DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a closing and identification seal for wrappers, preferably of the bag, pouch, sachet or similar type, for products, in particular food products and relative application machine.

There are known products, above all but not exclusively in the food production field, with wrappers of the bag, pouch, sachet or similar type. In particular, said bags, pouches, sachets and the like are made of plastic and/or paper material.

There are also known food products such as cured meats, for example sausages, which are closed by a wrapper conventionally composed of a casing made of animal gut or of synthetic material.. The wrapper is of type with rope or string, said rope maintaining said casing adhering around the food product. Normally, the rope can also be used to obtain hanging of the cured meat from a hooked element above.

There are also known, in particular, bags, pouches, sachets and the like that have one natively open side to allow insertion of the product inside the bag, pouch, sachet or the like, in which said natively open side is subsequently gathered up or pinched and closed by means of tying, for example of the type with string, tape, wire, clip or the like, or by sealing.

There is known the need to apply information relative to the product placed inside the bag, said information being at times of vital importance, for example the expiry date of the product, or also of fundamental importance, for example information regarding the ingredients, etc.

Conventional technique answers this need, according to a first known technical solution, by printing information regarding the product directly on said wrapper. In this case, the wrapper must be produced solely for the product it is to contain, which must be known in advance. Therefore, it is not possible to produce a "general purpose" wrapper, which would be preferable. In this case, precise coordination is necessary between the activities, for example, concerning the paper making part, for the production of batches of wrappers, and those, for example, concerning the food part, for packaging of the wrappers with the products inside: if this coordination is missing, there is the risk that, in the paper making plant, batches of wrappers for products no longer in production will be produced or, on the contrary, there will be an overproduction of "bare" product, without the necessary wrapper.

Moreover, it is important to note that this technique is not suitable for providing vital information, such as the expiry date, as it is necessarily intrinsic to production of the product to be inserted into the wrapper. An attempted solution to this is to print this information directly in the food preparation plant, during a step to package the food product with the wrapper and not during paper making activities. For example, the expiry date can be printed shortly before the product is inserted inside the wrapper. However, this presents drawbacks.

In fact, it is not easy to print, with customary means, on plastic, except with paper making machinery that is not generally available in the food or packaging industry and therefore, as is often the case, the expiry date is printed, for example, using punching/stamping machines, and is difficult to read. Moreover, it is often the case that, in the wrapper, almost all the space is occupied by promotional information, such as the product brand and manufacturer, a photograph of the product, etc., and that only a square space is left for the vital information which must be "centred" in the stamping machine. This is not always easy to obtain, as optical centring of the product would be required, and this is not normally available in the food or packaging industry.

According to a second known technical solution, labelling is performed by means of labels bearing information regarding the product to be placed inside the wrapper. However, this solution is not easy to obtain either. In fact, just as the first known technical solution, this second known technical solution is also affected by problems related to centring. Moreover, it is known that wrappers of the bag, pouch or similar type are often creased, which makes it difficult to affix labels. At times, labels are inserted in the place of sale, for example by means of the known pricing step. However, this cannot be applied for vital production information, such as the expiry date.

Furthermore, industrial labelling machines are generally difficult to use and therefore are not generally available in food or packaging plants.

According to a third known technical solution, indications are applied by applying staples or punching, which is however often risky due to the application of small metal components which, if dropped, could become mixed with the food product and ingested. Moreover, staples perforate the wrapper and allow the passage of air, which facilitates aging of the product or the entry of infestants. Therefore, this third known technical solution is generally not used.

It is noted that, except for the first known technical solution, it is always possible to replace a label or punched information, and this makes products susceptible to fraud.

It is also noted that this need also exists for cured meat food products in rope wrappers. Not only, but the subsequent application of quality marks is very often also necessary, for example following curing of cured meats.

The present invention aims to solve the aforesaid drawbacks.

It is proposed to produce a closing and identification seal for a wrapper, in particular of the bag, pouch or similar type, for a product, in particular a food product, characterized in that it comprises an information portion and an application portion, wherein said application portion is irreversibly deformable in a loop.

