PACKAGING DEVICE, PACKAGING UNIT, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING PACKAGING UNITS

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for producing packaging units and packaging units produced by such a method, comprising at least two substantially similar articles, wherein the at least two articles are held together by at least one packaging blank (14).

With the method, a main surface of the packaging blank (14) is applied to first end faces of an article grouping (20), forming a connection between the articles and primary fixing means of the packaging blank (14). The primary fixing means fix the positions of the articles relative to one another within the article grouping (20). The side surfaces (24) of the packaging blank (14) are subsequently folded over, wherein secondary fixing means interacting with the shell surfaces of the articles are formed. The secondary fixing means are formed by strapping sections, which surround defined regions of the shell surfaces of the article grouping (20) and fix the articles in a substantially parallel alignment to one another.

The invention also relates to a packaging device for carrying out the method.

Claims

1. A packaging device for producing packaging units (10), comprising at least two substantially similar articles (12), which at least two articles (12) are held together by at least one packaging blank (14) with primary and with secondary fixing elements (22, 30), and which packaging device comprises at least: a feed device capable of feeding at least two articles (12) or groupings (20) of at least two articles (12), wherein the articles (12) are substantially similar, an application device (176) capable of applying a main surface (18) of at least one packaging blank (14) to first end faces (16) of the at least two article or grouped articles (1220) and capable of establishing a connection between the articles (12) and the primary fixing element (22) of the packaging blank (14), a shaping device (60, 158) capable of folding over at least one side surface (24) adjacent to a longitudinal side of the main surface (18) of the packaging blank (14), thus forming secondary fixing element (30) interacting with shell surfaces (26) of the articles (12), and a fixing device (178, 180) capable of forming the secondary fixing elements (30) formed by strapping sections (32), which strapping sections (32) surround defined regions of the shell surfaces (26) of the articles (12) and fixes the articles (12) in a substantially parallel alignment to one another.

2. The packaging device of claim 1, wherein the shaping devices comprises a handling tool (56) capable of folding over two shell surfaces (24) adjacent to opposite longitudinal sides of the main surface (18) of the packaging blank (14), and capable of forming secondary fixing element (30) interacting with shell surfaces (26) of the articles (12).

3. The packaging device of claim 1, wherein the handling tool (56) is capable of folding over the side surfaces (24) of the strip sections (28) and capable of reshaping the strip sections (28) into strapping sections (32).

4. The packaging device of claim 3, wherein the handling tool (56) comprises an element capable of fixing overlapping end regions of the strip sections (28) to one another or to the shell surfaces (26) of the articles (12).

5. The packaging device of claim 2, in which the handling tool (56) comprises reshaping, folding, or notching device operating on the main surface (18) of the packaging blank (14) in a region between bordering articles (12).

6. The packaging device of claim 5, wherein the reshaping, folding, or notching device comprises a folding punch (70) capable of being lowered onto the main surface (18) and that is an immovable or movable part of the handling tool (56).

7. The packaging device of claim 1, wherein the application device (176) comprises at least one controllable application head (130) capable of moving within a defined movement space, wherein the at least one controllable application head (130) can apply a packaging blank (14) to at least one article grouping (20) located or moving within the movement space, wherein the at least one controllable application head (130) comprises: a receiving device capable of receiving, holding, and releasing the packaging blanks (14) and capable of placing the respective packaging blank (14) on an upper side of the respective article grouping (20), and a fixing device capable of establishing a mechanical connection between the respective article grouping (20) and the packaging blank (14) applied thereto.

8. The packaging device of claim 7, wherein the receiving device comprises at least one suction device.

9. The packaging device of claim 7, wherein the at least one controllable application head (130) comprises two or more application units (132) capable of substantially synchronously equipping two or more separate article groupings (20) with packaging blanks (14).

10. The packaging device of claim 7, wherein each of the at least one controllable application unit (132) comprises a contact plate (144) capable of moving vertically between two end positions, and comprises at least one controllable suction element (138).

11. The packaging device of claim 7, wherein each of the at least one controllable application unit (132) comprises a shaping element (202) capable of deforming a defined folding region (46) of a packaging blank (14) placed on a respective article grouping (20) and thus form the primary fixing element (22) establishing mechanical connections between the articles (12) and the packaging blank (14).

12. The packaging device of claim 7, wherein each of the at least one controllable application unit (132) comprises folding elements (158) capable of folding over side surfaces (24) of the packaging blank (14) and of preparing the secondary fixing element (30) between the article grouping (20) and the packaging blank (14).

13. The packaging device of claim 12, wherein the contact plate (144), the suction elements (138), the folding elements (158), and the shaping element (202) of each application unit (132) are capable, in conjunction with the application head (130), of being be lowered onto the article grouping (20) or lifted therefrom.

14. The packaging device of claim 1, wherein, the fixing device (178) comprises at least one controllable strapping head (180) capable of forming the strapping sections (32), capable of forming the secondary fixing element (30), by treating and reshaping the foldable sections (24) of the packaging blank (14) that are adjacent to the longitudinal sides of a main surface (18) of the packaging blank (14) and project beyond an upper side of the article grouping (20), and capable of for applying the foldable sections (24) to the opposite side surfaces of the article grouping (20), wherein the at least one strapping head (180) has handling elements (188) comprising elastically-deformable molded parts (190) capable of pressing on and adhesively connecting respective overlapping regions of the foldable sections (24) of the strapping sections (32).

15. The packaging device of claim 14, wherein the strapping head (180), or each of several strapping heads (180), has at least two handling elements (188) which can be applied against opposite longitudinal sides of the article groupings (20) and can be fed towards one another, wherein each of the handling elements (188) comprises elastic molded parts (190) that interact with sections (24) of the packaging blank (14) and can reshape sections (24) into strapping sections (32).

16. The packaging device of claim 15, wherein each of the handling elements (188), together with the molded parts (190) arranged thereon, is capable of moving between two end positions, wherein the molded parts (190) are at least slightly spaced apart from the article grouping (20) in the first end position of the respective handling elements (188) when the strapping head (180) is placed on the article grouping (20), and wherein the molded parts (190) are placed against the side surfaces of the article grouping (20) in the second end position of the respective handling elements (188) and are subjected there to an actuating force (D) in a feed direction (C) of the handling elements (188).

17. The packaging device of claim 16, wherein the molded parts (190), subjected to the actuating force (D) in the feed direction (C) of the handling elements (188), of the strapping head (180) are elastically deformed and can place at least partial regions of the strapping sections (32) under pretensioning.

18. The packaging device of claim 14, wherein the at least one strapping head (180) interacts with a slot control for position-dependent specification of the feed movements of the handling elements (188) in the strapping head (180).

19. The packaging device of claim 18, wherein the at least one strapping head (180) or each of the several strapping heads (180) is capable of being guided in a rail system (210) parallel to a transport section (230) for the article groupings (20) conveyed thereon in the transport direction (TR), wherein the slot control for the position-dependent specification of the feed movements of the handling elements (188) of the strapping head (180) or of each of the several strapping heads (180) is assigned to at least a part of the transport section (230).

20. The packaging device of claim 14, comprising several strapping heads (180) that can be controlled synchronously or by a slot control in a position-dependent manner.

21. A method for producing packaging units (10), comprising at least two substantially similar articles (12), wherein the at least two articles (12) are held together by at least one packaging blank (14), comprising: applying a main surface (18) of the packaging blank (14) to first end faces (16) of the grouped articles (12), forming a connection between the articles (12) and primary fixing element (22) of the packaging blank (14), which primary fixing element (22) fixes positions of the articles (12) relative to one another, folding over at least one side surface (24) adjacent to a longitudinal side of the main surface (18) of the packaging blank (14), forming secondary fixing element (30) interacting with shell surfaces (26) of the articles (12), wherein the secondary fixing element (30) are formed by strapping sections (30) that surround defined regions of the shell surfaces (26) of the articles (12) and fixes the articles (12) in a substantially parallel alignment to one another.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein two side surfaces (24) adjacent to opposite longitudinal sides of the main surface (18) of the packaging blank (14) are folded over, forming secondary fixing element (30) interacting with shell surfaces (26) of the articles (12).

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the strapping sections (32) of the secondary fixing element (30) are formed by strip sections (28) of the packaging blank (14) that extend the side faces (24) in directions along the longitudinal extension directions of the side faces (24).

24. The method of claim 23, in which the side surfaces (24) and the strip sections (28) are folded over by handling devices (56) and reshaped into strapping sections (32), wherein overlapping end regions are fixed to one another or to the shell surfaces (26) of the articles (12).

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the main surface (18) of the packaging blank (14) is reshaped, folded, or notched in a region between bordering articles (12), wherein adjacent primary fixing element (22), together with the articles (12) held therein, are brought closer to one another until the adjacent articles (12) are in touching contact.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising taking the at least one packaging blank (14) from a stockpile or from a magazine (234) by an application head (130), holding ready in the application head (130), and applying it by the application head (130) to an article grouping (20), thus forming the primary fixing element (22).

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the application head (130) is moved within a movement space between a stockpile, a supply point, or a magazine (234) for the flat packaging blanks (14) and a supply point or a conveyor section with the article grouping (20) located there.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprises lowering the application head (60) as a whole, together with the packaging blank (14) held therein, onto the upper side of the article grouping (20), wherein the packaging blank (14) is applied there.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the application head (130) comprises at least two modular application units (132) are located next to one another as a result of which two similar article groupings (20) can be processed or handled in parallel and equipped with packaging blanks (14).

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising lowering a flat contact plate (144) in the respective application unit (132), while at the same time deactivating a negative pressure on suction elements (138) that holds the packaging blank (14) in place in the respective application unit (132), or lowering the contact plate (144) relative to the suction elements (138) located in a fixed position in the respective application unit (132) of the application head (130), as a result of which the packaging blank (14) is spaced apart from the suction elements (138) and detached.

31. The method of claim 21, further comprising forming the secondary fixing element (30) by applying the strapping sections (32) to the article grouping (20), and deploying and using a strapping head (180), wherein the strapping sections (32) formed by the respective overlapping regions (28) of the foldable sections (24) are pressed against one another and against the article grouping (20) by elastically-deformable molded parts (190) of the strapping head (180) and connected to one another in an adhesive manner.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the strapping sections (32), which form the secondary fixing element (30) of the packaging units (10), are formed by handling elements (188), which can be controlled and fed towards one another, of the strapping head (180), with molded parts (190) arranged thereon.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the foldable sections (24) of the packaging blank (14) are pressed at least temporarily against the shell surfaces (26) of the respective articles (12) by the molded parts (190) surrounding the packaging unit (20) from several sides and are reshaped there into the strapping sections (32).

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising lowering the strapping head (180) onto an article grouping (20) equipped with a prepared packaging blank (14) and producing the strapping sections (32) by feed movements of the handling elements (188) and the action of the molded parts (190) arranged thereon.

35. A packaging unit (10) comprising at least two substantially similar articles (12), wherein the at least two articles (12) are held together by at least one packaging blank (14), and wherein the packaging blank (14): forms a connection between the articles (12) and primary fixing element (22) of the packaging blank (14) with a main surface (18), and is applied to first end faces (16) of the grouped articles (12), wherein the primary fixing element (22) fixes positions of the articles (12) relative to one another, has, on at least one longitudinal side of the main surface (18), an adjacent side surface (24) that is folded over and is applied to the respective shell surfaces (26) of the articles (12), forming secondary fixing element (30) interacting with shell surfaces (26) of the articles (12), and has strapping sections (30), forming the secondary fixing element (30), which surround defined regions of the shell surfaces (26) of the articles (12) and fixes the articles (12) in a substantially parallel alignment to one another.

36. The packaging unit (10) of claim 35, wherein two side surfaces (24) adjacent to opposite longitudinal sides of the main surface (18) of the packaging blank (14) are folded over to form secondary fixing element (30) interacting with shell surfaces (26) of the articles (12).

37. The packaging unit (10) of claim 36, wherein the strapping sections (32) of the secondary fixing element (30) are formed by strip sections (28) of the packaging blank (14), which extend the side faces (24) in directions along the longitudinal extension directions of the side faces (24).

38. The packaging unit (10) of claim 35, wherein the main surface (18) of the packaging blank (14) is reshaped, folded, or notched in a region between bordering articles (12), and wherein adjacent primary fixing element (22), together with the articles (12) held therein, are brought closer to one another, forming a touching contact of the respective adjacent articles (12).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0213] Exemplary embodiments of the invention and their advantages are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. The proportions of the individual elements relative to one another in the figures do not always correspond to the actual proportions, since some forms are simplified, while other forms are shown enlarged in relation to other elements for better illustration.

[0214] FIGS. 1A through 1F show schematic views of various interacting individual components that can be reworked and reshaped into packaging units.

[0215] FIGS. 2A through 2E show the formation of packaging units by a handling tool based upon successive process steps.

[0216] FIGS. 3A through 3C show schematic views of different variants of transport modules that can be used in the production of packaging units.

[0217] FIG. 4 shows the interaction of the transport modules with the handling tool to form packaging units.

[0218] FIGS. 5A and 5B show different variants of a handling tool.

[0219] FIG. 6 shows further components of the handling tool in an alternative design.

[0220] FIG. 7 shows a configuration for controlling folding devices that can be used in the formation of the packaging units.

[0221] FIGS. 8A through 8D show different views of an embodiment variant of an application head according to the invention, which is equipped with four application units for equipping a total of four article groupings with packaging blanks.

[0222] FIG. 8E shows a perspectival view of a further embodiment variant of the application head according to the invention, which is equipped with three application units for equipping a total of three article groupings with packaging blanks.

[0223] FIG. 9 shows a schematic block diagram to illustrate the method steps involved in the formation of the packaging units.

[0224] FIG. 10A shows a perspectival and schematic view of two article groupings, on the upper side of which a packaging blank is placed in each instance.

[0225] FIG. 10B shows a perspectival and schematic view of several article groupings equipped with packaging blanks, on the upper side of which strapping heads access in each instance.

[0226] FIG. 10C shows a single article grouping with a packaging blank placed on it and a strapping head accessing it in a schematic and perspectival representation.

