A unique pizza box apparatus and methods of forming and using said pizza box are disclosed. The pizza box is formed with an additional plate pocket for receiving plates therein. The pocket is connected to an inside surface of the pizza box lid and expands a distance less than that of the depth of the pizza box. On the pizza box lid is a cut or perforated plate pocket lid with a living hinge on one end and a lid tab on a substantially opposite end for grabbing and rotatably opening the plate pocket lid with respect to the pizza box lid. A pizza bumper may further be included within the box to ensure separation between a base of the plate pocket and a pizza once the pizza is placed within the box. Napkins and/or further utensils may also be placed within the plate pocket if so desired.

A method for controlling the processing of varying shipment sets of one or more item(s) in an automated packaging system for packaging said varying shipment sets in custom-sized boxes made from cardboard blanks, said packaging system comprising a plurality of processing stations performing different operations on said shipment sets, said operations including transporting said shipments sets to and through said stations, said method comprising: acquiring information about one or more physical properties of a shipment set or the item(s) forming the shipment set, determining based on said information if the shipment set needs or allows a specific treatment in or on the transport to and through one or more of said processing stations within said packaging system, and configuring said one or more of said processing stations with instructions for said specific treatment of said shipment set.

A device for automated packaging of articles, comprising a conveyor for feeding and transporting into the device a blank of corrugated cardboard, a pair of crease wheels for creating two longitudinal crease lines in the blank, a transversal blade or score applicator for successively creating four transversal crease lines in the blank as the blank is transported into the device, and opposite pressing members such as jaws of a press and/or pressing rollers, arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line of the device, whose lateral position is adjustable for their ends or tips to match the two longitudinal crease lines, and activated in a timely manner as the blank is transported into the device to crush the corrugated cardboard in the top, middle and bottom corners of the blank in order to make it easily foldable.

A machine for packaging articles (15, 15′) with a conveyor designed to feed a preformed carton (14) in a feed direction, the said machine comprising means (11) for placing an article to be packaged on the said carton and mobile article holding means (18, 19), which hold the article during placement, limiting the speed of the article to that of the carton, the said machine being characterised by the fact that the said placement means comprise a conveyor belt (11) for placement with at least one curved section (12), designed to convey the article along a curvilinear route, and an alignment station (34) designed to place the article on the said placement conveyor belt in a position that ensures the article is placed from the placement conveyor belt onto the carton in a suitable position, the said alignment means comprising a mobile undercarriage (35) which moves transversely to the article feed direction and a conveyor belt 37) on top of the undercarriage, which is designed to feed the article, while on the mobile undercarriage, in the article feed direction.

A box packing device includes a first arm, a first hand, and a controller. The first hand includes a hand base, a gripping mechanism at the hand base and including a gripper to grip an upper-end of a flap of a large box, and a holding mechanism at the hand base and including a holder to hold an inner box. The controller controls the operation of the first arm and the first hand so as to perform a developing operation in which the gripping part of the gripping mechanism moves in a horizontal plane so as to develop the large box while gripping the upper-end part of the flap part of the large box in a folded state, and an accommodating operation in which the holder of the holding mechanism accommodates the inner box into the developed large box while holding the inner box.

A packaging method is described in which at least one primary packaging (2) is inserted through a closable opening into a secondary packaging (3) after a handling device (20) has been positioned at the closable opening of the secondary packaging (3). The primary packaging (2) is guided by the handling device (20) during its insertion into the opening of the secondary packaging (3), and a target position of the primary packaging (2) is predetermined within the secondary packaging (3). After insertion of the at least one primary packaging (2) into the secondary packaging (3), the opening of the secondary packaging (3) is at least partially closed under the cooperation or action of the handling device (20). Furthermore, a packaging module is described which is designed to perform such a packaging process.

A container for housing scented product includes a bottom wall, a top wall, a plurality of longitudinal sidewalls, and a plurality of lateral sidewalls. The container further includes a scented product disposed within the cavity and a first plurality of selectively openable and closable vents extending through the top wall of the container. The first plurality of vents is configured to at least partially open when a force is applied to one or more of the plurality of longitudinal sidewalls and the plurality of lateral sidewalls of the container. The container further includes a second plurality of selectively openable and closable vents extending through the bottom wall of the container. The second plurality of vents are configured to at least partially open when the force is applied to one or more of the plurality of longitudinal sidewalls and the plurality of lateral sidewalls of the container.

A carton assembly machine for cartons (17) for packing articles (15, 15′), comprising means for feeding an unassembled carton in a feed direction, the said carton having a plurality of side flaps or panels (18, 19) whose folds are essentially parallel to the said feed direction folded onto a central portion (25) of the carton, the said machine further comprising a movable element (26) designed to move between a first position away from the route of the carton and a second position in which the said element is designed to be Inserted underneath, at an edge (27) of at least one of said side flaps or panels (19), so that the latter is raised with respect to the said central portion, in particular, in cooperation with the carton feeding.

Machinery for packaging articles (15, 15′) in preformed cartons (18), having a conveyor (19) for making cartons travel with an article resting on top of the carton, partially enclosed by the carton, comprising a closing station, in particular having first folding means (24) designed to lift a first side wall of the said carton arranged transversely to the carton progress direction (A) so that it is positioned against the article, in particular towards the rear of the article with respect to the carton progress direction, characterised by the fact that said closing station may be moved parallel to the carton progress direction, wherein the closing station is integral to a sliding surface (20) which is parallel to the surface (26) of the machine on top of which the cartons travel. Packaging method using a machine as described above.

A method of preparing a packaging box (50) wherein late stage customization (20) is provided on the inside of the packaging box. Late stage customization is provided on a folded packaging box. Late stage customization is provided by an imaging technique selected from laser marking, laser engraving, thermal printing and inkjet printing. The packaging box includes an image-receiving layer adapted to the imaging-technique.