The invention relates to an apparatus and method for sealing or tying products. The invention more specifically relates to an apparatus and method for wrapping at least an adhesive strip of tape around at least part of a bundle of products for tying them together.

It is know to gather a bundle of products such as produce, for example flowers, and wrap an elastic band around part of said products, such as around the stems of the flowers, in order to bundle them. It is also known to gather such products into a bundle and then wrap an adhesive tape around part of them, such as around the stem of a bundle of flowers, for bundling them.

An aim of the present invention is to provide an alternative to these known apparatus and methods. Another aim of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for sealing or tying products into bundles. A still further aim is to provide a method and apparatus for tying fresh produce, flowers or the like natural products.

One or more of these and/or other aims can be obtained with an apparatus and/or method according to invention.

In a first aspect an apparatus for sealing or tying products can comprise a housing with at least a first tape dispenser and a star wheel. A slot can be defined by or through the housing, wherein the star wheel can extend at least partly in said slot. The star wheel comprises a first series of cells and a second series of cells, the first and second cells being intermittently disposed in the star wheel. Each cell is open to a periphery of the star wheel and two opposite sides thereof, wherein each of the first and second cell has a leading edge and a trailing edge, seen in a direction of rotation of the star wheel. A distance between a trailing edge of a first cell and a leading edge of an adjacent second cell, measured along the periphery of the star wheel, can be smaller than half the distance between the leading edge of said first cell and a leading edge of a following relevant first cell.

Relevant following first cell can be understood as meaning a first cell following the said first cell seen in a direction of rotation of the star wheel, which can be used for tying or sealing products.

In a second aspect an assembly of a star wheel and a knife carrier can be defined by a star wheel having an axis of rotation and a series of cells open to a periphery of the star wheel. Of two adjacent cells at least one can have an operating element on the star wheel. The knife carrier is movable between a cutting position and a rest position and has at least one guide surface that can engage said operating element during rotation of the star wheel around said axis, for moving a knife of the knife carrier into and/or out of said cell adjacent the operating element.

In a third aspect a method for sealing or tying products can be characterised by adhesive tape led over an open side of a cell of a star wheel, an adhesive side of the adhesive tape facing away from the star wheel. A bundle of products is pushed against the tape and into the cell, adhering at least part of the adhesive tape around at least part of the bundle of products, thereby rotating the star wheel around an axis. The cell with the bundle of products is moved along a feeding station for feeding a second tape, preferably non adhesive tape, over the cell and the bundle, adhering to the adhesive tape, thereby tying the bundle together. The star wheel is rotated further and the two adhered tapes are cut, allowing the bundle to be removed from the cell.

By way of example an apparatus and method shall be described hereafter, schematically and in relative detail, with reference to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 schematically in perspective view an apparatus of the present description, in a first embodiment;

Fig. 2 schematically in frontal view, opened, an apparatus of fig. 1; Fig. 3 schematically in perspective view an apparatus of the present description, in a second embodiment;

Fig. 4 schematically in frontal view, opened, an apparatus of fig. 3;

Fig. 5 schematically part of an apparatus of fig. 1 or 3, in a first position;

Fig. 6 schematically part of an apparatus of fig. 1 or 3, in a first position;

Fig. 7 schematically in perspective view an apparatus of fig. 3, from the rear;

Fig. 8 schematically in top view an apparatus of fig. 7, with part of a bundle engaging the star wheel;

Fig. 9 in perspective view a knife assembly.

In this description the same or similar or corresponding parts can have the same or corresponding reference signs. The embodiments shown and described are exemplary embodiments only and should by no means be understood as limiting the scope of protection sought as defined by the claims. The apparatus and methods according to the invention are described in relation to fresh products such as flowers, produce and the like, uncovered or covered. This should not be considered limiting. A similar apparatus could be used for for example sealing or tying bags, wrappings, bundles of other products, such as but not limited to rods, sticks and other such elements.