In this manner, a print can be applied to the closing and identification seal, or the closing and identification seal can itself be printed, and moreover it is able to guarantee that this closing and identification seal has not been replaced.

There is also proposed an application machine for applying a closing and identification seal as above to a wrapper.

A food product comprising a wrapper, in particular of the bag, pouch, rope or similar type, wherein said wrapper is sealed by means of such a closing and identification seal, is also proposed.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from a non-limiting practical embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the closing and identification seal according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a side view of the closing and identification seal of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the closing and identification seal of Fig. 1 in a step of the process for application of the closing and identification seal;

Fig. 4 shows a side view of the closing and identification seal in the position of Fig.

3;

Fig. 5 shows an applied position of the closing and identification seal of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 6 shows a side view of the closing and identification seal in the position of Fig.

5;

Figs. 7 and 8 show enlarged details of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 9 shows a simplified perspective view for a closing and identification seal according to the present invention;

Fig. 10 shows a partially enlarged view of Fig. 9.

With reference to Figs. 1-8, the number 1 indicates as a whole a closing and identification seal 1 for a wrapper, in particular of the bag, pouch or similar type, for a product, in the present case a food product.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the closing and identification seal 1 in native position, ready to be used by a food product manufacturer to apply this closing and identification seal 1 to the wrapper of the food product. Figs. 3 and 4 (which are drawn according to a simplified design) show the closing and identification seal 1 in an intermediate processing position, during the operation to apply said closing and identification seal 1 comprises an information portion 10 and an application portion 20.

Figs. 5 and 6 (which are drawn according to a simplified design) show the closing and identification seal 1 in position applied to a wrapper (not shown).

The closing and identification seal comprises an information portion 10 and an application portion 20.

The information portion 10 is able to allow application of printed matter or printing of information on the back of said information portion.

In the present case, the closing and identification seal 1 is made of synthetic material.

Advantageously, this closing and identification seal 1 is produced in a single piece, which considerably reduces the difficulty of producing the present closing and identification seal 1.

Therefore, in the present case, the first and second portion are configurable as different sections of a same single body.

Preferably, the material that forms the closing and identification seal 1 is a material having an elasticity such as to imply an elastic return force following a deformation of this material.

Usefully, the closing and identification seal 1 is composed of an essentially geometrically fiat body, in particular of a thickness similar to that of a credit card.

The application portion 20 is shaped in a manner such as to be irreversibly closable in a loop.

Advantageously, the application portion 20 comprises a first part 21 , essentially fixed, and a second part 22, essentially deformable in a loop in a manner such o as to be engageable with the first part 21.

Usefully, the second part 22 comprises positioning means 24; usefully, the first part 21 comprises counter positioning means 23 engageable with the positioning means 24.

In the present case, there is provided a card section 40, in particular with a rectangular/square plan (in the present case almost square) and more in particular with rounded corners. The card section 40 produces both the information portion 10 and the first part 21 of the application portion 20. The second part 22 is instead, preferably, in native position (Figs. 1-2), produced by a projection positioned natively essentially coplanar with the card section 40.

The second part 22 extends natively according to a longitudinal direction indicated with 46.

Usefully, the second part 22 is provided with a free end 31 opposite a constrained end 32 joined to / in the present example produced in once piece with said first part 21. Preferably, the free end 31 has a pointed shape and is provided, in the present case, with a tip 47 in a forward position and a set back area 48.

Advantageously, an intermediate sector 45 is provided interposed between said free end 31 and said positioning means 24. Said intermediate sector 45 has a transverse extension (i.e. parallel to the straight line 69 and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 46) less than the transverse extension of the free end 31 in the set-back area 48.

The second part 22 is provided, in the present case, with an intermediate shank 49 between said free end 31 and said first part 21, said intermediate shank 49 being such that the fastening means 26 are produced on said intermediate shank. In the present case, the intermediate shank is also intermediate between said intermediate sector 45 and said first part 21.