[0227] FIG. 11A shows a schematic top view of an embodiment variant of an elastic molded part, which can be a component of a handling tool of a strapping head equipped with it.

[0228] FIGS. 11B and 11C show schematic top views of the mode of handling and operation of a strapping head equipped with several molded parts according to FIG. 11A.

[0229] FIG. 11D shows the deformation behavior of a molded part according to FIG. 11A when used within a strapping head.

[0230] FIG. 12 shows an embodiment variant of a strapping module with several circumferentially-guided strapping heads in a schematic and perspectival representation.

[0231] FIGS. 13A and 13B show schematic and perspectival views of configurations for controlling the strapping heads that can be used in the formation of the packaging units.

[0232] FIGS. 14A, 14B, and 14C show alternative transport sections in which packaging units can be formed and produced.

[0233] FIGS. 15A through 15C show schematic top views of various embodiment variants of a packaging blank as it can be used for the production of packaging units.

[0234] FIGS. 16A and 16B show practical sets of several packaging blanks that can be produced from a cardboard sheet or other suitable flat packaging material in a punching process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0235] FIGS. 1A through 16B generally use the same reference numerals for identical or identically-acting elements of the invention. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, reference numerals are only shown in the individual figures if they are necessary or practical for the description of the respective figure. The embodiments shown merely represent examples of how the application or strapping head according to the invention, the packaging device according to the invention, or the method according to the invention for producing packaging units can be designed, and do not constitute a definitive limitation.

[0236] Based upon the perspectival and schematic views of FIGS. 1A and 1C through 1F and the schematic side view of FIG. 1B, some important guidelines and principles for the production of packaging units 10 by joining together several articles 12 and by mechanical combination by a packaging blank 14 are to be initially clarified.

[0237] It should be expressly emphasized that FIGS. 1A through 1F show the individual components of such a packaging unit 10 to be joined together and treated in the manner described below, as they can be produced in particular with the aid of the method according to the invention and with the preferred use of a handling tool 56, an application head 130, and/or a strapping head 180 according to the invention and/or with the intended use of a packaging machine according to the invention. In this respect, FIGS. 1A through 1F initially illustrate only a single packaging unit 10 and its components, without going into more detail about the design of an exemplary embodiment variant of the handling tool 56 (cf. in this regard FIGS. 2A through 2E), the application head 130 (cf. in this regard FIGS. 8A through 8E), the strapping head 180 (cf. in this regard FIGS. 10B through 13B), and/or the packaging machine (cf. FIGS. 14A through 14C).

[0238] If packaging units 10 are mentioned in this connection and in connection with the entire description, the equally common term, bundle, can optionally be used instead. The term, packaging unit 10, used here is intended to designate the completed unit, which can be handled as a complete unit, may also be stackable, and/or can be purchased and used by the end customer at retail, consisting of at least two articles and the packaging materials that mechanically combine them.

[0239] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the packaging units 10 assembled and fabricated by the production process described below comprise a total of six similar articles 12, which are held together in a rectangular arrangement by a flat packaging blank 14. However, such a rectangular arrangement is not to be understood restrictively, such that the packaging units 10 could also comprise four, eight, or ten similar articles 12, which can be held together in such a rectangular arrangement by a correspondingly-shaped and correspondingly-dimensioned packaging blank 14.

[0240] With the method for producing the packaging units 10, the packaging blank 14 prepared for this purpose and formed into the shape shown, e.g., by a punching method (cf. FIG. 1A), is initially placed and/or applied to the article grouping 20 with a main surface 18 covering the first or upper end faces 16 or lid sides of the articles 12 grouped in a 3?2 rectangular arrangement (cf. FIGS. 1B and 1C). The term, main surface 18, used here refers to the rectangular section of the flat packaging blank 14, which covers the upper end faces 16 of the articles 12 assembled as the article grouping 20 in the 3?2 rectangular arrangement.

[0241] In conjunction with the placing of and by applying the packaging blank 14 to the upper side of the article grouping 20, i.e., to the upper end faces 16 of the grouped articles 12, connections are also formed between the articles 12 and the primary fixing element 22 of the packaging blank 14, referred to here as such. The primary fixing element 22 hold the packaging blank 14 on the articles 12.

[0242] In addition, the primary fixing element 22, which will be explained in more detail below, fix the positions of the articles 12 relative to one another, since the dimensions of the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 and the positions of the primary fixing element 22 are matched to the dimensions and diameters of the articles 12 and of the article grouping 20 consisting of several articles 12.

[0243] After the packaging blank 14 has been placed on the upper side of the article grouping 20 (FIG. 1C) and in conjunction with the formation of the primary fixing element 22, the side surfaces 24 of the packaging blank 14, which are located on both longitudinal sides of the article grouping 20, are folded over according to FIG. 1D and placed against shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12, but without following the curved contours of the shell surfaces 26.

[0244] The side surfaces 24 arranged in strips on the two longitudinal sides of the main surface 18 form a continuation of the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14. Together with strip sections 28 continuing to both narrow sides of the side surfaces 26, the two side surfaces 24 adjacent to the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 form secondary fixing element 30, which interact with the shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12 when they are placed against them.

[0245] As FIGS. 1A and 1C clearly show, the side surfaces 24 are in each instance significantly longer than the main surface 18 due to the strip sections 28 extending them on both sides. The total length of the side surfaces 24 together with such strip sections 28 extending them to both narrow sides can be approximately twice the length of the longitudinal side of the main surface 18 or slightly less.

[0246] By fixing overlapping end regions of the strip sections 28 to one another and/or by fixing them to the shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12, the secondary fixing element 30 are formed by strapping sections 32, as is recognizable in the schematic perspectival view of FIGS. 1E and 1n the perspectival detail view of FIG. 1F. There, the strapping sections 32 each surround defined regions of the shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12, and specifically on both opposite narrow sides of the article grouping 20.

[0247] The articles 12, which are fixed and held in position by the strapping sections 32, can only be swiveled or displaced minimally when the packaging unit 10 is completed in this way (cf. FIG. 1E), such that the secondary fixing element 30 fix the articles 12 within the packaging unit 10 in a substantially parallel alignment of their longitudinal central axes to one another.

[0248] As FIGS. 1A, 1C, and 1D clearly show, the strapping sections 32 of the secondary fixing element 30 (cf. FIGS. 1E and 1F) are formed by the strip sections 28 of the packaging blank 14, which extend the side surfaces 24 to both narrow sides in directions along the longitudinal extension directions of the side surfaces 24.

[0249] The folding over of the side surfaces 24 and the application of the strip sections 28 by suitable handling devices, and the reshaping into the strapping sections 32, in which overlapping end regions are fixed to one another and/or to the shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12, will be more precisely explained and illustrated using the following FIG. 2A ff. based upon various exemplary embodiments.

[0250] As already becomes clear when looking at FIGS. 1A through 1E, the articles 12 can in particular be beverage cans 34, which is why the articles 12 thus identified here are also identified throughout by the reference numeral 34 in the present connection. The beverage cans 34 used here are in particular so-called slim cans or sleek cans made from a suitable metal sheet, and in particular from a suitable aluminum alloy. Optionally, however, the cans or beverage cans 34 can also be made of plastic or of a composite material, and in particular of a multilayer composite material.

[0251] The beverage cans 34, whose typical contours are shown in the schematic side view of FIG. 1B, are hollow-cylindrical in shape and closed on all sides. They also each have a flat or slightly concave, curved circular base region 36 on their lower end faces 38 and a mostly flat, circular upper lid region 40 on the opposite end face. This upper lid region 40 forms the aforementioned upper end face 16 of the articles 12 formed by the beverage cans 34.

[0252] The flat or concave, slightly curved base region 36 on the lower end face can typically be connected in one piece to the cylindrical shell surface 26, which can usually be realized by a deep-drawing process in the case of tin cans.

[0253] What in the present context is also referred to as the upper end face 16 of the article 12 is, in the example of the beverage cans 34, their respective upper lid region 40. The lid itself can, for example, be connected to the upper rim of the cylindrical shell of the beverage cans 34 by crimping, such that a can 34 closed on all sides is formed. A smaller tear-off lid or tear-off closure with a tear-off tab or the like may be incorporated within the lid surface, wherein scoring lines can be present as predetermined breaking points in the metal or aluminum sheet, which enable the tear-off closure to be opened to remove the liquid in the beverage can 34. However, such optional tear-off lid and the tear-off tab that may be fastened to it are not shown here, since such parts are not closely related to the formation of the packaging units 10.

[0254] As FIG. 1B also clearly shows, the cylinder diameter in the region of the cylindrical shell surface 26 and the outer circular diameters of the base region 36 and of the lid region 40 of the beverage cans 34 shown are substantially the same or nearly the same, wherein the base region 36 and/or the lid region 40 can be slightly retracted or tapered relative to the cylindrical shell surface 26.

[0255] Such a can shape with an almost uniformly cylindrical outer contour of largely constant cylinder diameter from the base 36 to the lid 40 is a characteristic feature of such so-called slim cans or sleek cans, whereas conventional (standard) cans normally have significantly smaller diameters in the base and lid regions than in their cylindrical shell regions.

[0256] Therefore, when cans 34 or beverage cans 34 are referred to in the present connection, this can in principle and in all cases mentioned mean such slim cans or sleek cans.

[0257] Here so designated upper gripping cardboard packages, which are known for combining standard cans and which have a number of openings for the standard cans to pass through, thus simultaneously define the positions of the cans within packaging units formed in this way. The gripping cardboard packages are normally pressed onto a set of standard cans from above, such that the lid region of the standard cans passes through an assigned opening.

[0258] Often, the gripping cardboard package is anchored below the lid region of the standard cans, and in particular in a region with a reduced cross-section or in a constricted region just below the flanged rim with which the lid is placed on the upper rim region of the cylindrical shell region. Within a packaging unit produced in this way, the cans are arranged closely together, and normally with their shell surfaces in touching contact.

[0259] However, the use of such well-known or conventionally-designed gripping cardboard packages for so-called slim cans or sleek cans, as can be realized here based upon the beverage cans 34, is hardly practical. Since the diameter in the lid region 40 and the diameter in the cylindrical shell region 26 of such cans 34 hardly differ or do not differ at all, there is a lack of sufficient material between the openings of the gripping cardboard, such that the regions between the openings of adjacent cans 34 can easily tear out, as a result of which the gripping cardboards lack or lose the necessary stability.

[0260] For this reason, the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 of the article grouping 20 are spaced apart at least temporarily and for the purpose of attaching the packaging blank 14 and forming the primary fixing element 22 in one of the main horizontal axes of the article grouping 20. FIG. 1B illustrates such defined horizontal distance A between the respective adjacent articles 12 or beverage cans 34 (here: slim or sleek can) in a direction parallel to the second main axis 44 of the article grouping 20 (cf. FIG. 1C). The two rows of three articles 12 located next to one another, which together form the article grouping 20, are thus spaced apart by such horizontal distance A.

[0261] The two horizontally-aligned or horizontally-running main axes 42 and 44 of the article grouping 20 are illustrated in FIG. 1C and are in each instance illustrated by dash-dotted lines. Thus, in the embodiment variant of the 3?2 rectangular arrangement of the grouped articles 12 or beverage cans 34 shown there, a first main axis 42 runs parallel to the two rows, in each instance with three articles 12 or beverage cans 34 aligned one behind the other or standing one behind the other, while the second main axis 44, which is aligned orthogonally thereto, runs transversely to such rows of three.

[0262] Both main axes 42 and 44 are normally aligned horizontally, since the article grouping 20 is normally conveyed with the respective base regions 36 of the beverage cans 34 upright on suitable transport devices, such as, for example, on horizontal conveying device devices suitable for this purpose, in a defined transport direction TR, where they are also equipped with the packaging blank 14. Therefore, the first main axis 42 runs parallel to or in the direction of the transport direction TR (in FIG. 1C from top left to bottom right), such that the second main axis 44 is oriented transversely to the transport direction TR.

[0263] Thus, the horizontal distance A is also plotted parallel to the second main axis 44, as illustrated in FIG. 1B. In order to be able to ensure the desired reliable fixing of the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 within the packaging blank 14 prepared and in particular pre-punched for this purpose using the primary fixing element 22 although in the slim or sleek cans shown here, which form the beverage cans 34, sufficient space does not exist between the upper lid regions 40 of the adjacent beverage cans 34 it is necessary in the initial phase of equipping the article grouping 20 to create the defined horizontal distance A between the two rows of three beverage cans 34 parallel to the first main axis 42.

[0264] In the schematic side view of FIG. 1B, such horizontal distance A is shown between two adjacent beverage cans 34, which represent each of the pairings of articles 12 or beverage cans 34 transverse to the first major axis 42 recognizable in FIGS. 1C and 1D.

[0265] Such arrangement with rows of beverage cans 34 spaced apart by the horizontal distance A makes it possible to press a folding region 46 of the packaging blank 14 between the upper lid regions 40 of the pairs of beverage cans 34 initially spaced apart by the distance A, as a result of which, at the same time, such beverage cans 34 or such rows of three beverage cans 34 conveyed one behind the other in the transport direction TR are in each instance brought closer in pairs until their shell surfaces 26 in each instance contact one another in line contact.

[0266] The folding region 46 is located in the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 and divides it into two rectangular halves (cf. FIGS. 1A and 1B), which are located on both sides of a vertical separating plane (not separately marked here), which is located between the pairs of beverage cans 34 spaced apart by the horizontal distance A. The first main axis 42 lies within such vertical separating plane, while the second main axis 44 cuts perpendicularly through the vertical separating plane.

[0267] The folding region 46, which divides the main surface 18 in the middle in a direction parallel to the first main axis 42, serves to form the primary fixing element 22 with which the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 are held in the composite of the packaging unit 10 as soon as the packaging blank 14 has been reshaped, pressed into the folding region 46, and folded in sections in the manner described here, and the secondary fixing element 30 have been brought into position in the intended manner and connected to one another.

