APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING A FILM AROUND AN OBJECT AND RELATED METHOD

Abstract

The present invention refers to an apparatus and a method for wrapping a film around an object. The apparatus includes a device capable of being electrostatically charged and capable of transmitting the electrostatic charge to the portion of film that comes out of the carriage. In this way, the fixing of the leading end flap of the film around the object to be wrapped is thus facilitated. In fact, the leading end flap of the film, as soon as it is dispensed, remains stretched out of the carriage and, as soon as it meets the object to be wrapped, it immediately fastens to it due to the attraction force. The rotation is then activated to wrap the film around the object. The apparatus is simple to make, cheap, and highly efficient.

Claims

1. Apparatus (10) for wrapping a film (6) around an object (4), wherein said apparatus (10) comprises a) a carriage (1) adapted to house a reel of said film (6), b) an opening (11) to allow said film (6) to come out of the carriage (1), and c) a motorized roller (7) adapted to facilitate said exit of the film (6) from the carriage (1) through said opening (11); characterized in that said apparatus (10) further comprises a device (19) placed along the path traveled by the film (6) to come out of the carriage (1), substantially at said opening (11) of the carriage (1) and adapted to be electrostatically charged and able to transmit said charge to the leading end portion of film (6) which comes out from said carriage (1) to fix itself to the object (4) to be wrapped.

2. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein said device (19) is a bar adapted to be electrostatically charged.

3. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, which also comprises a fan (8) capable of generating air blades (14) designed to direct said film (6) towards the object to be wrapped (4).

4. Apparatus (10) for wrapping a film (6) according to claim 1, further provided with a movable body (12) integral with said carriage (1) able to rotate around said object to be wrapped (4).

5. Method for wrapping a portion of film (6) around an object (4) using an apparatus (10) comprising: a) a carriage (1) adapted to house a reel of said film (6), b) an opening (11) adapted to allow said film (6) to come out of the carriage (1), and c) a motorized roller (7) adapted to facilitate said exit of the film (6) from the carriage (1) through said opening (11), wherein said method comprises the steps of: a) allowing the leading end flap (9) of said film (6) to come out from said carriage (1) through said opening (11); b) electrostatically charging said leading end flap (9) of the film (6) before or during its coming out from the carriage (1); c) allowing said leading end flap (9) of the electrostatically charged film (6) to be fixed onto said object (4); d) wrapping said leading end flap (9) of said film (6) around said object (4) and thereafter also wrapping the remaining portion of the film (6) on it as it comes out from said carriage (1).

6. Method according to claim 5 wherein said step b) is carried out by firstly step b1) wherein a device (19) substantially arranged at said opening (11) of the carriage (1) is electrostatically charged, and subsequently step b2) wherein said electrostatic charge is transferred from said device (19) to said leading end flap (9) of said film (6).

7. Method according to claim 5, wherein said step c) of wrapping said leading end flap (9) of said film (6) around said object (4) is carried out by rotating on itself said object to be wrapped (4) in proximity of said apparatus (10), or, alternatively, by rotating a movable body (12) of said apparatus (10), integral with said carriage (1), around said object to be wrapped.

8. Method according to claim 5, wherein said leading end flap (9) of the film (6) coming out of said carriage (1) is directed towards said object (4) by means of air blades (14) generated by a fan (8) placed at said opening (11) of the carriage (1).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0058] FIG. 1a is an axonometric view of a known in the art semi-automatic apparatus to wrap a film around an object placed on a pallet, wherein the latter one rotates around the apparatus, which is instead fixed.

[0059] FIG. 1b is an axonometric view of a known in the art semi-automatic apparatus for wrapping a film around an object placed on a pallet, wherein the apparatus rotates around the object to be wrapped with the film, which instead it is fixed.

[0060] FIG. 1c is an axonometric view of a known in the art semi-automatic apparatus for wrapping a film around an object placed on a pallet, wherein the apparatus rotates around the object to be wrapped by means of a rotating arm.

[0061] FIG. 2 is an axonometric view of a known in the art hybrid apparatus to wrap a film around an object placed on a pallet, wherein the latter one rotates around the apparatus, which is instead fixed.

[0062] FIG. 3 is an axonometric view of a detail of an embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention.

[0063] FIG. 4 shows a section in detail of the apparatus in FIG. 3.

[0064] FIGS. 5a-5e schematically show from above the various rotation phases of a movable body integral with the apparatus of FIG. 3 around the object to be wrapped, which is instead fixed.

[0065] FIGS. 6a-6e schematically show from above the various rotation phases of an object to be wrapped placed on a rotating table that rotates on itself near the apparatus of FIG. 3 which is instead fixed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] The following detailed description refers to particular embodiments of the apparatus 10 of the present invention designed to wrap a film 6 around an object 4, without limiting its content.

[0067] FIG. 3 shows a detail of the apparatus 10 which includes a carriage 1 suitable for housing a reel of film 6; the carriage 1 is provided with an opening 11 which allows the film 6 to exit from the carriage 1. The apparatus 10 further comprises a vertical column (not shown in FIG. 3, for simplicity, but similar to the column 2 shown in the known in the art apparatus shown in FIG. 2), along which the carriage 1 slides up and down. At the opening 11 there is a motorized roller 7 which, once activated, allows the extraction of the leading end flap 9 of the film 6 from the carriage 1. There is also a fan 8 which generates air blades 14 which run laterally to the leading end flap 9 of the film 6 (and to the entire remaining portion of the film 6 as it exits from the carriage 1), to direct it towards the product to be wrapped 4 (not shown in the figure).