Preferably, the closing and identification seal is provided with a slot 27, in the present case produced on said card section 40, said slot 27 being shaped in a manner such as to produce the counter positioning means 23. The shaped slot consists, in the present case, of a through cavity produced in the card section. Preferably, said slot is single.

Usefully, the slot 27 is divided between a first and a second slot portion 28, 29, mutually separated by a pair of protuberances 30; the first slot portion 28 is, in native position, at a greater distance from the second part 22 with respect to said second slot portion 29.

It is noted that, in the present case, the protuberances 30 have a greater mutual distance with respect to the transverse extension (i.e. parallel to the straight line 69 and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 46) of the intermediate sector 45, but greater than the transverse extension of the set back area 48.

Preferably, the slot 27 has a third slot portion 34 (not shown in Figs. 3, 5, 9, 10) communicating with the second slot portion 29 and, in native position, closer to said second part 22 with respect to the second slot portion 29.

In the present case, said third slot portion 34 has a first segment 35 essentially facing in the same direction as the second part 22 and a second segment 36 communicating with the first segment 35 but not with the second slot portion 29, which is essentially perpendicular to said first segment 35.

Usefully, the slot 27 comprises a fourth slot portion 38, (not shown in Figs. 3, 5, 9, 10) communicating with the first slot portion 29 and essentially perpendicular to the extension of the second part 22.

Usefully, the positioning means 24 comprise at least one hole; the counter positioning means

23 usefully comprise a pointed tongue, also indicated with 23, provided with a tip 33 that can be inserted into one of said holes 24; insertion is suitable to be obtained when the application portion is in application position (Figs. 5 and 6), i.e. is closed in a loop. Advantageously, the pointed tongue 23 is natively essentially pointing toward the second part

22 (Figs. 1 and 2): this allows the pointed tongue 23 to be able to point toward the positioning means 24, which in the case of the present example are the holes 24, in order that, in applied position, the tip is inserted inside one of said holes 24.

Advantageously, the holes 24 are in a number between three and nine holes and even more advantageously between five and seven holes, the row of holes 24 extending natively (Figs. 1 and 2) essentially along the extension of the second part 22.

The pointed tongue 23 partially occupies, preferably, the first slot portion 28; the tip 33 partially occupies the second slot portion 29.

Advantageously, the second part 22 comprises fastening means 26 that allow fastening to the first part 12.

Advantageously, the fastening means 26 allow a movement of the second part 22 in an engagement direction 41 and prevent a return movement according to a disengagement direction opposite the engagement direction 41.

Advantageously, the fastening means 26 are of herringbone type (shown in an approximate manner in Figs. 3, 5, 9 and 10 and in a complete manner in Figs. 26 and 8).

Usefully, the fastening means 26 are able to abut against the first part 21, approximately in the areas indicated with 42.

Preferably, the herringbone means are located at the edges of said second part 22.

In the present case, the fastening means 26 are in a number between four and eight pairs of herringbone means and even more in particular between four and six pairs of herringbone means, in the present case five pairs. This allows selection of the diameter of the loop that must be produced by the second part once applied to the wrapper (Figs. 5 and 6), in order not to require the use of a specific closing and identification seal for a specific application, thus allowing the production of a "general purpose" type closing and identification seal.

Advantageously, the closing and identification seal 1 described above is natively produced as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Subsequently, the second part of the closing and identification seal 1 is deformed (transitory position of Figs. 3 and 4) until being inserted inside the slot 27. In the present case, insertion takes place according to the engagement direction 41, which is perpendicular to the information portion 10.

Advantageously, insertion takes place with opposition of the counter positioning means 23, in particular of the tongue 23 which occupies most of the slot 27.

Advantageously, insertion is able to take place, according to the present embodiment, with further opposition due to the presence of the herringbone means 26. However, advantageously the herringbone means 26 are oriented in a manner such as to allow insertion of the second part 22 according to the engagement direction 41. In contrast, in the present case, the herringbone means 26 prevent return, according to the disengagement direction opposite to the engagement direction 41, of the second part 22: advantageously, this prevents the possibility of "reversal" during engagement operations.