In this description apparatus will described which are hand- operated, that is wherein products to be tied or sealed are fed through the apparatus manually. However, mechanical means can be provided to feed the products through the apparatus, or at least assist a user in feeding the products through the apparatus, such as transport bands, chains and other transport means. Star wheel should be understood as at least including any element, rotational around a real or virtual axis, provided with cells along the periphery forming positions for receiving products or parts thereof to be tied or sealed and/or receiving at least part of a knife or other cutting or slicing tool or element.

Fig. 1 and 2 show a first exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the present disclosure. The apparatus 1 comprises a housing 2, at least a first tape dispenser 3 and a star wheel 4. A slot 5 is defined by or through the housing 2. The star wheel 4 extends at least partly in said slot 5. In this embodiment the housing 2 comprises a front panel 6 and back panel 7 and rests on legs 8 for providing stability and the possibility of moving the apparatus 1 to an appropriate position. The apparatus can thus be mobile. However, it is also possible to install the apparatus permanently or semi permanently in one location, for example at a packaging line. In this embodiment the slot 5 extends from an inlet opening 9 to an outlet opening 10. The outlet opening 10 can be provided between the inlet opening 9 and the legs 8. In the embodiment of fig. 1 and 2 the outlet opening 10 opens into a hole 11 extending through the housing 2, opening to both the front 12 and back 13 thereof. The slot 5 is formed by cut outs in the front panel 6 and back panel 7.

In fig. 2 the front panel 6 has been removed, for example pivoted down around pivots 14, opening the housing 2. As can be seen the star wheel 4 can be mounted on an axis 15, extending substantially perpendicular to the front and back 12, 13 of the housing 2, such that it can be rotated around said axis 15 within the housing 2. In an embodiment the inlet opening 9 and outlet opening 10 can be positioned such that a straight line L drawn between a mid 16 of the inlet opening 9 and a mid 17 of the outlet opening 10 extends past the axis 15 at a distance Dl there from. The slot 5 is curved between the inlet opening 9 and outlet opening 10 such that it passes the axis 15, a mid 18 thereof being at a distance D2 from the axis 15. The distance D2 can in an embodiment be larger than the distance Dl. In other embodiments it can be smaller or the same.

The star wheel 4 comprises a series of first cells 19 and a series of second cells 20. The position of each cell 19, 20 is for the sake of this description defined by a line J extending through the axis 15 and a mid M of a relevant cell 19, 20 at the periphery 21. The first cells 19 and second cells 20 can be intermittently disposed in the star wheel 4. This has to be understood as including but not necessarily limited to an arrangement of the cells 19, 20 around the periphery 21 of the star wheel 4 such that between two adjacent first cells 19 seen around the periphery 21 a second cell 20 is provided. Each cell 19, 20 is open to the periphery 21 of the star wheel 4 and two opposite sides 22, 23 thereof. In the embodiments shown there is the same number of first cells 19 as there are second cells 20. In an embodiment there can be three first cells 19 and three second cells 20. In an embodiment the first cells 19 can be distributed around the periphery 21 evenly, as can the second cells 20. For three first cells 19 this means that an angle α included between two lines J through adjacent first cells 19 will be approximately 120 degrees. Similarly for three second cells 20 the angle β included between two lines J through adjacent second cells 20 will be approximately 120 degrees. For different numbers of first and second cells 19, 20 the angles α, β will be amended accordingly, by the definition 360 degrees divided by the number of first or second cells 19, 20 respectively.

