A METHOD AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUS FOR MAKING A RE-CLOSABLE PACKAGE

Abstract: The invention concerns a re-closable bag package (1) intended in particular for food products, provided with elements (11, 12) of the hook and loop coupling type to close it in such a way as to be adapted to the varying quantity of product contained therein; more precisely, the elements (11, 12) are attached to opposite sides of the package such that when the top is rolled down for closure, they are in a suitable position to couple each other and therefore close the package. In addition, by providing the elements (11, 12) with an associated adhesive side it is possible to attach them individually to the package according to a method in which the elements are advanced in a support tape and detached from it with great simplicity and speed; the invention also includes a device for carrying out the method of attaching the elements to the package.

Description: A METHOD AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUS FOR MAKING A RE-CLOSABLE PACKAGE The invention concerns a re-closable bag package, intended in particular for food products, which is provided with means for closing it in such a way as to adapt to varying quantities of product contained therein. Packages of this type are well known and widely used especially, for example, for food products such as biscuits, coffee, sugar and many other items in daily use; they exist in various sizes according to need and the bag form referred to above is to be understood in this description and the following claims in a broad sense which includes packaging made from paper, plastics or other materials, and which is flexible such that it can be easily refolded and adapted to the changing levels of the product contained within the package. Furthermore, the bag packages considered here may be of the type having an end constituting a support base or may be formed more like an envelope in which two opposite faces can be identified. However, rigid packaging such as the various types of boxes is outside the range of interest here. As a result of the increasingly wide commercial use of bag packages, one of the most important requirements to be satisfied is the ability to adapt to the changing levels of product contained therein: this is for reasons of external space in that these packages are usually stored in domestic cupboards in which, it is well known, there is never enough available space, as well as to be able better to conserve the organoleptic properties of the packaged product; in fact, it is known that for this reason it is important to be able to re-fold the package in such a way as to seal the contents securely against external environmental factors and also to prevent the inlet of air. The closure systems most often used to achieve this purpose are essentially of two types (see Figures 1, la, lb). The first is constituted by the normal adhesive strips attached to the outer surface of the package, while the second is represented by band of plastics material having a metallic wire core to give it a certain rigidity, which can be deformed in such a way as to keep the package closed (see Figures la and lb); in practice, because of its length, the band is used to "throttle" the upper part of the package or to seal it like a clamp when the top of the package is folded down. However, as regards the first known closure method, it should be said that the adhesive surface of the strip is easily contaminated by the package contents, for example coffee powder or sugar, crumbs or other external contaminants such that it loses its adhesive capacity and consequently becomes ineffective. On the other hand, the bands with the metallic wire cores have the failing that although, as in the first case, they "throttle" the bag package, they cannot be firmly fixed to it (this being for the obvious reason that they must allow the package to be closed according to how full it is) and therefore risk falling off in use; account should be taken of how many times packages of coffee, sugar or flour are opened and closed again in normal use. In the case of longer bands, however, they are usually glued to the bag package but, due to the continuous deformation to which they are subject together with the folding of the package, they frequently get detached and are then difficult to use again. The object of the invention is that of providing a bag package with closure means which adapt to the varying levels of product contained therein, having structural and functional characteristics which overcome the disadvantages referred to with respect to currently known packages. This object is achieved by a package whose characteristics are set out in the first of the claims which follow this description. The invention also includes a method for manufacturing such a package and an apparatus for carrying out the method, the characteristics of which are also set out in the accompanying claims. In order better to understand the invention, its advantages, the technical results that it provides and its further characteristics, a description of a number of embodiments thereof follows, given by way of non- limitative example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: - Figures 1, la, lb show, as already said, examples of prior art packages; - Figures 2 and 3 are a perspective view and a side view respectively of a package according to the invention in a first operative condition; - Figures 4 and 5 are side views of the package of Figures 2 and 3 in successive operative