articles within the packaging unit (multi-pack). Due to the fact that the packaging material substantially all-encompassingly covers the bottom of the products, the top of the products, and the outwardly facing outer surfaces of the products, a good level of product protection for the products/articles is achieved. In addition, the packaging material provides a large surface area that can be used for product advertising and/or product information, for example by means of corresponding printing.
The packaging blanks can be provided at the outset in a correspondingly printed fashion, or the printing can be applied after completion or at the same time as the production of the packaging units.
The use of paper as a packaging material is particularly preferred with regard to sustainability. In particular, recycled paper can be used as a packaging material.
In addition, the amount of packaging material is reduced compared to conventional known cardboard packaging.
According to the flow diagram shown in
Then, the under-tab is applied and fixed, for example, with the aid of a hot-melt application. In a next step, the multi-pack formed in this way is compressed between two press belts running parallel to one another.
The invention arises from an overall consideration of all features disclosed herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2021 105 958.5 | Mar 2021 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2022/019766 | 3/10/2022 | WO |