In an embodiment each first cell 19 comprises a leading edge 24 and a trailing edge 25, whereas each of the second cells 20 has a leading edge 26 and a trailing edge 27, seen in a direction of rotation W of the star wheel 4. A direction of rotation W of the star wheel 4 is defined by rotation of the star wheel 4 around the axis 15 such that a cell 19, 20 moves from near the inlet opening 9 to near the outlet opening 20 over the shortest path of travel, along the slot 5. In an embodiment a distance D3 between a trailing edge 25 of a first cell 19 and a leading edge 26 of an adjacent second cell 20, measured along the periphery 21 of the star wheel 4 is smaller than the distance D4 between the trailing edge 27 of said second cell 20 and a leading edge 26 of the same second cell 20 and a following relevant first cell 19. In an embodiment the distance D3 can be less than half the distance between two adjacent relevant first cells 19. In an embodiment the first and second cells 19, 20 can be distributed around the periphery such that the angles α and β will be the same, but an angle y between lines J through a first cell 19 and an adjacent trailing cell 20, that is the second cell following the first cell 19 in the direction of rotation W of the star wheel 4 is smaller than the angle δ between the lines J through said second cell 20 and the following first cell 19. In an embodiment the angles α, β can be 120 degrees, the angle y can be between 5 and 60 degrees, more specifically between 10 and 45 degrees, for example approximately 30 degrees. The angle δ can be about (α - δ), which can e.g. be about 90 degrees.

In an embodiment the edges 24, 25, 26, 27 can extend substantially parallel to the line J extending through the relevant cell 19, 20. In an embodiment the second cells 20 can be smaller than the first cells 19. The first cells 19 can have a width Bl measured between the leading and trailing edge 24, 25 perpendicular to the relevant line J through the cell 19 larger than the width B2 of the second cells 20. In an embodiment the first cells 19 can be distributed such that when a one of the first cells 19 is positioned adjacent the outlet opening 10 of the slot 5, a following relevant first cell 19 is positioned adjacent the inlet opening 9 of the slot 5. A second cell 20 can be positioned in between, extending within the housing and/or in the slot. In an embodiment the depth X of each second cell 20 can be such that it is enclosed within the housing 2, except when passing the inlet opening 9 and/or the outlet opening 10.

A knife carrier 28 is provided near the periphery 21, within the housing 2. The knife carrier 28 can be positioned near the periphery 21 of the star wheel 4 and comprises at least one knife 31 that can be moved into and out of at least one of the second cells 20, for cutting tape, as will be discussed later on. Preferably the knife carrier 28 is at least partly operated by rotation of the star wheel 4.

The knife carrier 28 can, as is further elucidated in fig. 9, be provided with a number of arms 29, extending from a central core 30, for example substatially radially. In an embodiment there can be four such arms 29. Each arm 29 can comprise a knife 31 with a cutting surface and/or teeth 32 extending substantially away from the core 30. The core 30 can be positioned on an axis 33 extending substantially parallel to the first axis 15. As can be seen especially in fig. 9, each of the arms 29 can be provided with a first side 34 and a second side 35, the knifes 31 being provided between said sides 34, 35. Each of the first sides has a blade 36 that extends at least with a tip region 37 at a side 22 of the star wheel 4. Near the periphery 21 and adjacent a trailing edge 27 of a second cell 20 an operating element 38 is provided that extends from the side 22 of the star wheel 4. The element 38 can for example be a notch, pin, edge, rib or any other suitable element. As will be discussed later, the blade 36 can be brought into contact with the operating element 38, for operating the knife carrier 28.

As can be seen in fig. 2 at one side of the slot 5 a first tape dispenser 3 is provided, comprising a roll of adhesive tape 39. A second tape dispenser 40 is provided, for holding a second role of tape 41. In an embodiment the first tape dispenser 3 can be provided at a side of the slot 5 opposite the side of the second tape dispenser 40. The second tape dispenser 40 can be provided at a side of the slot at which the knife carrier 28 is also provided. Sides to the slot should be understood as to the left or right of the line L as seen in a front or rear view of the apparatus 1. Near the knife carrier 28 a tautening device 42 is provided, preferably in the housing 2. The tautening device 42 comprises an arm 43, pivotally connected to the housing 2 in a pivot point 44. A side arm 45 is connected to the arm spaced apart from the pivot point 44, extending substantially in a direction away from the star wheel 4. The knife carrier 28 can be positioned substantially between the star wheel 4 and the arm 43. A spring 46 is connected between the housing 2 and the arm 43, biasing the arm towards the knife carrier 28. The second side 35 of the arms 29 is substantially in the same plane as the arm 43, such that, as is shown in fig. 2 and 5, at least one arm 29 is in contact with the arm 43 at all times. At the side arm 45 a pin 47 is provided, extending substantially parallel to the axis 15. At two opposite sides of the pin 47 the housing is provided with guide elements 48A, B.