[0268] After the packaging blank 14 has been placed (cf. FIG. 1A) with its main surface 18 on the upper end faces 16 of the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 (cf. FIG. 1C) placed in the article grouping 20 in a rectangular arrangement, but which are still spaced apart in pairs by the horizontal distance A according to FIG. 1B, the side surfaces 24, projecting laterally beyond the opposite longitudinal sides of the article grouping 20, of the packaging blank 14 are folded down laterally, such that they rest against the respective shell surfaces 26 of the beverage cans 34 (cf. FIG. 1D). The side surfaces 24 of the packaging blank 14 are in this case folded by approximately 90?.

[0269] In the present connection, the extensions of the two side surfaces 24, which extensions project significantly beyond the length of the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 in the direction of both narrow sides of the main surface 18, are also referred to as strip sections 28 or as extended strip sections 28, since they have a specific function to fulfill in conjunction with the production and the formation of the secondary fixing elements 30, as is illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1E and 1F.

[0270] The strip sections 28 are not normally separated from the side surfaces 24 and added there subsequently, but are an integral component of the side surfaces 24, wherein the strip sections 28, along with other components and functional elements of the packaging blank 14, can practically be produced from a cardboard sheet or similar flat packaging material in a single or possibly also in a multi-stage punching process, which has advantages in terms of production and fabrication technology and provides an easy-to-process aid with which loose articles 12 can be connected and combined to form a packaging unit 10 in the manner described here.

[0271] After the side surfaces 24 according to FIG. 1D have been folded over, wherein pre-folded and/or perforated or otherwise predetermined bent edges can be practically used on the longitudinal edges of the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14, the packaging blank can be further processed in two or more phases in order to achieve the final state of the packaging unit 10 according to FIG. 1E (and according to the detail view of FIG. 1F).

[0272] After the packaging blank 14 has been placed on the upper side of the article grouping 20, such two-phase or multi-phase further processing comprises pressing in the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 over the entire length of the folding region 46 running in the middle through the main surface 18, which, on the one hand, causes the two spaced-apart rows of three with articles 12 or beverage cans 34 to move together and the distance A to be reduced to nearly a value of zero, but which, on the other, also causes segments of the upper rims of the beverage cans 34 at their upper lid regions 40 to dip and/or snap into prepared slot-like recesses 48 within the main surface 18 (cf. FIG. 1F).

[0273] In principle, the primary fixing element 22 can also be produced and formed in other ways, e.g., by apertures in the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14, which correspond to the diameters of the beverage cans 34 in their upper lid region 40, such that the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 can be pressed in and latched there upon placement of the packaging blank 14.

[0274] For this purpose, the folding region 46 can, for example, be pressed downwards between the beverage cans 34 in a V-shape within the separating plane between the rows of containers and with a bent edge parallel to the first main axis 42 in the form shown, wherein prepared bent edges, perforations, or the like can provide a defined fold at the transition edges to the main surface 18, which in each instance adjoin each of the slot-like recesses 48 on either side.

[0275] The flanks of the V-shaped deformed folding region 46, which point on both sides to the halves of the main surface 18 divided in the middle by the folding region 46, which is pressed down between the rows of containers, can enclose an opening angle ? between them, which can lie in reasonable orders of magnitude between approximately 80 and nearly 180 degrees. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1E and 1F, this opening angle is a is at a value of approximately 120?.

[0276] However, such value of the opening angle ? is not to be understood as restrictive, since the opening angle ? of the V-shaped folding region 46 can be based upon the deformability of the flat material used for the packaging blank 14, upon the upper rim contour of the articles 12 or beverage cans 34, upon the shape of the can, or upon other boundary conditions, depending upon the practicality. However, other contours of the deformed folding region 46 are also conceivable, which deformed folding region does not necessarily have to be reshaped into a V-shape, but can, for example, also have a chamfer-like base with a defined curvature radius or a rectangular cross-sectional contour.

[0277] It is also conceivable that the folding region 46 could be bent over sharply by nearly 180 degrees, resulting in material sections being placed against one another, which in this case can be pressed in slightly deeper between the bordering rows of three articles 12 or beverage cans 34. Such a penetration of the material sections of the folding region 45 placed against one another by up to a few centimeters can be a practical option in the fabrication of the packaging units 10.

[0278] On opposite sides, the recesses 48 can in each instance cover circular segments of the rims on the upper end faces 16 of the beverage cans 34 with segment angles of approximately 40? . . . 60? (optionally, also slightly more or less). As can be seen in FIGS. 1E and 1F, the respective transitions from the main surface 18 to the side surfaces 24 can also optionally be bent twice by 45? in each instance, which as a whole results in the aforementioned bend angle of 90?. In this way, roof-shaped transitions 50 are created in each instance, in which the recesses 48 are located, with which the beverage cans 34 can be latched in each instance.

[0279] After the primary fixing element 22 have been activated in this way, and the respective distances A between the beverage cans 34 have been eliminated, such that the respective contact lines between the previously spaced-apart beverage cans 34 in the two longitudinal rows are precisely on the aforementioned separating plane, the secondary fixing element 30 can be activated.

[0280] The primary fixing element 22 are realized by the beverage cans 34 held relatively firmly in the packaging blank 14, as a result of which the relative positions of the beverage cans 34 with respect to one another are largely fixed. Since the beverage cans 34 are fixed by their respective precise positioning within the recesses 48, at least at their upper rim sections on their lid regions 40 relative to the packaging blank 14 and relative to the other beverage cans 34 or articles 12 in the article grouping 20, they can hardly deviate there.

[0281] However, since the packaging blanks 14 made of thin cardboard material normally used for the purpose described do not generally have a high bending stiffness, initially, only the positions of the beverage cans 34 to one another are defined. However, this does not necessarily apply to their alignments with respect to the respective longitudinal central axes of the articles 12 or beverage cans 34, since these can generally still be tilted relative to one another due to the flexibility of the packaging blank 14, wherein the lower regions, i.e., the base regions 36 of the beverage cans 34, can diverge.

[0282] In order to reliably prevent such undefined tilting of the beverage cans 34 within the composite of the article grouping 20 equipped with the packaging blank 14, the invention provides secondary fixing element 30 that, like the primary fixing element 22, can be formed equally by the shaping and supplementary functional elements of the packaging blank 14 as integral components thereof.

[0283] The side surfaces 24 of the packaging blank 14, which are applied laterally against the shell surfaces 26 of the beverage cans 34 on both outer longitudinal sides of the arrangement or article grouping 20, form collar sections 52, as it were, which are held there when the secondary fixing element 30 are used as intended, and may even be slightly pretensioned. The secondary fixing element 30 are activated by folding over the strip sections 28 around the shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 located on the opposite narrow sides of the article grouping 20 and by fixing the at least slightly overlapping strip sections 28 to one another for example, by a bonding 54.

[0284] The bonding 54 indicated only schematically in FIGS. 1E and 1F by an interrupted line in the overlapping region of the strip sections 28 can be produced, for example, by prepared adhesive surfaces on the strip sections 28. Optionally, a sufficient amount of cold glue or hot glue or other adhesive agent can be applied to one of the strip sections 28 or to both of the overlapping regions of the superimposed strip sections 28, which can provide a firm mechanical connection between the strip sections 28.

[0285] However, the overlapping strip sections 28 can also be connected to one another in other ways for example, by stapling, by a punched joint, or the like.

[0286] In this way, the strapping sections 32, which hold the bundle or packaging unit 10 together and fix the positions and also the alignments of the beverage cans 34 to one another in the bundle unit, are formed from the strip sections 28, which are adhesively connected to one another.

[0287] The typical width of such strapping sections 32 formed from the strip sections 28 depends upon the requirements in particular, with regard to the desired stability of the bundle or packaging unit 10. A very thin and flexible packaging blank 14 made of thick paper or thin cardboard will tend to require a collar section 52 that is pulled down further and slightly wider strapping sections 32 in order to be able to provide the desired mechanical stability of the packaging unit 10.

[0288] On the other hand, a sufficiently stable and mechanically resistant cardboard as packaging blank 14 will allow the width of the strapping sections 32 to be fixed at a value of approximately one quarter or less of the height of the cylindrical shell surfaces 26 of the beverage cans 34 held together in this way, as shown with the variant illustrated in FIGS. 1A through 1F. There, the width of the strapping sections 32 is even less than one fifth of the respective height of the cylindrical shell surfaces 26 of the beverage cans 34.

[0289] The strip sections 28 of the variant of the packaging blank 14 according to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1C are in each instance of the same length, such that the packaging blank 14 is also designed to be mirror-symmetrical with respect to both the first main axis 42 and the second main axis 44. In principle, in alternative embodiment variants, the strip sections 28 can be designed in length configurations that differ from one another. FIGS. 15B and 15C, for example, show alternative embodiment variants in which the strip sections 28 can be designed in different length configurations.

[0290] The schematic and perspectival views of FIGS. 2A through 2C and the two schematic side views of FIGS. 2D and 2E illustrate the use of different tool variants for applying a packaging blank 14, as previously explained with reference to FIGS. 1A through 1F, to an article arrangement 20, which in turn is formed by a total of six beverage cans 34 in a 2?3 rectangular arrangement.

[0291] However, purely as a precaution, it should be noted at this point that FIGS. 2A through 2E essentially only show the steps of placing a packaging blank 14 with its main surface 18 on the upper end faces 16 of the cylindrical articles 12 formed by beverage cans 34, folding over the side surfaces 24 of the packaging blank 14, and pressing in the folding region 46 running in the middle through the upper main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14, and thus the formation of the primary fixing element 22 (cf. in this regard FIGS. 1A through 1D).

[0292] Not shown, however, is the handling and formation of the secondary fixing element 30, formed here by the strip sections 28 to be connected to one another as strapping sections 32 (cf. FIGS. 1E and 1F). Such formation of the secondary fixing element 30, which are formed here as an example by the strapping sections 32, will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 10A through 13B, wherein a strapping head 180 that can be used for this purpose will also be described in its structure, in its design details, and in its mode of operation.

[0293] Thus, FIG. 2A illustrates a schematic perspectival view from below at an angle of the article arrangement 20 with the total of six beverage cans 34 arranged in a rectangular configuration, above which the pre-punched and still unfolded packaging blank 14 is located, which is, however, still spaced apart from the upper end faces 16 of the beverage cans 34. Above the packaging blank 14 and at a distance therefrom is a first embodiment variant of a handling tool 56, which has a base plate 58 acting as a carrier component, which corresponds to the size of the packaging blank 14, but in particular to the dimensions of the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14. The base plate 58 should have at least the dimensions of the main surface 18, but can optionally also project beyond it on one side or on several sides or locations.

[0294] Folding tools 60, which here are formed by collar-like stripping tools 62, rigidly anchored to the base plate 58, with beveled lower longitudinal edges 64, are located on each of the two longitudinal sides of the variant of the handling tool 56 shown in FIG. 2A. The lower longitudinal edges 64, which are in each instance beveled towards the outer side of the base plate 58, are therefore spaced further apart from one another than the flanks 66, arranged above them, and closer to the base plate 58, of the stripping tools 62.

[0295] The flanks 66, which are oriented parallel to one another, of the stripping tools 62 are at an internal distance from one another that corresponds approximately to the combined width of two adjacent beverage cans 34 next to one another, such that they can provide that the side surfaces 24 be folded over and pressed against one another when the handling tool 56 is placed in the feed direction 68 when the base plate 58 is lowered onto and/or placed on the upper side of the packaging blank 14. The downwardly-diverging lower longitudinal edges 64 of the flanks 66 of the stripping tools 62, which extend in this way, also provide that the side surfaces 24 be gently folded over and precisely guided when the base plate 58 approaches the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 or when the base plate 58 is placed.

[0296] A blade-like folding punch 70 also projects from the lower side of the base plate 58, which provides that the folding region 46 be pressed into the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 as soon as the base plate 58 is either placed on the packaging blank 14 or is located at a defined vertical distance B (cf. in this regard FIG. 2D) above the packaging blank 14.

[0297] The folding punch 70, which preferably corresponds to the dimensions and in particular the length of the folding region 46 extending from narrow side to opposite narrow side of the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14, presses the packaging blank 14 in the provided region this is the folding region 46 between the rows of three beverage cans 34, which are initially still spaced apart by the horizontal distance A, and thereby activates the primary fixing element 22 (together with the folding of the side surfaces 24) and reduces the horizontal distance A to a value of zero or nearly zero, such that the beverage cans 34 all touch one another linearly at their shell surfaces 26.

[0298] Optionally, the blade-like folding punch 70 can be rigidly and immovably anchored in the base plate 58 of the handling tool 56, as this is indicated by FIG. 2A. Also conceivable is a lifting movement of the folding punch 70 transverse to the lower-side surface of the base plate 58, which can thus be moved downwards out of the base plate 58 by a defined stroke in the stroke direction 74 by an adjusting lever 72, depending upon the embodiment variant, in order to be able to press in the folding region 46 deeper between the adjacent rows of cans.

[0299] However, if the folding punch 70 cannot perform any relative movements in the stroke direction 74 relative to the base plate 58, the adjusting lever 72 serves to guide the entire handling tool 56.

[0300] FIGS. 2B and 2C show the same article grouping 20, consisting of six articles 12 in the form of beverage cans 34, which can be processed with a second embodiment variant of a handling tool 56 and provided with a packaging blank 14. While such second embodiment variant of the complete handling tool 56 is shown in FIG. 2C together with the article arrangement 20, but without the packaging blank 14, FIG. 2B shows the packaging blank 14 placed on the article arrangement 20 with the side surfaces 24 already folded over and a part of the folding tools 60 folding over or folding around such side surfaces 24, but without the other components of the handling tool 56.

[0301] Here, the folding tools 60 are formed by pivot brackets 76 hinged on both sides to the base plate 58 (cf. FIG. 2C) and pivotably mounted there, which, according to FIG. 2B, in a downwardly-pivoted state, can fold the side surfaces 24 downwards by a folding angle of approximately 90? relative to the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 and apply them against the shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12 or beverage cans 34.

