The present invention relates to an enclosure for packaging products, and a process for packaging products in such enclosure.

The use is known of enclosures of paper and/or cardboard (or in general made with sheets that are folded to make seats for containing specific products) for packaging products.

In particular the possibility exists of providing, by way of suitable folding of a pre-die-cut sheet, the seats in which to accommodate the products: the seats can, in turn, be closed by way of specific flaps which can be glued so as to define a closure fold which will prevent the egress of the product.

In the conventional type of enclosures, numerous steps are necessary in order to correctly fold the enclosure and, often, this implies inserting the product using complex movements which involve complex and costly manipulator elements.

Furthermore, the conventional enclosures imply the adoption of pre- die-cut sheets in which the quantity of discarded material is considerable: all this has an impact on the overall cost of the packaging operations.

The aim of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned drawbacks, by providing an enclosure for packaging products which can easily be made with few folds and few applications of glue.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide an enclosure for packaging products in which the products can be accommodated by way of simple operations which do not require machines equipped with complex and costly elements for manipulating the products.

Another object of the invention is to provide an enclosure for packaging products which is particularly simple and which implies a minimal quantity of discarded material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process for packaging products which does not require dedicated and complex movement operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process for packaging products in an enclosure which involves the insertion of the products into the enclosure on a linear path.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure for packaging products which is low cost, easily and practically implemented and safe in use, and which makes it possible to execute a process for packaging products in such enclosure which is easily implemented and which has low implementation costs and operating costs.

This aim and these and other objects are achieved by an enclosure for packaging products of the type comprising a contoured laminar element which is folded onto itself, characterized in that said laminar element comprises, at an intermediate portion thereof, a transverse folding line which defines two mutually opposite flaps, a first flap comprising at least one slot, which extends in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of said folding line, adjacent to an end border which is substantially parallel to said folding line, in the configuration for use said laminar element being folded onto itself along said folding line and said end border being coupled to a second flap, so that the strips which delimit the at least one slot are folded so as to define a substantially polygonal protruding shape, an end band of said second flap being juxtaposable and associable stably with the bottom of said strips for the partial closure of said at least one slot.

Such aim and such objects are also achieved by way of a process for packaging products in an enclosure which consists in:

- taking a sheet-like blank constituted by a folded laminar element, provided with strips for delimiting at least one compartment which are juxtaposed with respect to a face of said sheet-like blank,

- moving at least one region of said strips away from said face, providing respective polygonal protruding contours which are spaced apart by at least one respective compartment,

- inserting at least one of said products in said at least one compartment,

- folding a lower band of said sheet-like blank until it mates at least partially with a first portion of said strips which is perpendicular to said face of said sheet-like blank,

- stably coupling said first portion of said strips and the part of said lower band that is juxtaposed therewith so as to define a bottom for said at least one compartment.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the detailed description that follows of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the enclosure for packaging products, as well as of the process for packaging products in an enclosure, according to the invention, which are illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a possible embodiment of a sheet for providing an enclosure for packaging products, according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sheet in Figure 1 partially folded to provide an enclosure for packaging products, according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the sheet in Figure 1 with a first folding to provide an enclosure for packaging products, according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the sheet in Figure 1 with a second folding to provide an enclosure for packaging products, according to the invention, as the products are being inserted;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the sheet in Figure 1 with a third folding to provide an enclosure for packaging products, according to the invention, with the products inserted;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the sheet in Figure 1 with a fourth folding to provide an enclosure for packaging products, according to the invention, with the products inserted;

Figure 7 shows Figure 5 shown from another viewpoint;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of an enclosure for packaging products, according to the invention, in the configuration of extracting a single product;

Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of a process for packaging products in an enclosure, according to the invention.

With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates an enclosure for packaging products A.

The enclosure 1 comprises a contoured laminar element 2 which is folded onto itself.

The laminar element 2 (according to the invention) will comprise, at an intermediate portion thereof, a transverse folding line 3 which defines two mutually opposite flaps 4 and 5.

A first flap 4 comprises at least one slot 6, which extends in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of the folding line 3.