At a certain point, it is possible to establish an engagement between the positioning means 24 and the counter positioning means 23, in the present case obtained through insertion of the tip

33 of the tongue 23 inside one of the holes 24.

In this manner a loop (Figs. 5 and 6) is produced, which cannot be further deformed in the direction of disengagement of the positioning and counter positioning means 23 without causing breakage.

It has been noted that the best results are obtained if the longitudinal extension of said second part 22 is equal to or greater than one side of said card section 40.

Moreover, it has been noted that the best results are obtained if the shorter side of said card section 40 is equal to at least 20 times the thickness of said closing and identification seal 1.

Preferably, the transverse dimension of the shank 49 is such as to be equal to less than a quarter with respect to the shorter side of the card section 40: this is because it has been found that, using the same synthetic material, high elasticity is achieved for the second part 22 and high rigidity is achieved for the card section 40.

Application of the closing and identification seal 1 can be achieved by means of an application machine 200 for application of the closing and identification seal 1.

This application machine 200 is able to pre-position the closing and identification seal 1 in a position which, in the present case, is essentially horizontal and according to which the second part 22 is deformed in a manner such that the free end 31 is located to correspond with the first part; the application machine 200 also comprises primary actuation means 210, in the present case achieved by a pneumatic actuator; the primary actuator means 210 are able to move the free end 31 until engagement of the positioning means 24 with the counter positioning means 23.

In the present case, the action of the primary actuation means 210 is achieved by means of a pusher body 220, in the present case moving in vertical direction, perpendicular to the extension of the main part of the closing and identification seal 1. The pusher body 220 moves in direction to intercept the second part 22 so as to force said second part 22 toward the first part 21, in order to force the free end 31 of the first part 22 to enter the slot 27. Advantageously, the presence of the tongue 23 allows an optimal yielding stop to be produced for insertion of the free end 31 into the slot 27, in order to allow the primary actuator means 210 to effectively select the hole 24 to be coupled with the tip 33 of the tongue 23.

Advantageously, said pusher body 220 comprises a fork end 230 (which could also be of the pin or pivot type) with essentially the same extension as that of the intermediate shank 49 and able to abut against this intermediate shank 49.

It has surprisingly been noted that in this manner the free end 31 is carried according to the engagement direction 41 and is pushed inside the slot 27.

Secondary actuator means 250 are provided to take a instruction-bearing support to the intermediate position in Figs. 3, 4, 9 and 10, starting from a stack 300 of closing and identification seals according to the present invention.

It has been noted that the present invention not only allows the production of an optimal closing and identification seal able to solve the aforesaid technical problems, but is also able to guarantee that this closing and identification seal is not replaced, so that it can be used, for example, as a quality guarantee, a quality seal, etc.

The finding has also proved valid for application in the field of providing a guarantee that luggage is not opened during air or sea travel.

It is also noted that the following process can also be implemented to obtain a quality mark: - application of a warranty label to a surface of the card section 40: the label also completely covers the first part 21 and the slot 27;

engagement according to the finding with irreversible closing in a loop: the label is perforated.

At this point, the quality mark can no longer be modified, as the perforated label cannot be replaced except by breaking the closing and identification seal 1.

It is noted that the elasticity of the material used is able to make the structure obtained particularly compact: in fact, once applied (Figs. 5, 6), the second part 22 pushes to return to the native position (Figs. 1, 2) and therefore tends to maintain the shape of the loop thus produced.

It is particularly useful for application of quality/guarantee marks in the case of cured meats with rope wrappers, as the process according to the invention is very suitable for application to a rope.

In particular, it must be noted that the present invention is particularly advantageous for wrap closing, in which the loop produced is particularly useful for application to wrappers of the aforesaid type. The irrecoverable nature of the solution according to the invention is particularly important, as in order to remove the closing and identification seal, destructive action must be taken thereon, and therefore it is particularly suitable for the application of warranty seals.