[0302] The two parallel pivot axes 78, about which the two pivot brackets 76 can in each instance swivel, lie slightly above a plane that is defined by the packaging blank 14 placed on the upper end faces 16 of the articles 12 of the article grouping 20. In addition, the pivot axes 78 run parallel to the bent edges between the main surface 18 and the side surfaces 26, and thus also run parallel to the first main axis 42 (cf. in this regard FIG. 1C).

[0303] The possible pivot movements 80, which the two pivot brackets 76 can perform in each instance, in order to place the side surfaces 26 around and against the shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12 or beverage cans 34, are indicated by corresponding directional arrows in the schematic side view of FIG. 2D and in the lateral detail view of FIG. 2E.

[0304] Whereas, in the perspectival and schematic view of FIG. 2B, almost all components of the second embodiment variant of the handling tool 56 have been omitted, such that there only the two symmetrically-constructed pivot brackets 76 arranged symmetrically to the main surface 18, to the vertical separating plane mentioned above, and to the folding region 46 (not shown in FIG. 2B) are shown as substantial components of the folding tool 60, the perspectival and schematic view of FIG. 2C shows the complete handling tool 56, which is placed on the article arrangement 20. However, for the sake of clarity, the packaging blank 14 is missing from the representation here.

[0305] FIG. 2C also shows the base plate 58, which is positioned above the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14. The pivoting folding tools 60, which are shown in FIG. 2C in the same active operating state as in FIG. 2B, are mounted and held on each of the two opposite longitudinal sides of the base plate 58. In the operating state shown in FIG. 2C, the two side surfaces 24 of the packaging blank 14 are folded down by the pivot brackets 76 located there and in this way form the collar section 52 for the formation of the secondary fixing element 30 or prepare such secondary fixing element 30 (cf. FIGS. 1E and 1F).

[0306] In the embodiment variant of the handling tool 56 shown in FIGS. 2B through 2E, the base plate 58 also functions as a guide and bearing for the folding punch 70, which is recognizable in FIGS. 2D and 2E. It is also clearly recognizable there that the base plate 58 remains at a defined vertical distance B from the main surface 18 and is not placed on it, as a result of which frictional effects and other unfavorable effects can be avoided when the packaging blank 14 is pressed onto the upper end faces 16 of the beverage cans 34, when they are latched into the slot-like recesses 48, and when the side surfaces 24 are folded down. The vertical distance B thus provides that the packaging blank 14 be able to slide on the upper end faces 16 of the beverage cans 34 in the article grouping 20 during all reshaping processes and be able to perform relative movements that can occur in conjunction with the reshaping processes described here.

[0307] This also applies to the activation of the blade-like folding punch 70, which passes through a corresponding recess in the base plate 58 and, by actuating the adjusting lever 72, presses on the folding region 46 in a stroke direction 74 aligned perpendicularly to the surfaces of the base plate 58 and the main surface 18 and presses it between the two adjacent rows of cans (cf. FIGS. 2D and 2E). As a result, the mutually-facing segments of the upper lid regions 40 of the beverage cans 34 are simultaneously pressed into the corresponding slot-like recesses 48 on both longitudinal sides of the folding region 46. Such latching processes form part of the primary fixing element 22 already mentioned several times.

[0308] In principle, it would be possible to combine the downwardly-pressing blade-like folding punch 70, which pulls the rows of cans together when the folding region 46 is pressed between the two adjacent rows of cans and reduces or eliminates the horizontal distance A between them, with the pivot movements 80 of the pivot brackets 76 shown in FIGS. 2D and 2E, in such a way that, after the two side surfaces 24 of the packaging blank 14 have been folded down, such pivot brackets 76 are moved towards the longitudinal sides of the article grouping 20 far enough that they can also contribute to reducing or eliminating the distance A between the adjacent rows of cans.

[0309] However, as can be seen in FIG. 2E, such option is not intended with the embodiment variant of the handling tool 56 shown and the reshaping processes carried out with it. Rather, a small gap 82 is formed between the pivot brackets 76 and the side surfaces 24 applied to the shell surfaces 26 of the beverage cans 34, which in this way already form the collar section 52 of the packaging blank 14, if the adjacent rows of cans are drawn together after and by the pressing in of the blade-like folding punch 70, and the horizontal distance A between them is eliminated, which is illustrated by the detail view of FIG. 2E.

[0310] However, the previously spaced-apart rows of cans are not necessarily drawn together solely by the folding punch 70 lowering in the stroke direction 74; rather, this can also be supported or brought about by other measures, which will be explained in detail below.

[0311] The schematic and perspectival views of FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate different possibilities for transporting the article groupings 20 prepared for reworking into packaging units 10 in the transport direction TR. FIGS. 3A and 3B show first and second variants of a transport module 84, which comprises a base plate 86 and tray-like receptacles 88 for cylindrical articles 12, such as, for example, beverage cans 34, placed thereon. FIG. 3A shows an empty, as yet unloaded, transport module 84, while FIG. 3B shows a very similar transport module 84, which is loaded with a total of six beverage cans 34 and is thus fully occupied.

[0312] FIG. 3C shows a further transport module 84, which, however, is constructed differently from the transport modules 84 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, and which is based upon a different functional principle.

[0313] The transport module 84 (according to FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, or FIG. 3C) can be conveyed along a defined transport path (not shown here) in the transport direction TR by elements located on its lower side preferably flat and equipped with suitable driver recesses, projections, or the like while the article grouping 20 located on the respective transport module 84 can be equipped with a packaging blank 14 (cf. FIGS. 1A through 2E) and can be reworked into a packaging unit 10 (cf. FIGS. 1E and 1F) or a bundle.

[0314] Optionally, the transport modules 84, which can also be referred to as shuttles or transport shuttles, can be supported so as to float on the transport path and be in each instance centered and aligned by the handling tools 56 shown in FIGS. 2A through 2C (cf. in this regard FIG. 4 for further details).

[0315] The shell-like receptacles 88 of the transport modules 84 according to FIGS. 3A and 3B are connected to one another in such a way that only an outer, bar-like rim 90 is adapted to the contours of the beverage cans 34 to be received, wherein the rim 90 has the contour of several circular segments connected to one another at their ends with segment angles of approximately 100? for the two central rim segments to slightly more than 120? for the four corner-side rim segments. Such rim segments are connected to one another in such a way that the lower regions, close to the base, of the shell surfaces 26 of the beverage cans 34 are received therein in a positive-locking manner, wherein in each instance the three beverage cans 34 of the left and right rows (in relation to the transport direction TR or to the first main axis 42 according to FIG. 1C) are in contact with one another with their shell surfaces 26 in line contact.

[0316] In contrast, the left and right rows are initially separated from one another by the vertical separating plane (not shown), which runs in the middle of the transport module 84 in the longitudinal direction and contains the first main axis 42, and by the horizontal distance A.

[0317] FIG. 3A shows two separating bars 92, which are in each instance located in the middle between four adjacent beverage cans 34 in a square arrangement and which initially provide such horizontal distance A (cf. FIG. 1B) between the beverage cans 34 located on either side of the vertical separating plane in each instance, in that separating wings 94 suspended resiliently from the separating bars 92 anchored in a columnar manner to the base plate 86 press the beverage cans 34 against the outer bar-like rim 90 in each instance. On the front and rear narrow side (in relation to the transport direction TR) of the article grouping 20, there are additional limiting bars 96, which are also equipped with such resiliently-suspended separating wings 94, which press the beverage cans 34 resting against them towards the outer bar-like rim 90.

[0318] The vertically-extending and vertically-running spring connections on the column-like separating bars 92, and the separating wings 94, which, at the column-like limiting bars 96, yield elastically inwards in the direction of the separating plane, can yield inwards when the horizontal distance A is reduced by activating the folding punch 70, which presses the folding region 46 in the separating plane between the adjacent rows of three beverage cans 34 located in the transport module 84 (cf. FIGS. 2C through 2E), and are elastically deformed into the separating plane.

[0319] However, other variants of such ability to displace the article positions in the transport module 84 are also possible. Thus, the positions of the beverage cans can be changed when reducing the horizontal distance A by activating the folding punch 70, which presses the folding region 46 in the separating plane between the adjacent rows of three beverage cans 34 located in the transport module 84, and optionally also by activatable adjusting levers 98, which are schematically indicated in FIG. 3B. The adjusting levers 98 can, for example, be located on the upper end faces of the front and rear limiting bars 96 and, by pressing into the limiting bar 96, trigger or release a displacement of the article positions transverse to the transport direction TR or transverse to the first main axis 42.

[0320] In a further variant of a transport module 84 according to FIG. 3C, in which an article grouping 20 with a total of six articles 12 or beverage cans 34 is transported in two separate rows of three, such rows of three are held and guided in transport aisles 100. A separating bar 102 located in the middle between the rows of three separates the two transport aisles 100, while outer limiting bars 104 define the width of each of the two transport aisles 100.

[0321] The distances between the separating bar 102 and the outer limiting bars 104 on both longitudinal sides of the transport module 84 define the width of the transport aisles 100 and are based upon the outer diameters of the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 to be handled and transported. In addition, the width of the middle separating bar 102 defines the horizontal distance A between the two rows of three.

[0322] To produce the packaging units 10 with the two adjacent rows of three beverage cans 34, wherein the horizontal distance A is eliminated, the beverage cans 34 must be brought together, such that there can no longer be a separating bar 102; the two, previously separate transport aisles 100 are brought together to form a common transport lane, which will be illustrated in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 14B and 14C.

[0323] The schematic perspectival representation of FIG. 4 illustrates the interaction of some of the components and individual elements already explained above, viz., the transport module 84 according to FIG. 3A with a total of six receiving regions and beverage cans 34 inserted therein in each instance, and the handling tool 56 according to FIG. 2C, which is located at a distance above the article grouping 20 located in the transport module 84, with the folding tools 60 pivoted apart and the packaging blank 14 adhering to the lower side of the base plate 58 and not yet deformed.

[0324] In the representation in FIG. 4, the adjusting lever 72 with the folding punch 70 attached to the lower side is pulled upwards out of its guide in the base plate 58. For the proper functioning of the handling tool 56, it would have to be inserted there in the vertical direction in order to be able to be moved downwards in the stroke direction 74 when reshaping the packaging blank 14.

[0325] The pivot brackets 76, which are pivoted apart laterally and which are mounted in the pivot axes 78 on both longitudinal sides of the base plate 58, are in a raised position, which does not yet deform or press down the side surfaces 24 of the packaging blank 14.

[0326] Furthermore, FIG. 4 shows two centering pins 106, which are fastened to front and rear extensions on the narrow sides of the base plate 58 and which project perpendicularly from the lower side of the base plate 58, such that they point vertically downwards in the direction of the transport module 84 when the handling tool 56 is used as intended. The centering pins 106 are in each instance positioned on the extensions of the narrow sides of the base plate 58 in such a way that they do not touch or collide with the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 to be arranged between them, i.e., they are at a distance from one another that is greater than the length of the main surface 18 between the centering pins 106.

[0327] When the handling tool 56 is lowered onto the transport module 84 in order to apply the packaging blank 14 to the article grouping 20 inserted there, the centering pins 106 can engage in corresponding receiving holes 108, such that the transport module 84 can be positioned and centered precisely relative to the handling tool 56. FIG. 3A shows that one of the receiving holes 108 can be formed by an elongated hole, which can prevent undesired jamming or tilting of the centering pins 106 in the receiving holes 108 if the handling tool 56 is pulled off upwards again.

[0328] As can be seen in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the two receiving holes 108 are in each instance located in sockets that are arranged close to the narrow sides of the base plate 86. On the inner sides, pointing away from the narrow sides, of such two sockets, there are limiting bars 96, which provide for the beverage cans 34 resting there to be guided.

[0329] The schematic perspectival views of FIGS. 5A and 5B show further embodiment variants of folding tools 60 (FIG. 5A) and of a handling tool 56.

[0330] For example, FIG. 5A shows folding tools 60 that can be displaced parallel to the longitudinal central axes and the shell surfaces 26 of the beverage cans 34 in the article grouping 20, and which can thus be lowered in synchronization with the feed directions 68, during their intended use, perpendicularly to the surface or main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14. In this way, the folding tools 60 provide that the side surfaces 24 can be folded downwards in the manner shown and placed on the shell surfaces 26 of the beverage cans 34.

[0331] The handling tool 56 shown in FIG. 5B corresponds with regard to its folding tools 60 rigidly anchored to the base plate 58 to the embodiment variant already shown in FIG. 2A and explained in detail above.

[0332] In contrast, FIG. 5B shows additional components, viz., negative pressure grippers or suction grippers 110, with which the packaging blank 14 can be grasped, positioned, and held in the handling tool 56, in order to be able to place it precisely at the desired position on the upper side of the article grouping 20. By switching off the suction pressure at the suction grippers 110, the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 can be detached and separated from the base plate 58 of the handling tool 56 as required, in order to subsequently, by lowering the handling tool 56, carry out the provided (and above-described) forming and manipulation steps to form the bundle or packaging unit 10.

[0333] The schematic perspectival representation of FIG. 6 shows an optional but practical configuration variant of the pivoting folding tools 60 according to FIGS. 2B through 2E and FIG. 4. In order to be able to fold the strip sections 28, which in each instance form extensions of the side surfaces 24 on their narrow sides, immediately when the side surfaces 24 are applied against the shell surfaces 26 of the beverage cans 34 and in this way to prepare the secondary fixing element 30, additional molded parts 112 are attached to the pivot brackets 76 in each instance.

[0334] The molded parts 112 are in each instance located at the lateral rims of the pivot brackets, such that they partially enclose the shell surfaces 20 of the corner-side beverage cans 34 when they are fed to the article grouping 20, such that they already apply the strip sections 28 to the narrow sides of the article grouping 20 during the application and folding over of the side surfaces 24.

[0335] By additional fastening and/or application tools not shown here, the overlapping regions of the strip sections 28 can be fixed to one anotherfor example, by bonding after applying a sufficient volume of adhesive. This can, for example, be a cold glue, a hot glue, or a self-adhesive surface on one of the strip sections 28, or another fixing aid.

[0336] The schematic perspectival view of FIG. 7 shows a conceivable embodiment variant of a folding tool 114 together with its control elements for controlling the movement of several folding fingers 116, which can in particular replace molded parts 112 such as those shown in FIG. 6.