conditions; - Figure 6 is an enlarged detail of the package of preceding Figures 2-5; Figure 7 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the package of Figures 2 and 3; - Figures 8 and 9 are a perspective view and a side view respectively of a further embodiment of the invention; - Figure 10 is a general view of an apparatus for carrying out the method of manufacturing the package according to the invention; - Figures 11 and 12 show a detail of the apparatus of Figure 10 during various operating steps of the method; and - Figures 13 and 14 show an alternative embodiment of the detail of Figures 11 and 12 in corresponding operating steps. With reference now to Figure 2, package according to the invention is generally indicated 1; the package is in the form of a bag usually used for food products and is shown in the form it takes at the point of sale. The package 1 has a lower end 2 suitable to constitute a support base, and a sealed upper end 3 intended to be removed with scissors or by tearing in order to open the package. Closure means 10 are attached to one side of the package; more precisely, referring also to Figure 6 which shows it on an enlarged scale, in this embodiment the closure means are constituted by two hook and loop coupling elements 11 and 12 of the type commonly called "Velcro" , which derives its name from the manufacturing company that has made this type of closure means available. Both of the elements 11 and 12 are provided with an adhesive side 11a, 12a on the side opposite to the one used for closure, which is able to allow their attachment to the package and, with particular reference to Figures 2 and 3, the first of these elements is already attached to the package by this adhesive side, while the adhesive side of the second element which is coupled to, is provided with a protection 13 that can be a piece of silicone paper or the like. Reclosing the package once the upper end 3 has been removed is achieved with the greatest simplicity as follows. The top of the package is folded downwards taking care to remove the protection 13 from the element 12 beforehand; its adhesive side 12a can therefore receive the top of the package on the opposite side from that to which the element 11 is attached, as shown in Figure 4. To remove the contents from the closed and folded package, it is sufficient to separate the elements 11 and 12 with a simple movement; by virtue of their adhesive sides, they remain attached to the package as shown in Figure 5. Successive closing and reopening of the package is achieved in a way similar to that already seen. It is appropriate to emphasize how, by virtue of the way in which the element 12 is attached to the package, that is to say after folding the package for the first time upon having removed its upper end 3 and the protection 13, the elements 11 and 12 are automatically positioned with respect to each other in such a way that each subsequent time the package is folded like the first time, they always become juxtaposed in order to couple correctly. In addition, it is appropriate to indicate that, for example in the case of packages of a certain size, it is clear that the number of pairs of elements 11 and 12 could advantageously be greater than the single unit previously seen. In other words, in order to have packages which adapt most effectively to the gradually changing product levels following several drawings, it is possible to utilise a plurality of pairs of hook and loop elements aligned longitudinally on the package, which would be used in turn as seen above (Such pairs are visible in broken line in Figures 2-5) . To this end, a strip 11 of hook and loop material attached to the package (see Figures 8 and 9) could be used instead of a similar plurality of pairs of elements, intended to couple with one or more smaller elements 12 disposed on the opposite side of the package. The use of preliminarily coupled elements 11 and 12, each having an adhesive side, allows simple and rapid attachment which is also advantageous in terms of production as will become clearer later on in this description; it is, however, evident that it would not be difficult to make packages according to the invention by attaching the elements separately to opposite sides of the package as shown in Figure 7. In such a situation, it is not necessary to protect the active surface of the elements which would remain exposed before selling the package, in that this surface is not susceptible to the deposition of dirt or other contaminants. It is, however, appropriate to indicate the possibility that the elements 11 and 12 may not have an adhesive side, obviously as long as their attachment to the package in an equivalent way is provided for, for example by using glue to attach them to the package, or by sewing or by means of clips if the material of the package does not lend itself to the use of adhesive materials in general. More generally, the package of the invention has the significant advantage that numerous variants can easily be made on the basis of the teaching which derives from the embodiment described above. Another significant advantage to take into account, and which distinguishes the package of the invention, is that it is better able to satisfy the rigorous demands of current hygiene regulations which govern food product packaging: indeed, these regulations usually provide that the closure means of food product packages must not come into contact with the product contained within the package itself. It can immediately be established, also from the accompanying