Each slot 6 is adjacent to an end border 7 which is substantially parallel to the folding line 3.

In the configuration for use, the laminar element 2 is folded onto itself along the folding line 3 and the end border 7 is glued to the second flap 5 so that the strips 8 that delimit the at least one slot 6 are folded so as to define a substantially polygonal protruding shape.

An end band of the second flap 5 can be glued to and is juxtaposable to (i.e. it can be superimposed on and placed beside) the bottom of the strips 8 for the partial closure of the at least one slot 6.

In particular each slot 6, once the strips 8 have been folded so as to define a shape protruding from the laminar blank (constituted by the folded laminar element in which the border 7 is glued to the second flap 5), will define a compartment 9 which will be able to accommodate a respective product A. According to a preferred embodiment, the slots 6 are a plurality, are arranged mutually side by side and are separated by at least one respective strip 8. The slots 6 thus arranged mutually side by side will define, in the configuration for use, a plurality of compartments 9 for accommodating respective products A.

With reference to an embodiment of undoubted practical and applicative interest, the protruding polygonal shape defined by each strip 8 is substantially shaped like a polygon which is preferably selected from among a rectangle, a square, a trapezoid and a parallelogram.

The possibility is not ruled out however of adopting shape structures for the protruding shape which have only curved sections and/or flat sections with curved sections arranged at intervals.

The end band 10 of the second flap 5 comprises weakening lines 11.

The weakening lines 11 are aligned with the at least one slot 6 when the laminar element 2 is in the configuration for use.

The weakening lines 11 ensure the facilitated breakage, at the respective slot 6, with consequent opening of the band 10 in order to extract the product (A) contained in the slot 6 which is closed by that particular section of band 10.

In an intermediate configuration in which the border 7 is glued to the second flap 5 and the band 10 is not glued to the strips 6 (a configuration that defines a laminar blank 12), the strips 6 will be facing toward and proximate to the second flap 5, substantially parallel with it.

This will make it possible to minimize the transverse space occupation for the stacking and storage of the blanks 12 which are constituted by the partially folded and glued laminar elements 2.

The enclosure thus defined makes it possible to provide packages of products A which are in every way equivalent to conventional packages, but having a smaller number of folds of the laminar element 2 and also a reduction of the mutually glued surfaces. This results in a considerable simplification of provision of the new enclosure 1 according to the invention with respect to conventional enclosures and, secondly, it also makes it possible to reduce production costs (as a consequence of simplifying the folding operations and minimizing the gluing operations).

It should further be noted that the dimensions of the starting laminar element 2 will be substantially equal to slightly more than double the encumbrances of the finished enclosure and, furthermore, only a small amount of material will need to be removed from it in order to make the slots 6.

This will also result in a lower consumption of raw materials (specifically sheets of paper, cardboard or polymeric laminates) and a reduction in discarded material after the operations to form (die-cut) the sheets in order to obtain the laminar element 2.

It should be noted that, where in the present discussion reference has been made to gluing, every other form of stable coupling should also be considered in an equivalent manner, such as soldering, seaming, interlocking (for example obtained by way of complementary tongues and seats) and the like.

The present invention also relates to a process for packaging products

A in an enclosure 1.

The application of such process involves a first step of taking a sheetlike blank 12, which is constituted by a folded laminar element 2 provided with strips 8 which delimit at least one compartment 9, such strips 8 being juxtaposed with a face 13 of the sheet-like blank 12 (such step is shown schematically in Figures 2 and 3). Taking the sheet-like blank 12 is generally done after the border 7 has been coupled to the second flap 5 (for example by way of gluing): the possibility is not excluded of taking a sheetlike blank 12 in which such coupling has not yet been carried out, although such a possibility does not lend itself to being implemented with the machines of the type currently known and in use in the sector.

Then a second step follows (shown schematically in Figure 3) in which at least one region of the strips 6 is moved away from the face 13, thus providing respective substantially polygonal protruding contours, which are spaced apart by at least one respective compartment 9.

Then it will be necessary to insert at least one product A into the at least one compartment 9, as illustrated schematically in Figure 4: the insertion of the product A into the enclosure 1 occurs from below, although the possibility is not excluded of performing the insertion through other working directions.