[0337] A transverse beam 118 running in a plane above the strip sections 28 to be folded over, which form the strapping sections 32 and thus the secondary fixing element 30 when bonded together or fixed to one another in the final state, is guided laterally in a circumferentially-guided endless traction device 120 such as, for example, a circumferential chain or a belt. The endless traction device 120 are guided by two part guide wheels 122, at least one of which is motor-driven.

[0338] A total of three pairs of folding fingers 116 are held and mounted on the transverse beam 118, which project downwards into a movement plane of the packaging units 10 and can contact the packaging units 10 if they are moved along or against the transport direction TR of the packaging units 10 by the transverse beam 118.

[0339] Furthermore, the folding fingers 116 can be fed in pairs towards one another or moved away from one another, i.e., they can be moved transversely to the transverse beam 118 over defined adjustment paths in each instance, while the transverse beam is moved along or against the transport direction TR of the packaging units 10 by the endless traction device 120 in its defined plane of movement. Such transverse movement of the folding fingers 116 is controlled by guide slots 124, each of which comprises straight and parallel sections, in which the folding fingers 116 are spaced closer together, and other straight and parallel sections in which the folding fingers 116 are spaced further apart.

[0340] Such sections of the guide slots 124, which run parallel to one another in pairs in each instance, are in each instance connected by inclined sections, in which the guide slots 124 move symmetrically away from one another or symmetrically towards one another. The folding movements required for folding over the strip sections 28 of the packaging blanks 14 can be generated with the circulation of the transverse beam 118 and the folding fingers 116 guided thereby in the correspondingly-contoured guide slots 124.

[0341] The schematic perspectival views of FIGS. 8A through 8D illustrate an embodiment variant of a handling tool 56, which is characterized here by an application head 130 with a total of four integrated application units 132 for simultaneous and in particular synchronous handling of four article groupings 20, wherein each of the application units 132 is provided for equipping in each instance one of the article groupings 20 shown as examples in FIGS. 1A through 1F with a flat packaging blank 14.

[0342] As illustrated in particular in FIG. 8A with its perspectival view of the application head 130 from above at an angle, the total of four application units 132 are anchored to a carrier frame 134, which is rotatably suspended from a movable arm section 136. Such arm section 136, of which only a vertical part is indicated by interrupted lines in FIG. 8A, can in particular enable the application head 130 to move within a defined movement space, which is not shown in detail here. Thus, the vertical part of the arm section 136 indicated in FIG. 8A can be part of a cantilever arm that is movable within the movement space and that may have joints that enable the arm section 136 to be raised and lowered together with the application head 130 suspended therefrom.

[0343] The application head 130 equipped with the four application units 132 can be moved with the aid of the movable cantilever arm or possibly by a gantry suspension (not shown here) or another type of suspension within its movement space between a stockpile or a supply point (not shown here) for the packaging blanks 14 that are flat and normally still unfolded, but provided with the required punch-outs and apertures, and a supply point or a conveyor section with the article groupings 20 held ready there.

[0344] The four application units 132 anchored in defined positions and at defined distances from one another in a rectangular arrangement on the carrier frame 134 of the application head 130 require a corresponding arrangement of the four article groupings 20 held ready at the same defined distances from one another and in the same defined alignments, such that the four application units 132 can in each instance be positioned precisely above the suitably-aligned article groupings 20.

[0345] On the arm section 136, which can be raised and lowered, the application head 130 with its four application units 132 and together with the packaging blanks 14 respectively received there and held therein can be lowered after being positioned above the article groupings 20 or in a flowing movement after bringing together the article groupings 20 held ready in suitable positions and alignments.

[0346] As illustrated in particular by the perspectival detail view of FIG. 8D, which shows one of the application units 132 from below at an angle without a packaging blank 14 held there, the packaging blanks 14 can be received from the stockpile stack or from a therefor suitable and equipped supply point and temporarily held in the respective application unit 132 with the aid of suitable suction elements 138, several of which are located in the application head 130 and which can in each instance be subjected to negative pressure in order to receive the flat packaging blanks 14.

[0347] FIGS. 8A through 8D in each instance show two such suction elements 138 formed by suction punches 140 in each of the four application units 132, such that there are a total of eight such suction elements 138 or suction punches 140 in the application head 130. The suction elements 138 or suction punches 140 in each instance have negative pressure lines 142 for, in particular, controllable and/or disconnectable supply with negative pressure, which can be supplied to the negative pressure lines 142 via a central supply line in the arm section 136, which is not shown in more detail here.

[0348] Optionally, the suction elements 138 or suction punches 140, each equipped with separate negative pressure lines 142, can be controlled together or individually. To receive and hold the packaging blanks 14 on the lower side in the application head 130, the negative pressure on the suction elements 138 or suction punches 140 can preferably be activated and deactivated for dispensing the packaging blanks 14.

[0349] Thus, if the packaging blanks 14 are to be placed on the article groupings 20 after positioning over the article groupings 20 and/or after synchronization with the article groupings 20 conveyed or further conveyed on a horizontal conveying device, for example, and after the application head 130 has been lowered, and are to be pressed on and latched there, forming the primary fixing element 22 (cf. FIGS. 1A through 1F), it is practical and necessary to deactivate the negative pressure applied to the suction elements 138 or suction punches 140, as a result of which the packaging blanks 14 held in each instance by two suction elements 138 or suction punches 140 can be released, and their previously temporarily maintained fixing in the application head 130 can be eliminated.

[0350] As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 8C and 8D with their views from below at an angle onto the application units 132, the two suction elements 138 or suction punches 140 of each application unit 132 are located diagonally offset to one another and at practical distances from one another in order to be able to receive a flat packaging blank 14 from a stack with only two such suction elements 138 or suction punches 140 and hold it reliably until it is placed on the article grouping 20 provided for this purpose.

[0351] The release of the packaging blanks 14 and their respective latching onto the upper sides of the article groupings 20 provided for this purpose is supported by further components in the application head 130 or in its application units 132. Thus, in the embodiment variant of the application head 130 shown, the formation of the primary fixing element 22 is supported by flat contact plates 144 arranged movably in the application units 132, which can in each instance be lowered perpendicularly to the surface of the packaging blanks 14 resting against them and thus generally in a vertical direction relative to the application units 132, while, at the same time, the negative pressure of the suction elements 138 or suction punches 140 that holds the packaging blank 14 in place in the respective application unit 132 is deactivated.

[0352] As can be seen from FIGS. 8A through 8D, the contact plates 144 are dimensioned approximately according to the size and extent of the main surfaces 18 of the packaging blanks 14.

[0353] Since the contact plates 144 in each instance have matching circular recesses 146 at the positions of the suction elements 138 or suction punches 140 anchored in a fixed position in the respective application unit 132 (cf. FIGS. 8C and 8D), each of the contact plates 144 together with the packaging blank 14 (cf. FIG. 8B) can be lowered onto the upper side of the respective article grouping 20 and preferably pressed on there (cf. the perspectival side view of FIG. 8B), while the suction elements 138 or suction punches 140 reaching through the corresponding recesses 146 of the contact plate 144 are without negative pressure, such that the packaging blank 14 can be detached from there largely without resistance.

[0354] The contact plates 144, which are movable within a defined linear path, can be moved between their end positions, i.e., raised or lowered in particular, by suitable linear guides and/or linear motors 148 relative to the respective application unit 132 of the application head 130. As illustrated in each of FIGS. 8A through 8D, each of the contact plates 144 that can be raised and lowered can be suspended from two pneumatically-actuatable linear motors 148, wherein the associated linear motors 148 are in each instance located on opposite narrow sides of each contact plate 144. The linear motors 148 can optionally also be formed by electric motors or by otherwise actuatable linear sliders or similar actuators.

[0355] The schematic perspectival view of FIG. 8B shows the process phase of placing the still unfolded packaging blanks 14 on the upper side of the article grouping 20. The negative pressure at the suction elements 138 or suction punches 140 is deactivated, and the contact plate 144 is lowered completely relative to the lower frame section 150 by the linear motors 148 anchored to a lower frame section 150. Such lower frame section 150 forms a supporting element that receives the components of the total of four application units 132 and is firmly anchored to such upper carrier frame 134 in a position spaced apart from the upper carrier frame 134.

[0356] As previously explained with reference to FIGS. 1A through 1F, during the further course of the production of the packaging units 10 and by moving the contact plate 144 to its lower stop, the packaging blank 14 is connected or latched to the articles 12 of the article grouping 20, forming the primary fixing element 22. In this context, the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14, which is placed on the upper side of the article grouping 20 and in particular latched or otherwise fixed there, is deformed in its folding region 46 and pressed in between the adjacent rows of articles, wherein adjacent primary fixing element 22 together with the articles 12 held therein are brought closer to one anotherin particular, until the adjacent articles 12 are in touching contact.

[0357] FIG. 8B does not show the horizontal distance A previously explained with reference to FIG. 1B, even if this distance A is preferably present between the adjacent rows of articles or cans shown, since such a distance is helpful for forming the folding region 46 by the shaping device arranged in the respective application unit 132 and for forming the packaging blank 14 in the desired and intended manner. This issue is particularly relevant for the slim or sleek cans shown here, which are to be processed into packaging units 10.

[0358] After the preferably simultaneous lowering of the total of four contact plates 144 together with the packaging blanks 14 resting on the lower side thereof onto the upper sides of the respective article groupings 20, and after the latching of the articles 12 or cans 34 with the respective associated packaging blank 14, which was defined above as the production of the primary fixing element 22, the articles 12 or rows of articles of the respective grouping 20, which are preferably at least slightly spaced apart from one another in such process phase (distance A; cf. FIG. 1B), can be subjected to the further handling step described below, which provides for the V-shaped reshaping of the folding region 46 in the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14, as already explained above, along with the bringing together of the rows of articles of the grouping 20 up to their touching contact, such that the usual rectangular arrangement of the grouping 20 is produced, which also corresponds to the arrangement within the packaging units 10 to be completed later.

[0359] In the embodiment variant of the handling tool 56 or of the application head 130 shown here, the V-shaped section of the packaging blank 14 already explained above and its pressing in between the previously spaced-apart rows of articles takes place by knife-like or blade-shaped shaping elements 152, arranged in a fixed position in the respective application units 132 of the application head 130, which elements are also to be referred to here according to their function as folding blades 154. When the contact plate 144 is lowered, each of such folding blades 154 lies above the level of the contact plate 144 and is thus concealed by the latter, such that each of the folding blades 154 cannot become effective when the packaging blank 14 is pressed onto the upper side of the article grouping 20 and when the first fixing element 22 are formed at the same time.

[0360] FIG. 8B shows such process phase with the shaping elements 152 or folding blades 154, anchored in the lower frame section 150 and projecting perpendicularly downwards, which are clearly spaced apart from the lowered contact plates 144 in each instance.

[0361] The process phase immediately following the placement of the packaging blank 14 on the article grouping 20 provides for the lifting of the contact plates 144 after the primary fixing element 22 have been produced and with the suction elements 138 or suction punches 140 practically still deactivated, but this is not illustrated in this form in FIGS. 8A through 8D for application units 132 acting upon the article groupings 20.

[0362] As is recognizable in the perspectival view of FIG. 8C and in the perspectival detail view of FIG. 8D, the knife-like or blade-shaped shaping element 152 formed by the folding blade 154 extends through corresponding slot-like recesses 156 of the contact plate 144 when the contact plate 144 is raised against the lower frame section 150, such that it projects downwards out of the contact plate 144 when the contact plate 144 is raised and can become effective in the desired manner.

[0363] With the contact plates 144 raised against the lower frame section 150, the application head 130 can thus be lowered further until the folding blades 154 reach the packaging blanks 14 and press them down in a V-shape between the rows of articles in the respective folding regions 46 in the manner described, wherein the V-shaped deformed folding region 46 of the respective packaging blanks 14 is pressed in between the adjacent rows of articles.

[0364] Since the previously spaced-apart articles or rows of articles are drawn together, suitable guides are practical, to allow this bringing together to take place in a controlled manner. In principle, pressing in the V-shaped folding region 46 of the packaging blank 14 and lowering it between the articles 12 or rows of articles is sufficient to bring them closer together and provide that they be pulled or pushed towards one another.

[0365] The lowering movement of the entire application head 130 and the resulting synchronous feed movement of the four application units 132, in each instance with contact plates 144 raised to their upper stop against the lower frame section 150, enable the knife-like or blade-shaped shaping elements 152 or folding blades 154 exposed thereby to be pressed into the upper-side main surfaces 18 of the packaging blanks 14 along the respective folding regions 46 located there.

[0366] Such lowering movement of the application head 130 is also used to fold the side surfaces 24, which are set off on both longitudinal sides of the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 by creases, downwards at folding angles of approximately 90? in each instance, and to place them against the respective shell surfaces 26 of the article grouping 20. In the embodiment variant shown, such folding movements are carried out by lateral folding elements 158 that are fixedly or rigidly anchored in the application head 130 and that become effective and can engage with the packaging blank 14 as soon as the application head 130 is lowered in the direction of the upper side of the article groupings 20.

[0367] The folding elements 158 arranged on the lower frame section 150 of the respective application units 132 of the application head 130 on both longitudinal sides of each height-adjustable contact plate 144 and at small distances therefrom are formed by rigid tools or folding tools 160 in the exemplary embodiment shown, which are located in positions of the respective application units 132, where they can meet the side surfaces 24 of the flat packaging blank 14, which are defined by bending or folding edges and delimited in this way from the main surface 18, in order to be able to apply these to the opposite shell surfaces 26 of the article grouping 20. Thus, the folding elements 158 are formed by folding tools 160 that are anchored to the lower frame section 150 and project perpendicularly downwards from the lower side thereof and are designed in the form of strips that, due to their anchoring in the respective application unit 132, are fixed in their unchangeable relative positions with respect to the suction elements 138 and with respect to the contact plates 144 that can be raised and lowered in the application units 132.