drawings, how this is achieved in terms of the package described above, since it is made clear how the elements 11 and 12 are always on the outside of the package, thereby avoiding any possible contact with the product contained therein, as well as avoiding the danger of contamination of the product itself by the adhesive material used to attach them. The effectiveness of the package closure of the invention should also be noted, especially in the case of use in the presence of moisture or water as with frozen products and their packaging; in addition, it should not be ignored that the hook and loop elements could be made in different colours, thereby making them suitable for use on different packages without excessively altering the aesthetic aspect which is so important for the sale of such products. It is also worthwhile pointing out that, by virtue of the simplicity of the closure means 10 they can be used almost universally on any already existing package shape without having to introduce any structural modifications such as, for example, flaps or the like in order to attach the closure means of the invention; instead, a suitable adhesive should be chosen in dependence on the material from which the package is made. This fact therefore enables a significant advantage to be achieved in the mass production of packages according to the invention, also in the light of what is now set out in relation to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing the packages of the invention; in this description, the elements which are the same as those previously mentioned will not be further described and will be indicated with the same reference numerals. An apparatus 30 for making packages 1 is positioned close to a conveyor T which conveys the packages from a production and packaging line which is not shown in the drawings. The apparatus has a self-supporting frame 32 on which an operative unit 35 is mounted; the frame 32 is provided with conventional means which are not shown in the drawings to allow it to be moved along the conveyor T or the rest of the production line (bearings, wheels etc.). It should, however, be noted that the operative unit may be attached to the conveyor structure T, instead of being mounted on the frame,. The unit is also provided with devices, not shown in the drawings, to control its positioning with respect to the conveyor T (guides, hand wheels for operation of lead screw systems etc. ) . A reel 37 of coupled elements 11 and 12 is mounted on a projecting pin 36 on the upper part of the unit 35; more precisely, the coupled elements are held in alignment on a silicone paper tape 39 to which the adhesive side 11a of one of them adheres. The tape 39 unwinds from the reel 37 along a path defined by a series of guide rollers 40 to a motorised shaft 44 which rotates a second tape-gathering reel 45 to which an end of the tape is attached. A detaching plane surface 41 is also present along the path, situated in correspondence with a pneumatic station 50 for application of the elements 11 and 12; the surface 41 has a bevelled end 41a to assist the running of the tape and the distribution of the elements as will become clear from the following. The pneumatic station 50 comprises essentially a plate 51 provided with holes 52 suitable to communicate alternatively with suction and air delivery means, not illustrated, following the reversal of their connection to corresponding ducts 53 and 54 which extend between the suction and air delivery means and the pneumatic station 50. In operation, the perforated plate acts as a nozzle for the flow of air sucked in or blown out; its arrangement is, however, advantageous in allowing the reliable and effective attachment of the closure elements as will become clear. In addition, a photocell 46 is provided for the automatic operation of the apparatus 30, upstream of the detaching surface 41 along the path of the tape 39, as well as an electronic control unit 47 for controlling the apparatus which determines its operation as follows. The package 1 on the conveyor T starts to move towards the pneumatic station 50 while, at the same time, the unwinding of the tape 39 drawn by the second reel 45 driven by the shaft 44 brings a pair of elements 11 and 12 to the detaching surface plate 41; the rapid inversion of the plane of motion to which the tape 39 is subjected as it passes over the detaching surface 41 causes detachment of the pair of elements 11 and 12 found at this point on the tape 39 (see Figure 11). At the same time, the holes 52 in the plate 51 are put in communication with the suction means following the above- mentioned commutation controlled by the electronic control assembly; the suction effect caused by this allows the pair of elements 11 and 12 separated from the tape to be temporarily pressed against the plate 51, until such time as a package 1 on the conveyor belt arrives substantially at a position underlying the pneumatic station 50. To this end, it is appropriate to indicate that the conveyor belt is provided with means for controlling the forward motion as a function of the position of a package with respect to the station 50. These means are conventional (proximity sensors etc) and also depend on the type of movement chosen for the packages, which can be continuous or stepwise. In this situation, the control assembly reverses the connection of the holes 52 from the air suction means to the air delivery means and a stream of air flowing from the plate 51 therefore strikes the elements 11 and 12, pushing them against the