Once the products A have been correctly inserted into the respective compartments 9, it will be necessary to fold a lower band 10 of the sheetlike blank 12 until it mates at least partially with a first portion 14 of the strips 8.

The first portion 14 on which part of the lower band 10 abuts is perpendicular to the face 13 of the sheet-like blank 12 (as can clearly be seen from examining Figure 5).

Then the gluing of the first portion 14 of the strips 8 to the part of lower band 10 which is juxtaposed therewith is performed. In this manner a bottom will be defined for the at least one compartment 9.

It should be noted that the part 15 of the band 10 which protrudes with respect to the first portion 10 of the strips 8, and perpendicular to the face 13 of the sheet-like blank 2, is juxtaposed with, and stably coupled to, a second portion 16 of the strips 8.

The second portion 16 is contiguous to the first portion 14 and parallel to the face 13 of the sheet-like blank 12.

The part 15 of the band 10 which is coupled to the second portion 16 defines a front closure for the corresponding compartment 9 (or for the corresponding compartments 9) as illustrated schematically in Figure 6.

It should be noted that, by adopting the process according to the invention, it will be possible to proceed with the insertion of the at least one product A into the respective compartment 9 from below.

This operation will be carried out by making the product A perform a translational motion into the compartment 9 defined between two contiguous strips 8, temporarily surmounting the band 10, and keeping the product A facing toward and proximate to the face 13 of the sheet-like blank 12 during its translation.

Hence there is no operation to insert the products A into the respective compartments 9 which involves complex movements: the product A will describe a linear path during the insertion and thus it will be sufficient to use simple gripping elements (such as for example suction cups 17) which can move, for example, on linear rails.

The compartments 9, according to a preferred embodiment, will be a plurality.

The products A will thus be picked up in groups from a supply line

18, by way of respective grip and handling elements 17, and transferred into the corresponding compartments 9: each group will be constituted by a plurality of products A.

It should be noted that, in the process described, the sheet-like blanks 12 are stacked in a respective magazine 19 and are constituted by laminar elements 2 folded along a transverse folding line 3, which is arranged at an intermediate portion thereof, defining two mutually opposite flaps 4 and 5; a first flap 4 comprising at least one slot 6, which extends in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of the folding line 3, such slot 6 being adjacent to an end border 7 which is substantially parallel to the folding line 3. The end border 7, in the laminar blank 12, is glued to (or coupled according to another, equivalent method) the second flap 5 so that the strips 8 which delimit the at least one slot 6 are folded so as to define, when at least one region of such strip 8 is moved away from the face 13, a protruding polygonal shape. The process according to the invention is particularly efficient in that it ensures the insertion of the products A into the respective compartment 9 by following a linear path that does not require the adoption of complex manipulators.

Furthermore, the operations necessary for locking the products A in the compartment 9 (fixing the band 10 to the respective portions 14 and 16 of the strips 8) are also simple and can be carried out by adopting conventional machines.

Advantageously the present invention solves the above mentioned problems, by providing an enclosure 1 for packaging products A which can easily be made with few folds and few applications of glue.

Conveniently the enclosure 1 makes it possible to accommodate the products A by way of simple operations which do not require machines equipped with complex and costly elements for manipulating the products.

Conveniently the enclosure 1 is particularly simple and implies a minimal quantity of discarded material.

Conveniently the process for packaging products A according to the invention also does not require dedicated and complex movement operations.

Advantageously, furthermore, the process for packaging products A according to the invention involves the insertion of the products A into the respective compartment 9 on a linear path, with consequent simplification (at the design and implementation stage) of the automatic machine that will have to carry out the process.

Profitably therefore, the enclosure 1 is low cost, easily and practically implemented and safely applied; in such regard it further makes it possible to execute a process for packaging products A in the enclosure 1 which is easily implemented and which has low implementation costs and operating costs.

The invention, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

In the embodiments illustrated, individual characteristics shown in relation to specific examples may in reality be interchanged with other, different characteristics, existing in other embodiments.

In practice, the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. BO2014A000378 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.