[0368] A ramp-like bevel 162 on the folding tools 160 can assist in pushing together the previously spaced-apart articles 12 or rows of articles if the knife-like or blade-shaped shaping element 152 is activated. This is the case when the application head 130 is lowered, such that the lower end faces of the folding tools 160 are initially placed on the side faces 24 of the packaging blank 14. As soon as the folding process progresses by further lowering the application head 130, the side surfaces 24 of the packaging blank 18, which are bent downwards by the folding tools 160, slide along the ramp-like bevels 162 on the inner sides, facing the side surfaces 24, of the folding tools 160, until they are completely folded downwards and placed against the shell surfaces 26 of the respective article grouping 20.

[0369] On the other hand, the vertical surfaces of the lateral folding elements 158 adjoining the ramp-like bevels 162 at the top have a practical spacing, which corresponds approximately to the width of the two rows of articles of the article grouping 20 pushed together, wherein the previously-existing spacing A between the rows of articles (cf. FIG. 1B) is eliminated.

[0370] In a later method step, after the application head 130 has been lifted from the article groupings 20 provided with the packaging blanks 14, these can preferably be subjected to further handling and/or treatment steps, with which further measures can be taken to complete the packaging units 10. Such steps can, in particular, be the further processing of the secondary fixing element 30 by folding the strapping sections 32 and the bonding of overlapping and superimposed strip sections 28 (cf. in this regard FIGS. 1E and 1F and FIG. 10A ff. explained below).

[0371] The perspectival view of FIG. 8E shows a further embodiment variant of the application head 130 according to the invention, which is equipped here with three application units 132 arranged next to one another and spaced apart from one another for equipping a total of three article groupings 20 with packaging blanks 14.

[0372] The carrier frame 134, which is rotatably held on a vertical arm section 136 (cf. in this regard FIG. 8A), along with the frame section 150 anchored on the lower side of the carrier frame 134 for receiving the three application units 132, is modified relative to the previously-shown variant (FIGS. 8A through 8D), such that the three application units 132 are arranged in a row next to one another. The remaining structure and the mode of operation of the application units 132 preferably do not differ from the previously-explained variant with the four application units 132 grouped in a rectangular arrangement in the application head 130.

[0373] Such an application head 130, as shown in FIG. 8E, is suitable for processing three article groupings 20 conveyed next to one another or for simultaneously processing three article groupings 20 conveyed one behind the other.

[0374] The schematic flowchart in FIG. 9 is intended to illustrate successive method steps in the production of packaging units 10, which are formed from several articles 12 such as, in particular, beverage cans 34. These are initially transferred in a dividing module 170 from a mass flow into a multi-row transport flow, as shown in some further detail in FIGS. 14A through 14C. The further transport of the articles or beverage cans 34 can in particular be aisle-guided, which is to be indicated here in general by an aisle guide 172. Preferably, grouping also takes place in such aisle guide 172, such that a grouping module 174 can also be assigned to the aisle guide 172.

[0375] Within the grouping module 174, provision can be made in particular for the formation of the 3?2 rectangular arrangement of the article groupings 20 according to the previously-shown exemplary embodiment (cf. FIGS. 1A through 1F) and for the spacing and arrangement of four such article groupings 20 corresponding to the dimensions and positioning of the application units 132 in the application head 130 (cf. FIGS. 8A through 8D).

[0376] In a subsequent application module 176, the packaging blanks 14 are applied in the manner described above, which means that the primary fixing element 22 are produced by placing the packaging blank 14 and latching or otherwise connecting them to the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 of the respective article grouping 20.

[0377] In a separate further step, the band sections can be connected to one another and reshaped into strapping sections 32, which means producing the secondary fixing element 30 by folding over, pretensioning, and fixing the overlapping strip sections 28 and forming them into the strapping sections 32 (cf. FIG. 1E and FIG. 1F). Such reshaping can take place in particular in a strapping module 178, as it is referred to here, which can be equipped, for example, with a folding tool 114 according to FIG. 7, with a folding element 158 or folding tool 160 (cf. FIGS. 8A through 8E), or with another tool or handling combination.

[0378] FIG. 10A shows a perspectival and schematic view from above at an angle of two, successively-conveyed article groupings 20, on the upper side of which a packaging blank 14 has been placed in each instance, as already shown in a detailed representation in FIG. 1C. The main surfaces 18 of the packaging blanks 14 thus in each instance cover the upper sides of the articles 12 or cans 34 forming the article grouping 20, while the side surfaces 24 adjoining the opposite longitudinal sides of the main surface 18 on both sides and set off there by bent edges, together with the extensions continuing on their respective narrow sides to form strip sections 28, are already folded down laterally in the direction of the side surfaces of the article groupings 20, but have not yet been completely applied to the side surfaces of the article groupings 20.

[0379] Such complete lateral application of the side surfaces 24 and the strip sections 28 is to take place only in subsequent process steps using a further embodiment variant of a handling tool 56 according to the invention, which is formed here by a strapping head 180. Such strapping head 180 essentially serves to produce the secondary fixing element 30, formed by the overlapping regions connected to one another of the strip sections 28, which are reshaped into the strapping sections 32 using and by supporting use of the strapping heads 180. Such handling steps are explained below with reference to the following FIGS. 10B through 13B.

[0380] In a modification to the representation according to FIGS. 1C and 1D, the strip sections 28 adjoining the narrow sides of the side faces 24 are in each instance shorter on one of the side faces 24 and longer on the other, while this is reversed in the case of the packaging blank 14 of a subsequent or adjacent article grouping 20. The packaging blank 14, which has been placed on the article grouping 20 located on the left in FIG. 10A, has a partially folded-down side surface 24 in the foreground with two shorter strip sections 28-k on its opposite narrow sides, while the opposite side surface 24, which is located in the background, has two longer strip sections 28-1 on its opposite narrow sides.

[0381] In contrast, the packaging blank 14, which has been placed on the article grouping 20 located on the right in FIG. 10A, has a partially folded-down side surface 24 in the foreground with two longer strip sections 28-1 on its opposite narrow sides, while the opposite side surface 24 of this packaging blank 14, which is located in the background, has two shorter strip sections 28-k on its opposite narrow sides. In this way, shorter strip sections 28-k are aligned with longer strip sections 28-1 when article groupings 20 are transported in succession, such that they do not collide or touch one another when article groupings 20 are transported in close succession.

[0382] FIG. 10B, in a perspectival and schematic view from below at an angle of four, successively-conveyed article groupings 20, on the upper side of which a packaging blank 14 has been placed in each instance, shows how the article groupings 20 conveyed one behind the other and at a distance from one another in the transport direction TR successively reach the manipulation region of the strapping heads 180 suspended above the conveyed article groupings 20. While the packaging blanks 14 can be placed on the upper sides of the article groupings 20, forming the primary fixing element 22 (cf. FIGS. 1C through 1F), by handling tools 56 or application heads 130 (cf. in this regard FIGS. 8A through 8E), which are not shown here in greater detail, the secondary fixing element 30, as described above and illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1E and 1F, can be formed and completed by the strapping heads 180 schematically indicated in FIG. 10B.

[0383] The strapping heads 180 are in each instance arranged in regions above a conveying level for the article groupings 20 conveyed one behind the other in the conveying direction TR with the primary fixing element 22, which are in each instance placed on the upper side and preferably already produced or formed, such that they can in each instance access the article groupings 20 from above. Such access to the two article groupings 20 conveyed in front is schematically indicated in FIG. 10B, wherein a strapping head 180 has already been completely placed on the right article grouping 20, i.e., on the article grouping 20 conveyed in front in the transport direction TR, while a further strapping head 180 has not yet completely grasped the article grouping 20 adjoining it and enclosed it on the upper side; rather, in the representation of FIG. 10B, it is in the process of being placed there and grasping the article grouping 20.

[0384] Even if this is not yet recognizable by FIG. 10B, a plurality of the strapping heads 180 can be guided endlessly in a circulating movement in a direction of circulation UR (cf. in this regard FIG. 12), such that each of the many strapping heads 180 can in each instance accompany exactly one article grouping 20 over a limited section of the respective transport section 230 (cf. in this regard FIGS. 14A through 14C) and can act upon such article grouping 20 in such a way as to form the secondary fixing element 30, as will be described below.

[0385] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 10B, three strapping heads 180 are in each instance suspended at lateral distances from one another on a cross member 182 circulating in the direction of circulation UR, wherein several cross members 182, in each instance with three strapping heads 180 suspended thereon at distances from one another that correspond in each instance to the distances between the article groupings 20 conveyed one behind the other, are moved successively in the direction of circulation UR parallel to the transport direction TR. Of course, the direction of circulation UR runs transversely to the longitudinal extension direction of the cross members 182.

[0386] Of the three parallel rows of article groupings 20 conveyed next to one another by the three parallel strapping heads 180 on each of the cross members 182 in each instance, FIG. 10B shows, for the sake of clarity, only a section of a row with four article groupings 20 conveyed one behind the other.

[0387] Suspensions 184 with rollers 186 are located at both end-face ends of the cross members 182, such that the suspensions 184 with the cross members 182 rigidly fastened thereto circulate endlessly in rail systems provided for this purpose, and the strapping heads 180 can be guided at suitable distances above the conveyor level for the article groupings 20, at least over the aforementioned limited section of the respective transport section 230, in order to bring the strapping heads 180 into engagement with the article groupings 20 in each instance.

[0388] The aforementioned rail system for guiding the rollers 186 rotatably mounted in the suspensions 184 is not shown in FIG. 10B, but can be seen more clearly in FIGS. 12, 13A, and 13B. The alignment and course of the rail system and thus the movement of the endlessly circulating cross members 182 together with the strapping heads 180 suspended from them can also be clearly seen there.

[0389] FIG. 10C shows the most important components of the strapping head 180 in a schematic and perspectival representation along with their interaction with an article grouping 20, which is equipped on the upper side with a packaging blank 14, the main surface 18 of which rests on the upper sides or upper end faces 16 of the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 forming the article grouping 20 and is latched therepreferably forming the primary fixing element 22. The side surfaces 24, which are attached to the opposite longitudinal sides of the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 and are set off there from the main surface 18 by bent edges, are already pivoted downwards by approximately 45? . . . 60? in each instance, but, in the representation of FIG. 10C, are not yet in contact with the respective shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 forming the article grouping 20.

[0390] In the representation of FIG. 10C, the strapping head 180 is in an angular position comparable to the still-inclined strapping head 180 according to FIG. 10B, which is located there shortly before being placed on the second article grouping 20 from the right, which corresponds to a position of the cross member 182 with the strapping head 180 held thereon at the exit of the deflection of the rail system guiding the cross member 182 (cf. FIGS. 12, 13A, and 13B). Since the rail system describes 180? deflections in each instance in front of and behind the section running straight and parallel to the transport direction TR, within which the strapping heads 180 are located precisely above the respective article groupings 20, the strapping heads 180 in the deflection sections dip obliquely and increasingly flatly from above onto the upper sides of the article groupings 20 and also lift off again at the other 180? deflection at an initially flat and then steeper angle.

[0391] The perspectival view of FIG. 10C illustrates the phase of the gradual lowering of the strapping head 180 shown onto the upper side of the article grouping 20 assigned to it, wherein the direction of circulation UR of the strapping head 180 in such section follows the outgoing deflection of the rail system (not shown here). The strapping head 180 is still inclined by approximately 45?, which means that a tangent to the direction of movement of the strapping head 180 corresponding to the direction of circulation UR forms this angle of approximately 45? with the transport direction TR.

[0392] To form the first fixing element 22 shown in FIGS. 1C through 1F, which effect the latching of the packaging blank 14 with upper regions of the article grouping 20, first handling elements designated as such, but not shown in the drawings, can be used here. Such first handling elements can be formed, for example, by correspondingly-equipped handling tools 56 (cf. in this regard FIGS. 2A through 6) or by correspondingly-equipped application heads 130 (cf. in this regard FIGS. 8A through 8E), in each instance with suitable devices for holding and/or receiving packaging blanks 14, for applying the packaging blanks 14 to the article groupings 20 and possibly for V-shaped folding of the packaging blank 14 in the folding region 46, which is provided in the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14.

[0393] Furthermore, such first handling elements can preferably have devices suitable for this purpose for folding the side surfaces 24 to both sides of the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14, as a result of which the article groupings 20 are prepared in the manner shown in FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C, in order to place the side surfaces 24 folded over in this way completely on the shell sides of the article groupings 20 and to reshape the strip sections 28 into strapping sections 32, as a result of which the secondary fixing element 30 can be formed.

[0394] According to a terminology and system selected in this way, the strapping head 180 shown comprises further or second handling elements 188 that can be fed towards one another and that serve to apply the foldable side surfaces 24 of the packaging blank 14 that are adjacent to the longitudinal sides of the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14 and project laterally beyond the upper side of the article grouping 20, and to prepare and form the secondary fixing element 30 interacting with shell surfaces of the articles 12. As already illustrated in FIGS. 1E and 1F, such secondary fixing element 30 are formed by strapping sections 32, which are formed from the overlapping strip sections 28, extending the side surfaces 24 and joined together and connected to one another by suitable adhesion points such as, for example, bondings 54 preferably with the application of a defined pretensioning.

[0395] The handling elements 188, which engage the two longitudinal sides of the article grouping 20 at the level of the folded-over side surfaces 24 in contact with the shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12, and which can be fed towards one another, are shaped in such a way that their inner sides, which are in contact with the side surfaces 24 and strip sections 28, are in contact with the shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12 and can be pressed on there, wherein elastically-deformable molded parts 190 are provided for pressing on and establishing adhesive connections between the respective overlapping strip sections 28 to form the strapping sections 32. To ensure that the strip sections 28 adhere to one another after they have been joined together, as a result of which the strapping sections 32 produced remain permanently connected, suitable adhesion points or bondings 54 are to be applied to at least one of the respective overlapping strip sections 28 in each instance, as has already been explained above.

[0396] The design of the handling elements 188 along with the contours and the deformation behavior of the elastically-deformable molded parts 190 arranged there, the feed movements of the handling elements 188, and the mode of operation of the strapping head 180 during its interaction with an article grouping 20 are explained in detail below with reference to FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D.