From the first tape dispenser 3 adhesive tape 39 is fed over the periphery 21 of the star wheel 4, at least past a first cell 19 near or adjacent to the inlet opening 9 of the slot 5, an adhesive side 49 of the tape 39 extending outward, away from the star wheel 4. At the side of the slot 5 near the inlet opening 9, between the slot 5 and the arm 43, a guide 50 for the second tape 41 dispensed from the second tape dispenser 40 is provided, for guiding the second tape 41 towards the periphery 21 of the star wheel 4, at a position downstream from the inlet 9. The second tape 41 is preferably non adhesive tape, such as but not limited to paper tape. The second tape preferably is easily tearable, preferably more easily that the adhesive tape 39. The second tape is led from the second tape dispenser 40 over the sides of the guide elements 48A, B facing away from the star wheel 4 and over the side of the pin 47 facing the star wheel 4, and then through the guide 50 towards the periphery 21 of the star wheel 4, over which it is led in a downstream direction, towards the outlet opening 10, adhered to the adhesive tape 39.

As can be seen in for example fig. 2 and 5, the knife carrier 28 can be positioned in a rest position, in which the arm 43 is in contact with two arms 29 of the knife carrier 28. The spring 46 keeps the arm 43 in this position during rotation of the star wheel 4. In the position of fig. 2 a bundle of products, such as the stems S of a bunch of flowers, schematically shown in cross section in fig. 2 directly above the star wheel, in the inlet opening 9, can be pushed into the relevant first cell 19 adjacent the inlet opening 9, in the direction F, thereby pushing the tape 39 extending over the opening of the relevant first cell 19 into the cell 19, adhering at the same time to the stems S of the flowers and dispensing tape 39. By pushing the stems S further in the general direction F the star wheel 4 will be rotated in the direction W, leading the stems S through the slot 5 towards the outlet opening 10. Tape 39 will be dispensed from the first dispenser 3. Since the second tape 41 is adhered to the first tape 39 at the downstream side of the relevant first cell 19, tape 41 will also be dispensed from the second dispenser 40. The tape will be kept taut by the tautening device 42, also keeping the knife carrier 28 in the rest position. The first tape 39 and the second tape 41 adhered thereto will thus be extended over the second cell 20 following the relevant first cell 19.

When the star wheel 4 is rotated further in the direction W, the operating element 38 of a second cell 20 upstream adjacent the relevant first cell 19 in which the stems S extend is brought into contact with the tip region 37 of the side 36 of an arm 29 of the knife carrier 28 extending substantially into the direction of the slot 5 and inlet opening 9, as is shown in fig. 6. The tip region 37 can be provided with a guide surface 51 which is curved. The guide surface 51 faces outward and is positioned such that upon further rotation of the star wheel 4 the operating element 38 is forced along the guide surface 51, pushing the arm 29 and especially the knife 31 into the second cell 20, bringing the knife carrier 28 and knife 31 in a working position, cutting the tapes 39 extending over the second cell 20. At the same time the arm 43 is pushed away from the star wheel 4, releasing to some extend the tension on the second tape 41 and allowing the knife carrier 28 to rotate further when the star wheel is rotated further in the direction W. This can bring the knife carrier back into a rest position. The stems S are thus enclosed between the first tape 39 extending to a high extend and preferably almost entirely around the bundle of stems S and the second tape 41 extending over a gap 52 between two parts of the first tape 39. This makes it easy to remove the tapes 39, 41 from the stems, by tearing one of the tapes, preferably the second tape 41 by pulling the two tabs 53A, B, formed on either side of the gap 52, apart.