package with the adhesive side 11a facing it (see Figures 11 and 12). It should be observed that in this embodiment the delivery of air from the plate is preceded by a movement of the plate towards the package to which the element is to be attached (see Figures 11 and 12) in order to assist this action; however, this movement is not strictly necessary and can, in some cases, even be omitted. By choosing carefully the pressure of the air delivered so that it exerts sufficient force on the coupled elements 11 and 12, these latter adhere to the package which is therefore ready for the subsequent distribution steps and which appears as shown in Figures 2 and 3. With respect to the way in which the elements 11 and 12 are attached to the material of the packages, an alternative to the use of air streams as described above exists; this variant, which is shown in Figures 13 and 14, consists essentially in making contact between the adhesive side 11a or 12a of the element detached by the change in the plane of advancement and a package moved on the conveyor. More precisely, in this situation the bevelled end 41a of the surface 41 which, it is noted, is reversed with respect to the preceding case (see Figures 11 and 12), allows the elements to be detached by orienting them in a slightly inclined direction with respect to that of the horizontal advancement of the tape 39 and converging towards the direction of movement of the packages 1 on the conveyor, thereby providing for the contact between the adhesive side 11a, 12a and the conveyed package. After this contact, the element is drawn by the further forwards movement of the package along the conveyor belt T, thereby adhering to it under gravity; if necessary, the device could be provided with pressing means upstream of the detaching surface to assist the above-mentioned contact or complete the attachment of the element to the package. It should be noted that this variant of the system for attaching the elements lends itself advantageously to use in the case of the strip arrangement referred to previously. It can also be seen that the method and apparatus of the invention have notable advantages for industrial mass production; indeed, it can be emphasised that they also lend themselves to use in large scale production. The use of a tape as a support for the elements 11, 12 to be attached confers a double advantage: the first consists in being able to create a stock for accumulation of the elements along the production line, represented by the reel 37; in fact, with the reel-winding arrangement it is possible to accumulate a significant number of elements ready for attachment without needing particular, or complicated, arrangements for supplying the apparatus. The second advantage is that of also being able to use the tape for the continuous supply of the elements ready for attachment by virtue of the particular path including the change in plane of advancement which assists the separation of the elements who thus become available to be attached to the material of the packages. It should also be noted that the steps of detaching the elements from the support tape, their attachment by means of contact or assisted by suction and blowing thereof, can also be achieved in very rapid cycles, there being no parts of the apparatus which have significant inertia in their operation. Furthermore, it is evident that by virtue of these characteristics the apparatus of the invention can be adapted with flexibility to the various types of packages which can be used; in fact, by choosing either one or the other technique of contact or pneumatic application, or by adjusting the pressure of air supply as a function of the type of adhesive used on the side 11a of the substantially smooth surface of the material from which the package is made, or of the dimensions and weight of the elements 11 and 12 as well as other parameters, it is possible always to achieve an optimum attachment of the closure means 10 of the invention. In addition, it should be emphasised that the way in which the described apparatus operates allows that it to not interfere with normal productive activity, since it can easily be moved to different points in the production and packaging line without having to be adapted or modified. For example, the elements 11 and 12 do not have to be attached to packages which have already been formed but could also be attached to the material of the package when it is in a semi-worked state, that is to say when it is in the form of simple sheets or in any other form depending on the production cycle. This would imply simply moving the apparatus along the production line upstream with respect to the position considered in the embodiment described; the control means with which it is provided allow the operative unit and the pneumatic station to be positioned in such a way as to allow the optimal attachment of the elements 11 and 12 as a function of their new position. In addition, it is not necessary that the elements 11 and 12 are attached in the preliminarily coupled condition. It should not, in fact, be excluded that in some circumstances the method of the invention can be used to attach a single element 11 or 12 to one side of the package and the corresponding element to the other side, located both in positions which obviously allow the teaching derived from the initially-described embodiment to be used; a similar variant of the method could advantageously be employed, for example, in the case in which an element in the form of a strip is used as shown in Figures 8 