[0397] For example, FIG. 11A illustrates a top view of a possible design of one of the total of four elastically-deformable molded parts 190, with which each of the strapping heads 180 is equipped. The molded part 190 has a base section 192 with which it can be anchored in a holder 194 of the associated handling element 188. The perspectival view of FIG. 10C shows the two holders 194 of the handling element 188, which can be fed towards one another and in each of which two such molded parts 190 are anchored.

[0398] A tool section 196 is also connected to the base section 192, which tool section serves to act upon the article groupings 20 and to interact in such a way that the strapping sections 32 can be formed in the desired manner from the superimposed strip sections 28 of the side surfaces 24.

[0399] In the top view shown in FIG. 11A, the tool section 196 of the molded part 190 has an L-shaped contour with a rounded transition between the two legs 198 and 200 of the L-shaped tool section 196, wherein the rounded region, which is to be referred to below as the shaping region turned towards the strip sections 28 of the packaging blank 14 and the article grouping 20 covered thereby, as shaping element 202, or as elastic shaping element 202, corresponds practically to the contour of the article grouping 20 to be processed in its respective corner region. That is, the curvature radius of the shaping element 202 of the tool section 196 corresponds approximately to the outer diameter of one of the articles 12 or one of the beverage cans 34 from which the article grouping 20 is formed.

[0400] The body of the tool section 196 resembles a hollow body in sections, since at least the second leg 200 not turned towards the base section 192 is not made of solid material, but is formed by a box-shaped body 204 with open end faces, which, in conjunction with a practical material selection as an elastic plastic material, gives the entire tool section 196 of the molded part 190 a deformability transverse to the outer walls of the body 204. The outer walls of the body 204 forming the second leg 200 of the tool section 196 are preferably of a height sufficient to make the body 204 torsionally rigid and allow it to deform substantially only transversely to the outer walls. The thickness or strength of the strip-like outer walls is preferably significantly less than the height of the strips, which gives the body 204 the desired torsional rigidity.

[0401] As FIG. 11A clearly shows, the strip-like outer walls of the body 204 of the second leg 200 enclose an elongated cavity 206, which becomes slightly wider in the direction towards the first leg 198, while it becomes narrower in the direction towards the free end of the second leg 200. This free end of the second leg 200 is at the greatest distance of the tool section 196 from the base section 192.

[0402] The connection of the tool section 196 to the base section 192 is not formed by solid material, but by several connecting strips 208, which can preferably in each instance be of the same height as the body 204 of the tool section 196, but which are shaped as relatively thin-walled strips 208 relative to their height.

[0403] The alignment of the two, three, or four respective spaced-apart connecting strips 208 connecting the first leg 198 of the tool section 196 to the base section 192 provides a defined deformation behavior if the tool section 196 is pressed against the longitudinal side of the article assembly 20 in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first leg 198 connected to the base section 192 (cf. in this regard FIGS. 11B and 11C).

[0404] As FIG. 11A also shows, three parallel and spaced-apart connecting strips 208 are arranged between the base section 192 and the first leg 198, each of which is in an inclined alignment of approximately 45? relative to the longitudinal extension directions of the base section 192 and the first leg 198, respectively.

[0405] The material selection of the preferably integrally-formed and produced molded part 190, which can be formed in particular by an elastically-deformable thermoplastic material or by a suitable elastomer material possibly equipped with incorporated fiber reinforcement provides the desired deformability when the strapping head 180 is used, if the two holders 194 of the second handling elements 188 with the molded parts 190 fastened therein are moved towards one another and in this way form the strapping sections 32.

[0406] Since, according to the perspectival view of FIG. 10C and the schematic plan views of FIGS. 11B and 11C, two such molded parts 190 are in each instance arranged with their respective base sections 192 in the two holders 194 of the handling elements 188, wherein the tool sections 196 of the molded parts 190 with their concavely-rounded shaping elements 202 point towards the corner regions of the respective article grouping 20 to be handled, and since the two holders 194 of the handling elements 188 can be fed towards one another in a feed direction C perpendicularly to the longitudinal extension directions of the holders 194 (cf. FIG. 11B), as a result of which their altogether four shaped parts 190 act upon the corner regions of the article grouping 20, the side surfaces 24 can be pressed against the longitudinal sides of the article grouping 20 and the strip sections 28 against the narrow sides of the article grouping 20 in such a way that the strapping sections 32 can thus be produced (cf. in this regard FIGS. 1E and 1F).

[0407] The pure feed movement in the feed direction C (FIG. 11B) of the two holders 194 of the handling elements 188, which are placed against the longitudinal sides of the article grouping 20, does not yet deform the molded parts 190; rather, they initially only rest with their shaping elements 202 against the article grouping 20 and against the already partially folded-down side surfaces 24 and the strip sections 28, as schematically indicated by FIG. 11C. An even further feed movement in the feed direction C, in which the molded parts 190 begin to deform structurally, is illustrated based upon only one such molded part 190 (FIG. 11D), wherein the deformation directions and the deformation behavior of the individual elements of the molded part 190 are illustrated.

[0408] By laterally pressing the two holders 194 of the handling elements 188 against the longitudinal sides of the article grouping 20, the molded parts 190 (cf. FIG. 11C), which initially rest against the article grouping 20 only with their rounded shaping elements 202, are in each instance deformed in themselves, as a result of which their second legs 200 of their respective mold sections 196, which are in contact with the narrow sides of the article grouping 20, are drawn towards the narrow sides of the article grouping 20 and pressed more strongly there, as a result of which, at the same time, the strip sections 28 pressed on in this way, which are provided in overlapping regions with the adhesion points 54 of hot glue, cold glue, or a self-adhesive substance, are also pressed on more strongly, which can provide at least slight pretensioning of the strapping sections 32 formed in this way after the handling elements 188 have been released.

[0409] Since the handling elements 188 preferably continue to be fed towards one another during a longer transport section (cf. in this regard FIG. 12 and FIGS. 13A and 13B) and thus the molded parts 190 also remain in their elastically-deformed, modified contour pressing against the side surfaces of the article groupings 20, the adhesion points 54 can harden and provide a permanent pretensioning of the secondary fixing points 30 formed by the strapping sections 32 (cf. FIGS. 1E and 1F).

[0410] The detail view of FIG. 11D illustrates the structural deformations of the various regions of the molded part 190 if it has been pressed against the article grouping 20 in the feed direction C and if an additional actuating force D is also applied, which acts in the feed direction C. As a result, the first leg 198, which is connected to the base section 192 via the strip sections 208, is pressed back in the opposite direction to the actuating force D, since the side walls of the article grouping 20 hardly deviate or yield to the actuating force D, or do so only minimally. Such return or deviating movement of the first leg 198 in the opposite direction to the actuating force D towards the base section 192 is indicated by the arrow E in FIG. 11D.

[0411] Triggered by the deviating movement E, the strip sections 208 deform, such that the first leg 198 approaches the base section 192. The parallel pivot movements of the strip sections 208 in the direction of arrow F are also illustrated in FIG. 3D by arrows F pointing diagonally downwards from the strip sections 208 to the base section 192. Since such respective pivot movements F of the strip sections 208 simultaneously lead to a parallel displacement of the first leg 198 and thus of the entire tool section 196 transverse to the feed movement C or to the direction of the actuating force D, which is indicated by the arrows G attached to the first leg 198, which illustrate the direction of displacement G, the second leg 200 of the L-shaped tool section 196 is not only pulled more strongly towards the article grouping 20 at the same time, but its body 204 is also deformed.

[0412] Thus, the transverse displacement G of the first leg 198 and thus of the entire tool section 196 causes the second leg 200 to yield approximately in the opposite direction H to the transverse displacement G, which also leads to compression of the body 204 while reducing the width and volume of the cavity 206. The superimposed deviating and deformation movement of the second leg 200 and the body 204 is indicated by the arrow H. In particular, this deviating and deformation movement H of the second leg 200 and the body 204, which is maintained for a certain period of time, provides that the adhesive or bonding points 54 be pressed against the overlapping regions of the strip sections 28, such that a defined pretensioning can be imposed on the strapping sections 32 of the secondary fixing points 30 formed in this way.

[0413] For the practical interaction of the successively-arranged modules 170 through 178, reference is once again made to FIG. 9, which schematically shows the aisle guide 172 following the dividing module 170 and the grouping module 174 and application module 176, after which the strapping module 178 can ultimately follow.

[0414] A part of such a strapping module 178 is schematically illustrated by the perspectival representation of FIG. 12. Such strapping module 178 shown here has a larger number of endlessly circulating cross members 182 that, with their lateral suspensions 184 and rollers 186 mounted thereon (cf. FIG. 10B), can be guided on both sides in rail systems 210, in order to circulate there in the direction of circulation UR and interact with the article groupings 20 conveyed in the transport direction TR in the manner described, in order to reshape these into packaging units 10.

[0415] As already exemplified in FIG. 10B, with the embodiment variant shown in FIG. 12, three strapping heads 180 are also suspended at lateral distances from each of the cross members 182 guided one behind the other on the rail system 210 in the direction of circulation UR, wherein the several cross members 182, in each instance with three strapping heads 180 suspended therefrom, are moved successively in the direction of circulation UR at distances from one another that correspond in each instance to the distances between the article groupings 20 conveyed one behind the other. The direction of circulation UR runs parallel to the transport direction TR in the lower section of the rail system 210, in which the strapping heads 180 engage with the article groupings 20. The return movement of the cross members 182 with the respective strapping heads 180 suspended from them takes place in the upper section of the rail system 210 shown in FIG. 12.

[0416] The two circulating rails of the rail system 210 can, for example, be arranged and suspended in sheet metal holders 212, as is also shown in FIG. 12. The electric drive motors 214 can also be fastened there, which can provide for the drive of the cross members 182 in the direction of circulation UR along the rail system 210.

[0417] The schematic perspectival representations of FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate the slot guides for controlling the feed movements C for the holders 194, which can be fed towards one another, of the second handling elements 188 with the molded parts 190 fastened thereto (cf. FIGS. 11B and 11C). The suspension of the holders 194, which can be fed towards and moved away from one another, in the strapping head 180 has already been illustrated in FIG. 10C, such that reference can also be made again to this representation in FIG. 10C in the following explanation.

[0418] Thus, two guide pins 216 are recognizable on the respective upper sides of the holders 194, which pins are spaced apart from one another and are aligned with one another in the longitudinal extension direction of the holder 194. Such guide pins 216 are preferably guided in guide slots 218, which are located above the article groupings 20 conveyed along the transport plane for the article groupings conveyed in the transport direction TR, such that the cross members 182 moving in the lower section of the rail guide 210 in the direction of circulation UR (in a direction coinciding with the transport direction TR) with the strapping heads 180 arranged thereon come into contact with the guide slots 218.

[0419] This means that the guide pins 216 move within the guide slots 218 and are guided there in a sliding manner. The control configuration shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B is assigned to the strapping module 178 (cf. FIG. 9) or is part of the strapping module 178. As can be seen in FIG. 10C, the holders 194 can be fed towards one another or moved away from one another, i.e., they can be moved over defined adjustment paths parallel to the longitudinal extension direction of the respective cross member 182, while they are in each instance moved in the rail system 210.

[0420] The guide pins 216 are controlled by the guide slots 218, which in each instance comprise straight and parallel sections, in which the guide pins 216 are spaced closer together, and other straight and parallel sections, in which the guide pins 216 are spaced further apart. Such parallel sections are connected by symmetrically converging or diverging curved sections 220, which provide the respective actuating movements of the holders 194.

[0421] The actuating movements required for folding over the strip sections 28 of the packaging blanks 14 and for forming the strapping sections 32 can be generated within the strapping heads 180 with the circulation of the cross members 182 and the guide pins 216 guided by them in the correspondingly-contoured guide slots 218.

[0422] The guide pins 216 dip into the mouth regions 222 at the respective ends of the guide slots 218 or run out of the guide slots 218 again.

[0423] Finally, the in total three schematic plan views of FIGS. 14A, 14B, and 14C show possible embodiment variants of transport sections 230, which can have the modules schematically indicated in FIG. 9 in combined and sequential form.

[0424] For example, FIG. 14A illustrates a first section that can be formed by the dividing module 170. There, the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 are conveyed in two parallel lanes in the transport direction TR by a horizontal conveying device not described in detail here, which is why the dividing module 170 is also combined with the aisle guide 172. However, it should be mentioned at this point that the division into the two parallel lanes has already taken place beforehand, i.e., in a region not shown here to the left of the section of the transport section 230 shown in FIG. 14A.

[0425] The dividing module 170 and the aisle guide 172 are followed in the transport direction TR (from left to right in FIG. 14A) by the grouping module 174, where suitable dividing devices, which can be formed here by push rods or by other sliders 232, are used to group and divide the articles 12 or beverage cans 34, previously conveyed in uninterrupted succession, into two parallel rows of three. As a result, the article arrangements or article groupings 20, consisting of a total of six articles 12 or beverage cans 34 grouped in a rectangular arrangement, are already formed in the grouping module 174, as explained several times before.

[0426] Such article groupings 20 are in each instance suitably equipped in the subsequent application module 176 with the packaging blanks 14 taken from a magazine 234 or otherwise fed or provided, wherein the primary fixing element 22 are normally produced and formed in the application module 176.

[0427] In the subsequent strapping module 178, the secondary fixing element 30 are produced in particular, by producing the strapping sections mentioned several times above. The packaging units 10 equipped in this way with primary and secondary fixing element 22, 30 and thus completed can then be conveyed further in the transport direction TR, which is not shown here in more detail, but is merely indicated by a directional arrow on the packaging unit 10 shown on the far right.

[0428] In addition, FIG. 14B illustrates a more efficient variant of such a transport section 230, in which the formation of grouped article arrangements 20 and their further processing takes place in two transport lanes 146 processed in parallel, such that this can result in a doubling of the processing capacity in the same processing time.