The position of the knife carrier 28 along the periphery 21 relative to the inlet opening 9 and the relative positions of each first cell 19 and the adjacent upstream second cell 20 defined the length 54 of the tabs 53. Once the tapes 39, 41 have been cut by the knife 31, the star wheel 4 will rotate relative to the tapes, until the stems S are released form the cell 19 and a further bundle of stems S is introduced into the next first cell 19 then adjacent the inlet opening 9. by reducing the distance D between the cell 19 and the position in which the knife 31 cuts the tapes 39, 41 in the adjacent second cell 20 the tab length 54 can be limited, reducing use of tape and preventing excessive tab lengths, which is especially desirable when bundles of products have to be tied or sealed having a relatively large size in cross section.

Fig. 3 and 4, 7 and 8 disclose an alternative embodiment of an apparatus according to the description, having the same or a similar star wheel 4, first and second tape dispensers 3, 40, knife carrier 28 and tautening device 42. In this embodiment the housing is divided basically in two parts 55, 56, the slot 5 extending between and being substantially defined by facing edges 57, 58 of the two parts 55, 56. A carrier 59 is provided, connecting the first and second part 55, 56. The carrier 59 is substantially U shaped, extending substantially perpendicular to the sides 12, 13 of the housing 2, having a central element 60 and two arms 61, connecting ends of the central element 60 with the first and second part 55, 56 respectively. The carrier therefore extends at a distance from the slot 5. In this embodiment the apparatus 1 can be mounted with the carrier on a working surface (not shown) such that a bundle of products such as flowers with stems S can be pushed from the slot 5 through the outlet opening 10 further in the direction of movement they had when passing through the slot 5.

In the description the embodiments are disclosed having the slot 5 or at least the line L extending substantially vertically. It is however obviously possible to have the slot extend in any desired direction and position, for example substantially horizontally or inclined relative to a horizontal and vertical plane.

In an embodiment the inlet opening 9 and first cell 19 can have corresponding widths. In another embodiment the width of the first cell 19 can differ from the inlet 9, for example smaller. The width Bl can for example be between 20 and 100 mm, for example between 30 and 80 mm. In an example the width Bl can be about 30 mm, about 40 mm or about 50 mm. The star wheel can have a diameter of any size, for example between 100 and 500 mm. In an example the star wheel can have a diameter of between 200 and 300 mm, for example about 240 to 250 mm. These sizes are only given by way of example. The star wheel 4 need not be circular. In an embodiment different star wheels 4 can be provided, interchangeable in the same housing. Different star wheels 4 can have for example but not limited to different positions of the first and second cells, different numbers of such cells, different sizes of first and/or second cells or combinations thereof, suitable for for example different sizes of bundles of products or bags or different products. Star wheels can have cells having for example a padding for protecting products from damage by the forces exerted thereon when being bundled, tied and/or sealed.

The invention is by no means limited to the embodiments shown and discussed here above. Many amendments and variations are possible within the scope of the invention. The star wheel can be driven differently, for example through a step motor engaging the axis 15 or by the feeding and/or discharging means. The knife carrier can be made differently, for example as an arm extending partly in the outlet opening 10, such that when the products are moved through the outlet opening the knife 31 is forced into a second cell 20, cutting loose the stems S. In stead of the star wheel 8 in the present form, rotatable around an axis 15, a star wheel can be in the form of an endless star belt, formed as a belt having a series of cells in an outwardly facing surface, guided over at least two end wheels, such that a series of cells 19, 20 is fed along the guide surface, allowing a series of bundles to be handled at the same time. Means can be provided to print information on and/or in the tape and/or the foil strip, such as sealing date, expiration date of the product, packing apparatus identification, advertisements or other information. In the embodiments shown the width of the strip of tape 39is about the same as the width of the tape 41. These widths can be different, for example the second tape 41 can have a greater with in order to provide further information, such as user information, warranties and other communications. These and other modifications, including all combinations and permutations of aspects and parts of the embodiments shown are supposed to have been disclosed here, both in isolation and in combination.