Packaging most commonly comprises cardboard boxes. Boxes commonly comprise a base, four sidewalls and a lid, all defined by cuts and fold lines in a cardboard blank, which is folded to assemble the open box before the article or articles to be packed are placed inside and the lid closed.

US2009/0031676 discloses a method for packaging articles in which a box is constructed around the article, the height of the box being determined by the height of the article, so as not to waste packaging material. As, notwithstanding adapting the box to the article, there is empty space inside the box allowing unwanted movement of the article, an inflatable bag is introduced prior to closing the lid and inflated in the box. To access the box contents, the bag must be removed after opening the box. This is clearly advantageous when packaging a series of different sized products.

Some products are packaged on a spool, accessed through a window in the box, the spool being mounted on spigots formed in the box, as disclosed in WO03/097489. Performed at the end of a production line producing spools of uniform size, constructing the box around the package as taught in US2009/0031676 would not appear to have any advantage, as the packages are all of uniform size and design. Surprisingly, however, it is found that there are other advantages to adopting the idea of constructing a package around a product. The present invention provides a method for packaging products with these advantages.

The invention comprises a method for packaging a product comprising the steps of: providing a package blank that can be folded to make a box; providing on the blank product locating means; placing the product on the blank; folding the blank around the product so that the locating means engage the product, and: securing the package closed.

The package blank may comprise a single sheet of cardboard or other box-making material cut and provided with fold lines to form a base, a top, side and end walls, some of which may be provided with flap portions to secure to other walls. The package may have a product access window, which may be provided as a perforated punch out portion.

Locating means may comprise material bent out of the blank or attached as by adhesive to the blank. For a spool, full or part circular or polygonal spigots may be glued to opposite walls of the blank. Spigots may be sliced from a cylinder.

Locating means may be adhered to the blank by a mechanical applicator such as a robot arm, which may be programmed to pick a spigot or other locator from a supply thereof and place it on the blank. The locator may be pre-glued or the applicator may present the locator to an adhesive applier en route to the blank.

When the applicator has affixed the locator, it can pick up a product and place it on the blank over or against the locator. If another locator is required on another wall, the mechanical applicator may affix it before or after placing the product.

With the product and locating means in place on the blank, the blank may now be folded and secured closed to complete the packaging operation. Providing the blank product locating means and placing the product on the blank may be done at the same time or during the same manufacturing step as the blank is being transformed into a package. Methods for packaging products according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a package blank;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the blank of Figure 1 folded into a package around a first product; Figure 3 is a plan view of an automated packaging station;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the station of Figure 3; F igure 5 is an elevation of a stack of locators for use at the station of Figures 3 and 4;

F igure 6 is a selection of cross-sections for the locators of Figure 5;

F igure 7 is a diagrammatic elevation of a folding station;

F igure 8 is a view on the arrow VIII of Figure 7; and

F igure 9 is a plan view of a base of a package for a second product.

The drawings illustrate a method for packaging a product P comprising the steps of: providing a package blank 11 that can be folded to make a box 12; providing on the blank 11 product locating means L; placing the product P on the blank 11; folding the blank 11 around the product 12 so that the locating means L engage the product P, and: securing the package 12 closed.

The package blank 11 comprises a single sheet of cardboard or other box-making material cut and provided with fold lines 11a to form a base B, a top T, side SI, S2 and end walls El, E2, some of which are be provided with flap portions F to secure to other walls. The package has a product access window A, which is provided as a perforated punch out portion. It is shown in Figures 3 and 4 on a conveyor C that carries it to the automated packing station of figures 3 and 4.

Locating means L comprise material attached by adhesive to the blank 11. For a spool product, full or part circular or polygonal spigots are glued to top and bottom walls T, B of the blank 11. Spigots can be sliced from a cylinder stack on a table 16 as shown in Figure 5 which is sliced through or nearly through, so as to hold together until picked off individually.

Locating means L are adhered to the blank 11 by a mechanical applicator comprising a robot arm 14 with an end effector 15, which is programmed to pick a spigot or other locator L from the stack of Figure 5 and place it on the blank 11. The applicator 14 presents the locator L to an adhesive applier 17 en route to the blank 11.

When the applicator 14 has affixed the locator L, it picks up a product P from a table 18 and places it on the base B of the blank 11, over the locator L. It affixes another locator L on the top T of the blank 11 before or after placing the product.

With the product P and locating means L in place on the blank 11, the blank 11 is now folded and secured closed to form the package 12 and complete the packaging operation. For this step the conveyor C moves the blank 11 to a folding station illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. The folding station comprises a folding table 70 equipped with folding arms 71, 72, 73 and 74. The blank 11 with locators L and product P located on the base locator L slides off the conveyor C onto the table 70. Folding arms 71 and 72 pivot to fold the end walls El, E2 towards the product P, and then folding arms 73, 74 fold the side walls SI, S2.

The resulting package 12 is secured closed by contact adhesive on the flap portions or by the application of adhesive tape. The product P shown in Figures 2, 3, 7 and 8 is a spool of tape material such as masking tape which is not taken out of the box, rather tape is unwound from the spool through the access window A, the spool rotating on the spigots L forming the locators. Suitable spigots for such spools are circular, as seen in Figure 6, LI, square, L2 or triangular, L3.

Locators L for other products can be otherwise shaped, small L-shaped locators being seen in Figure 4 locating a cube product P.

The entire process can be fully automated, with the robot arm 14 being programmed to execute various manoeuvres as by guiding it manually in 'learn' mode. The folding arms 71, 72, 73, 74 can likewise be programmed to fold the walls in correct order when a blank 11 is delivered to the folding table 70 and the folding arms or some other mechanical device can effect secured closure as may be required.

Installing the locators L and locating the product P as the package blank is being

transformed into a package obviates the need for additional packing and filling material to be inserted manually or inflated before closing the package, and is a highly efficient way of packing products of all descriptions.