[0429] In turn, the transport section 230 shown comprises a first section, which can be formed by the dividing module 170. There, the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 are conveyed in two parallel lanes in the transport direction TR by a horizontal conveying device not described in detail here, which is why the dividing module 170 is also combined with the aisle guide 172. However, as can be seen in FIG. 14B, the division is made into a total of four parallel lanes, in each instance combined in pairs in the two transport lanes 236 that are spaced apart but run parallel. A mass flow 238 for the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 can be arranged upstream of the aisle guide 172, which is arranged in pairs.

[0430] The dividing module 170 and the aisle guide 172, which is doubled by the two parallel transport lanes 236, is followed in the transport direction TR (in FIG. 14B, from left to right or from bottom to top) by the grouping module 174, where suitable dividing devices such as, for example, sliders 232 are used to group and divide the articles 12 or beverage cans 34, previously conveyed in uninterrupted succession, into two parallel rows of three, and this is done in each of the two parallel transport lanes 236. As a result, the article groupings 20, consisting of a total of six articles 12 or beverage cans 34 grouped in a rectangular arrangement, are formed in the grouping module 174.

[0431] Such article groupings 20 are in each instance suitably equipped in the subsequent application module 176 with the packaging blanks 14 taken from a magazine 234 or otherwise fed or provided, wherein the primary fixing element 22 are normally produced and formed in the application module 176. This also takes place in parallel in the two transport lanes 236 running next to one another. The application of the packaging blanks 14 to the article groupings 20 conveyed in the transport lanes 236 can be carried out, for example, by an application head 130 (not shown in detail here).

[0432] In the subsequent strapping module 178, the secondary fixing element 30 are produced in particular, by producing the strapping sections mentioned several times above by the strapping heads 180. The packaging units 10 equipped in this way with primary and secondary fixing element 22, 30 and thus completed can then be conveyed further in the transport direction TR, which is not shown here in more detail, but is merely indicated by the two parallel directional arrows on the packaging units 10 shown on the far right.

[0433] The schematic top view of FIG. 14C shows an arrangement of a transport section 230 that substantially corresponds to FIG. 14B. There, however, a strapping head 180 is assigned to the strapping module 178, while only an application head 130 is assigned to the application module 176. Thus, the secondary fixing element 30 are produced there by forming the aforementioned strapping sections by the strapping heads 180 only in the strapping module 178.

[0434] Here as well, the packaging units 10 completed in this way can be transported further in the transport direction TR in a manner not described in detail.

[0435] The schematic plan views of FIGS. 15A through 15C show various embodiment variants of a packaging blank 14, as can be used for the production of the packaging units 10 shown above. In order to be able to clarify the differences between the three variants shown in detail, the variant of the packaging blank 14 already shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C is shown again in FIG. 15A, together with all the corresponding reference numerals.

[0436] FIGS. 15B and 15C, on the other hand, can illustrate that the strip sections 28, which extend the side surfaces 24 towards both narrow sides on both opposite narrow sides of the side surfaces 24 to be folded over onto the shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 (cf. in this regard FIG. 1C) of the packaging blank 14, can certainly be designed differently.

[0437] Optionally, the strip sections 28 according to FIG. 15C, which are attached on both sides to the narrow sides of the side surfaces 24 to be folded in the direction of the shell surfaces 26 of the articles 12 or beverage cans 34 and extend these in both directions parallel to their longitudinal extension directions, can all be of the same length.

[0438] With the alternative variant of the packaging blank 14 shown in the schematic plan view of FIG. 15B, the strip sections 28 of one side face 24 can be shorter, while the two strip sections 28 on the other side face 24 must be correspondingly longer, so that the overlapping strip sections 28 on both narrow sides of the article grouping 20 can in each instance be connected to form the strapping sections that are to form the secondary fixing element (cf. in this regard FIGS. 1E and 1F).

[0439] With the variant shown in FIG. 15B, the left and right side surfaces 24, which adjoin the longitudinal sides of the main surface 18 of the packaging blank 14, are designated with different reference numerals for better clarification. The side surface on the left with respect to the transport direction TR is designated by the reference numeral 24L, while the side surface on the right is designated by the reference numeral 24R.

[0440] In order to make the left and right side surfaces 24L and 24R distinguishable and to clearly identify them, in FIGS. 15A through 15C, the transport direction TR is indicated, which points from left to right in the representations. In addition, the main axes 42 and 44 described above of the associated article grouping (cf. FIG. 1C) are drawn, in order to better illustrate the different levels of symmetry of the differently-designed packaging blanks 14.

[0441] The two side surfaces 24L and 24R differ with regard to the length of the strip sections 28 adjoining the respective narrow sides of the side surfaces 24L, 24R. While the two strip sections 28 on the left side surface 24L are longer than in the variant according to FIG. 15A, the two strip sections 28 on the right side surface 24R are shorter than in the variant according to FIG. 15A.

[0442] Therefore, the longer strip sections 28 on the left side surface 24L are designated by the reference numeral 28-1, while the shorter strip sections on the right side surface 24R are designated by the reference numeral 28-k. Due to the different lengths of the respective pairs of strip sections 28-1 and 28-k on the left and right side surfaces 24L and 24R respectively, the packaging blank 14 shown in FIG. 15B is only mirror-symmetrical to the second main axis 44, which runs in the middle through the main surface 18 and transversely to the transport direction TR. A mirror symmetry to the first main axis 42, which runs precisely through the folding region 46 and is parallel to the transport direction TR, is no longer present here.

[0443] In contrast, the first variant of the packaging blank 14 according to FIG. 15A, in which all strip sections 28 have the same dimensions, is mirror-symmetrical with respect to both the first main axis 42 and the second main axis 44.

[0444] Finally, with the third variant of the packaging blank 14 shown in FIG. 15C, the two strip sections 28-k and 28-1 of each of the two side surfaces 24L and 24R are of different lengths. The two side surfaces 24L and 24R differ with regard to the length of the strip sections 28 adjoining the respective narrow sides of the side surfaces 24L, 24R.

[0445] While the front strip section 28-k, pointing in the direction of the transport direction TR, on the left side surface 24L is shorter than in the variant according to FIG. 15A, the strip section 28-1, pointing in the opposite direction (pointing backwards with respect to the transport direction TR), on the left side surface 24L is longer than in the variant according to FIG. 15A.

[0446] In addition, the front strip section 28-k, which points in the direction of the transport direction TR, on the right side surface 24R is longer than in the variant according to FIG. 15A, while the strip section 28-k, which points in the opposite direction (backwards with respect to the transport direction TR), on the right side surface 24R is shorter than in the variant according to FIG. 15A.

[0447] Thus, the packaging blank 14 shown in FIG. 15C is no longer mirror-symmetrical with respect to either of the two main axes 42, 44.

[0448] In the two variants of the packaging blank 14 according to FIG. 15B and FIG. 15C, the strip sections 28-1, 28-k of different lengths on both narrow sides of the article grouping 20 overlap eccentrically to the corresponding narrow side in each instance, i.e., they lie to the left or right of the first main axis 42. Overall, however, the strip sections 28-1 and 28-k overlapping at the connecting point are long enough to be connected so as to form the strapping sections 32, which form the secondary fixing element 30.

[0449] Finally, FIGS. 16A and 16B show practical sets of several packaging blanks 14 that can be produced from a cardboard sheet or other suitable flat packaging material in an economical punching process, without producing an undesirably high level of waste.

[0450] FIG. 16A shows several packaging blanks 14 arranged in a row, which are shaped according to FIG. 15B. Such packaging blanks 14, which are in each instance designed to be mirror-symmetrical to the second main axis 44, are alternately rotated through 180?, such that a left side surface 24L with longer strip sections 28-1 of a packaging blank 24 is always aligned with a right side surface 24R with shorter strip sections 28-k of an adjoining further packaging blank 14. The same applies to the respective other sides, because the packaging blanks 14 lie one behind the other with their aligned first main axes 42 and can thus be punched out of a larger cardboard sheet or similar flat packaging material.

[0451] Such an arrangement, as shown in FIG. 16A, can also be practical for mechanical removal from a magazine 234, as previously explained with reference to FIGS. 14A, 14B, and 14C. Here as well, it can be advantageous if the packaging blanks 14 are made available to the handling tool 56 or the application head 130 successively in the manner shown.

[0452] Furthermore, FIG. 16B shows several packaging blanks 14 arranged in a row, which are shaped according to FIG. 15C. Such packaging blanks 14, each of which is not symmetrical to the first or second main axis 42, 44, adjoin one another, such that the left side surface 24L of a packaging blank 14 is always aligned with a left side surface 24L of an adjoining further packaging blank 14. The same applies to the respective other side surfaces 24R, because the packaging blanks 14 lie one behind the other with their aligned first main axes 42 and can thus be punched out of a larger cardboard sheet or similar flat packaging material.

[0453] Such an arrangement, as shown in FIG. 16B, can also be practical for mechanical removal from a magazine 234, as previously explained with reference to FIGS. 14A through 14C. Here as well, it can be advantageous if the packaging blanks 14 are made available to the handling tool 56 and/or the application head 130 successively in the manner shown.

[0454] The following is given as a supplementary note to the above statements. If, in the context of the embodiment variants shown in the figures and their descriptions above, reference is also made often or also generally to schematic representations and views, this by no means suggests that the figure representations and their description are to be of subordinate importance with regard to the disclosure of the invention. The person skilled in the art is certainly able to derive sufficient information from the schematically and abstractly drawn representations that will make it easier for the person skilled in the art to understand the invention, without being confused in any way by the drawn and possibly not precisely true-to-scale proportions of parts of the packaging device, their details, or other drawn elements. Rather, the figures enable the skilled person as reader to derive a better understanding of the inventive idea which has been formulated in more general and/or more abstract terms in the claims and in the general part of the description, at least with regard to some aspects on the basis of the more specifically explained implementations of the method according to the invention and the more specifically explained structure of the packaging device according to the invention.

[0455] The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it is conceivable for a person skilled in the art that modifications or changes can be made to the invention without departing from the scope of protection of the following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0456] 10 Packaging unit, bundle [0457] 12 Article [0458] 14 Packaging blank [0459] 16 Upper end face [0460] 18 Main surface (packaging blank) [0461] 20 Article grouping, arrangement, article arrangement [0462] 22 Primary fixing element [0463] 24 Side surface (packaging blank) [0464] 24L Left side surface [0465] 24R Right side surface [0466] 26 Shell surface (article, article grouping) [0467] 28 Strip section [0468] 28-1 Long strip section [0469] 28-k Short strip section [0470] 30 Secondary fixing element [0471] 32 Strapping section [0472] 34 Beverage can, can [0473] 36 Base region, lower base region, can base [0474] 38 Lower end face [0475] 40 Lid region, upper lid region, can lid [0476] 42 First main axis, first horizontal main axis (of the article grouping) [0477] 44 Second main axis, second horizontal main axis (of the article grouping) [0478] 46 Folding region (packaging blank, main surface) [0479] 48 Recess, slot-like recess [0480] 50 Roof-shaped transition [0481] 52 Collar section (packaging blank) [0482] 54 Bonding (strip section) [0483] 56 Handling tool [0484] 58 Base plate [0485] 60 Folding tool [0486] 62 Stripping tool [0487] 64 Lower longitudinal edge (stripping tool) [0488] 66 Flank (stripping tool) [0489] 68 Feed direction [0490] 70 Folding punch, blade-like folding punch [0491] 72 Adjusting lever [0492] 74 Stroke direction [0493] 76 Pivot bracket [0494] 78 Pivot axis [0495] 80 Pivot movement [0496] 82 Gap [0497] 84 Transport module, shuttle [0498] 86 Base plate [0499] 88 Receptacle, shell-type receptacle [0500] 90 Rim, bar-like rim [0501] 92 Separating bar [0502] 94 Separating wing [0503] 96 Limiting bar [0504] 98 Adjusting lever, adjusting pin [0505] 100 Transport aisle [0506] 102 Separating bar [0507] 104 Limiting bar [0508] 106 Centering pin [0509] 108 Receiving hole [0510] 110 Negative pressure gripper, suction gripper [0511] 112 Molded part [0512] 114 Folding tool [0513] 116 Folding fingers [0514] 118 Transverse beam [0515] 120 Endless traction device [0516] 122 Guide wheel [0517] 124 Guide slot [0518] 130 Application head [0519] 132 Application unit [0520] 134 Carrier frame (application head) [0521] 136 Arm section [0522] 138 Suction element [0523] 140 Suction punch [0524] 142 Negative pressure line [0525] 144 Contact plate [0526] 146 Recess, circular recess [0527] 148 Linear motor, linear drive [0528] 150 Lower frame section [0529] 152 Shaping element, knife-like shaping element, blade-shaped shaping element [0530] 154 Folding blade [0531] 156 Recess, slot-like recess [0532] 158 Folding element, lateral folding element [0533] 160 Tool, folding tool [0534] 162 Bevel, ramp-like bevel [0535] 170 Dividing module [0536] 172 Aisle guide [0537] 174 Grouping module [0538] 176 Application module [0539] 178 Strapping module [0540] 180 Strapping head [0541] 182 Cross member [0542] 184 Suspension [0543] 186 Roll [0544] 188 Second handling element, second handling elements [0545] 190 Molded part, deformable molded part, elastically-deformable molded part [0546] 192 Base section [0547] 194 Holder [0548] 196 Tool section [0549] 198 Leg, first leg [0550] 200 Leg, second leg [0551] 202 Shaping element, elastic shaping element [0552] 204 Body [0553] 206 Cavity [0554] 208 Strips, connecting strips [0555] 210 Rail system [0556] 212 Sheet metal holder [0557] 214 Drive motor [0558] 216 Guide pin [0559] 218 Guide slot [0560] 220 Curved section [0561] 222 Mouth region [0562] 230 Transport section [0563] 232 Slider [0564] 234 Magazine [0565] 236 Transport lane [0566] 238 Mass flow [0567] a Opening angle (of the reshaped folding region) [0568] A Distance, horizontal distance [0569] B Distance, vertical distance [0570] C Feed direction [0571] D Actuating force [0572] E Reverse movement, deviating movement [0573] D Pivot movement [0574] G Parallel displacement, transverse displacement [0575] H Deviating movement, deformation movement [0576] TR Transport direction [0577] UR Direction of circulation