[0068] FIG. 4 shows in section a detail of the carriage 1 of the apparatus 10 wherein a bar 19 is visible located at the opening 11 through which the film 6 exits from the carriage 1. The bar 19 is of the ionizing type on which a series of emitting tips (electrodes) are fixed, the bar 19 is electrostatically charged by an electronic board that controls and commands the entire system, and the use of a lifting element which, powered by current, increases its voltage and transfers it to the electrodes. When the system is powered up, the bar 19 emits positive ions which are transferred from the bar 19 towards mass which acts as a negative.

[0069] The bar 19, once electrostatically charged, is able to transmit this electrostatic charge to the leading end flap 9 of the film 6 which, during its path, crosses this ion beam, charging itself electrostatically, before exiting the carriage 1 through the opening 11.

[0070] In this way, as soon as it is dispensed, the leading end flap 9, as soon as it meets the object to be wrapped 4 (not shown in the figure), it is immediately fixed to it (FIG. 5a) by the attraction force generated by the electrostatic charge the leading end flap 9 of the film 6 is provided with. By continuing the delivery of the film 6, it is thus easier to fix the leading end flap 9 of the film 6 all around the object to be wrapped 4 (FIGS. 5b-5e), while avoiding the formation of unsightly or annoying film tails at the base of the object. Consequently, once the leading end flap 9 of the film 6 is fixed to the object, it is sufficient to start the wrapping around the object to be wrapped by dispensing the film 6 from the carriage 1 for the required quantity.

[0071] Once the first turn of wrapping the film 6 around the object has been completed, the transfer of the electrostatic charge of the bar 19 towards the portion of film 6 exiting the carriage 1 is deactivated. In fact, once the fastening of the film 6 around the object to be wrapped is consolidated by completing the first turn, it is no longer necessary to supply the electrostatic charge to the new portion of film 6 coming out of the carriage 1.

[0072] The apparatus 10 of the present invention is therefore easy to manufacture, highly efficient, and economical, as no additional expensive devices are required to allow efficient film fastening to the object to be wrapped, without the need for any intervention by an operator.

[0073] In a first embodiment, the apparatus 10 is also provided with a movable body 12 integral with the carriage 1 and able to rotate around the object to be wrapped 4, resting on a pallet; the movable body 12 is provided with at least one wheel 13 to facilitate its movement (FIGS. 5a-5e).

[0074] The movement of the movable body can be managed by means of an electronic board placed inside the movable body 12 itself and manageable via a keyboard and a display arranged on the external surface of the movable body itself to allow programming. In another alternative embodiment, the movable body 12 can also be managed remotely, without limiting the invention to such solutions.

[0075] The movement of the carriage 1 along the vertical column 2, the speed with which the film 6 exits from the carriage 1 by means of the motorized roller 7, and the power of the fan 8 capable of generating the air blades 14 can also be managed and programmed by means of such an electronic board, via keyboard or remotely, without limiting the invention to such solutions.

[0076] FIGS. 5a-5e schematically show the various rotation phases of the movable body 12, integral with the carriage 1 of the apparatus 10, around the object to be wrapped 4, which is instead fixed. As the movable body 12 (and with it the carriage 1 integral with it) rotates around the object to be wrapped 4 (clockwise, in FIGS. 5a-5e), which instead remains fixed, the leading end flap 9 of the film 6 it is put under tension while it wraps around the object 4 itself and with it, consequently also the portion of film 6 as it exits from the carriage 1. The rotation of the movable body 12 can continue until the number of revolutions is completed programmed around the object to be wrapped 4.

[0077] In a preferred form, although not essential for the purposes of the invention, the film 6 delivered by the carriage 1 has a length slightly shorter than the path travelled by the movable body 12 while the latter rotates around the object to be wrapped 4. In this way, the film 6 is kept as taut as possible and close to the object to be wrapped 4.

[0078] In a second embodiment shown with reference to FIGS. 6a-6e, the apparatus 10 of the present invention is used to wrap a film 6 around an object 4 placed on a pallet, which in turn is placed on a rotating base 3. In this embodiment, the object to be wrapped 4 rotates on itself in proximity to the apparatus 10, which is instead fixed. Furthermore, in this embodiment there is no movable body 12 of the apparatus 10 seen with reference to FIGS. 5a-5e, no movement of the apparatus 10 itself being necessary. On the other hand, the methods seen above with which the leading end flap 9 of the film 6 exits from the carriage 1 remain unchanged, by using in particular the electrostatically charged bar 19.

[0079] Operationally, the apparatus 10 delivers the leading end flap 9 of the film 6 out of the carriage 1 and pushes it against the side of the object to be wrapped 4, where it is fixed by attraction thanks to the electrostatic charge (FIG. 6a) without the need for any intervention by an operator. The rotation on itself of the rotating base 3 on which the object to be wrapped 4 is placed is then activated (FIG. 6b); consequently, as it is dispensed from the carriage 1, the film 6 rests along the contour of the object 4 (FIGS. 6c and 6d), until the leading end flap 9 of the film 6 is brought back to the starting point (FIG. 6e). Also in this case, at the end of the first lap, the film 6 overlaps the leading end flap 9, thus fixing the film 6 around the object to be wrapped 4 in a stable manner. The rotation of the object to be wrapped 4 around the apparatus 10 can continue until it has completed the programmed number of revolutions.

[0080] Of course, many modifications and variations of the preferred embodiments described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art, still remaining within the scope of the invention.

[0081] Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described, illustrated only by way of non-limiting example, but is defined by the following claims.

[0082] This application claims the benefit of Italian application IT 102021000007820, filed Mar. 31, 2021, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.