Packaging with extendable plastic film with simplified gripping

Abstract

A packaging adapted to contain products, which is made with an extendable plastic film and has a simplified gripping, and in which the extendable plastic film is wrapped around the products with at least one coil to form a bundle, has on its upper surface only one notch configured to provide a gripping point of the packaging for a user.

Claims

1. A device for a wrapping machine configured to produce a gripping notch in a packaging of products, wherein said packaging is obtained with an extendable plastic film by causing the extendable film to be wrapped around the products with a single coil or crossed coils, comprising: a straddle frame; a conveyor belt carrying said packaging under said straddle frame completely wrapped in said extendable film; and a vertical cutting element carried by said straddle frame and movable to be lifting and lowering in engagement with respect to the packaging by an actuator, wherein said vertical cutting element is a blade, which causes one notch on an upper surface of the packaging, said notch being configured to create a gripping point of the packaging for a user.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said straddle frame is equipped with sensors, which detect a position of the packaging that is underlying with respect to said blade.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said straddle frame provides two crossbars spaced from each other by tie rods, and wherein said tie rods are disposed to be extended or shortened so as to vary a position of the blade with respect to a different length of the packaging.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The structural and functional characteristics of the present invention and its advantages with respect to the known art will appear more evident from the following description referring to the enclosed schematic drawings, which show an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0024] FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a packaging of the invention in a first embodiment;

[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a packaging of the invention in a second embodiment;

[0026] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a packaging of the invention in a third embodiment;

[0027] FIGS. 5 and 6 show, in a perspective view, a cross-section of an automatic bundling machine provided with a device suitable for producing a gripping notch in a packaging of bottles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0028] With reference to the figures in general, a packaging with extendable plastic film 12 is produced in machines such as those described and illustrated in Italian patent applications Nr. 102016000012911 and 102016000013038 of the same Applicant.

[0029] In these machines, a packaging method in extendable film is effected, of groups of products, such as bottles 11, advancing in pairs of products. This method generally comprises the following steps:

[0030] ordering products or groups of products 11;

[0031] feeding and passing products or groups of products thus ordered into winding units of extendable film and wrapping them in the form of a continuous coil or in the form of two continuous coils, crossed and overlapping to form a packaging;

[0032] advancing and feeding said packaging to a cutting unit which cuts said packaging transversely into packagings 12 of groups of products.

[0033] The groups of products can be packaged separately from each other or they are separated only once the packaging has been cut.

[0034] Downstream of these general steps, a step is effected according to the invention, wherein only one notch is produced on the upper surface of the single packaging, suitable for creating a gripping point of the packaging for the user.

[0035] In this way, a packaging is produced with extendable plastic film with simplified gripping 12, containing products 11, wherein the film 13 is wrapped around products 11 with a single turn or crossed turns according to the directions 18, 19.

[0036] It should be noted how a packaging is produced with one or more layers of film made of extendable plastic material applied by stretching the extendable plastic material around the containers.

[0037] In this kind of packaging 12, according to the invention, only one notch is present in its upper surface 14, suitable for creating a gripping point of the packaging for the user.

[0038] This notch 15 is advantageously produced transversally, according to a direction perpendicular to a winding axis X of the single coil or crossed coils in an area between two pairs of rows of bottles 11. In general, this transversal notch area is positioned in a central recessed area 16 of the packaging or bundle as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0039] In an equally advantageous alternative arrangement, a notch 15′ is produced according to a transversal direction with respect to the winding axis of the single coil or crossed coils in an area between two adjacent bottles in a central portion of the packaging.

[0040] In general, this area of the transversal notch is defined by a high area between two subsequent recesses in an intermediate portion of the upper surface of the packaging or bundle as shown in FIG. 3.

[0041] In an equally advantageous alternative arrangement, a notch 15″ is produced in a longitudinal direction, parallel to the winding axis of the single coil or crossed coils, in an area between the two rows of bottles in a portion between two end bottles 11, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0042] It should also be noted that this notch 15, 15′, 15″ in the wrapping coil or coils 18, 19 of the packaging, causes a withdrawal of the extendable wrapping film.

[0043] In this way, the notch does not cause an extension of the incision that produces the notch. The notch actually causes the formation of an edge portion of the notch having a considerable resistance which is such as to allow the bundle to be grasped and lifted without any danger of breakage.

[0044] It can be observed, in fact, that the elastic return forces of the extendable material by its very nature, cause a thickening or curling of the material along the periphery of the notch.

[0045] FIGS. 5 and 6 show a cross-section of an automatic bundling machine provided with a device suitable for producing the gripping notch described above.

[0046] In particular, a straddle frame 20 is illustrated, beneath which a packaging 12 passes, completely wrapped in extendable film 13, positioned on a conveyor belt or similar device (not shown).

[0047] The straddle frame 20 carries a vertical blade 21 movable in lifting and lowering with respect to the packaging 12 by means of an actuator such as a cylinder.

[0048] This movement causes the blade 21 to produce the notch 15 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 5, in fact, shows the raised position of the blade 21 with respect to the underlying packaging 12. FIG. 6 shows the blade 21 which has penetrated and cut the packaging 12 to form the packaging of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0049] The correct positioning of the packaging 12 with respect to the blade 21 is effected by means of sensors, schematized in FIG. 22, which detect the position of the packaging. It can also be observed how the frame 20 provides two crossbars 23, 24 spaced from each other by means of tie-rods 25. The tie-rods 25 can be extended and/or shortened so as to vary the position of the blade 21 with respect to the packaging 12 also in relation to the fact that said packaging can have a variable overall dimension in relation to the type and number of bottles contained therein, etc.

[0050] The forms of the structure for producing a packaging with extendable plastic film with simplified gripping of the invention, as also the materials and assembly modes indicated, can obviously differ from those shown purely as a non-limiting example in the drawings.

[0051] The objective mentioned in the preamble of the description has therefore been achieved.

[0052] The protection scope of the present invention is defined by the enclosed claims.