and 9. Finally, it should also be taken into consideration that the direction of advancement of the support tape 39 of the elements 11, 12 could be other than horizontal as shown in the accompanying drawings; it is, in fact, clear that this direction can also be vertical or more generally inclined in any direction, by virtue of the way in which the elements are attached, being held on the tape until the last moment before being lifted off by the air flow or by coming into contact with the package. This clearly allows, therefore, elements to be attached to packages conveyed in the upright position. Finally, it can be observed that the method of the invention can also be used when the hook and loop coupling elements do not have an adhesive side as in the preceding case; it could, in fact, be that in the method as previously described, there is a preliminary phase in which an adhesive is applied to the material of the package or directly on the latter.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A re-closable bag package, intended in particular for food products, which is provided with means (10) for closing it in a configuration adaptable to the changing quantities of product contained therein, characterised in that the means (10) comprise first and second hook and loop coupling elements (11, 12) attached to opposite sides of the package in respective positions such as to allow their coupling when the package is folded to adapt it to the quantity of product contained therein. 2. A re-closable bag package, intended in particular for food products, which is provided with closure means (10) for closing it in a configuration adaptable to the changing quantities of products contained therein, characterised in that the means (10) comprise two hook and loop elements (11, 12) coupled together, one of them being applied on a side of the package and the second having a free adhesive side which can be applied to the side of the package opposite to that on which the first element is applied, following folding of the package to adapt it to the quantity of product contained therein. 3. A re-closable package according to either one of Claims 1 or 2, characterised in that one of the hook and loop elements (11, 12) is substantially in the shape of a strip extending longitudinally of the package. 4. A method of manufacturing a package according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the attachment of a hook and loop element (11, 12) on the material of the package is carried out in accordance with the following operating steps: - providing a flexible support (39) to which the elements (11, 12) provided with an adhesive side (11a, 12a) adhere; - moving the support along a relative forward path; - providing a change in the plane of motion of the support thereby causing the detachment of an the element therefrom; - attaching the element to the material of the package, bringing its adhesive side which has been detatched from the support into contact with the afore¬ said material, following the movement of this latter with respect to the former. 5. A method of manufacturing a package according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the attachment of a hook and loop coupling element (11, 12) to the material of the package is carried out in accordance with the following operating steps: - providing a flexible support (39) to which an element adheres with its adhesive side (11a, 12a); - moving the support along a relative forward path; - providing a change in the plane of motion of the support thereby causing the detachment of the element therefrom; - attaching the element to the material of the package by lifting it from the support by means of an air suction flow and projecting it with its adhesive side against the material of the package by means of an air delivery flow. 6. A method according to any one of Claims 4 or 5, characterised in that the element (11, 12) to be applied is coupled with another hook and loop element. 7. A method according to any one of Claims 4, 5 or 6, in which the change in the plane of motion of the tape is by an angle of approximately 180°. 8. A method according to any one of Claims 4 to 7, characterised in that the said flexible support is a tape. 9. A device for carrying out the method according to Claim 8, characterised in that it comprises an operative unit (35) on which are arranged: a first reel (37) that supplies a tape (39) on which a plurality of hook and loop elements (11, 12) adhere, a second motorised reel (47) which gathers up the tape without the elements (11, 12), a forward path for the tape (39) defined by a plurality of guide rollers (40) which extends between the aforesaid reels and along which there is a detaching surface (41) suitable to cause a change in the plane of motion of the tape. 10. A device according to Claim 9 when depending from claim 5, characterised in that it comprises a pneumatic station (50) situated on the operative unit (35) in correspondence with the detaching surface (41) and provided with means (50, 51, 52, 53, 54) for the air suction and delivery. 11. A device according to either one of Claims 9 or 10, characterised in that the operative unit (35) is mounted on a mobile frame (32) and that it is provided with means for adjusting the position of the operative unit (30) with respect to the aforesaid frame.

Inventors: GHILARDI PAOLO, GHILARDI, PAOLO
Applicants: GHILARDI PAOLO, MOTHERWELL SERVICES LTD, GHILARDI, PAOLO, MOTHERWELL SERVICES LTD.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B65D33
IPC codes: B65C9, B65D33