Method for packaging an item and packaged item

Abstract

In one method for packaging a cuboid object, it is wrapped in a flat sheet material consisting of paper coated with plastic on one side. This allows the flat sheet material to be thermally bonded or welded together. This welding of two layers of paper only occurs at some edges of the object; at the other edges, the paper is folded over. The paper is folded with the plastic-coated sides facing each other, and then the plastic-coated sides are welded together. The welded sections protrude from the object as narrow overhangs.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for packaging an object, wherein the object is completely wrapped and covered with a flat web material. The invention further relates to such a packaged object, which is completely wrapped with the flat web material. The object is cuboid or block-shaped.

[0002] From DE 202020103017 U1, it is known to package an item in a shipping bag made of paper material. A machine-made seam is used to join two layers of the packaging material. This holds the paper securely together and can simultaneously serve as an aid for tearing the bag open.

[0003] German patent DE 202020101611 U1 discloses another method for packaging an object in paper as a flat sheet material. In this method, overlapping layers of paper are glued together along one edge and then folded or rolled. Adhesive strips or glue beads can be used for this purpose; alternatively, fixing methods such as crimping, stapling, or adhesive tape are also possible.

[0004] Furthermore, it is known from EP 2522579 A1 to package an object in a film. Two layers of the film are permanently joined together by welding, and any excess can be trimmed off. The object either lies somewhat loosely in the film bag thus formed, or alternatively, a thermally shrinkable film can be used. This can then be shrunk onto the object by applying heat.

[0005] From JP 2002-362 511 A, it is known to package a rectangular or block-shaped object. In this process, a packing material is completely encased around the object. At the ends, the paper is joined and folded over in a manner not further explained. This is done in such a way that all the packaging material lies tightly against the object and nothing protrudes, even at the ends.

[0006] From EP 1 428 767 A1, a packaging bag for very flat objects is known. Various layers of the flat material are brought together during packaging. A removable cover film, adhering to the front or back, is provided.

[0007] From EP 1 899 225 B1, another method for packaging a block-like object is known, in which the object is wrapped with packaging material. On the short sides, protruding portions of the packaging material are folded together and placed against the object so that they lie flat against it and do not protrude. Task and solution

[0008] The invention is based on the objective of creating a method and an object packaged therein, as mentioned above, with which problems of the prior art can be solved and, in particular, it is possible to package an object in various types of flat web material in a simple, practical and, if possible, environmentally friendly manner.

[0009] This problem is solved by a method with the features of claim 1 and by a packaged article with the features of claim 19. Advantageous and preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of further claims and are explained in more detail below. Some of the features are described only for the method or only for the packaged article. However, they should be able to apply independently and separately to both a method and a packaged article in general. The wording of the claims is incorporated into the description by express reference.

[0010] The object is designed to be essentially cuboid, comprising a base, a top, a front, an end, and two lateral faces. Advantageously, the opposing faces are identical and of equal size. An edge runs between each of these faces, resulting in four vertical and eight horizontal edges. In this method, a flat web material is positioned beneath the object at the base, projecting beyond all four edges of the base. In practice, this can advantageously be achieved by sliding or moving the object onto this flat web material, allowing its base to rest upon it.

[0011] In a further step, which can generally take place before or after the object, or possibly even simultaneously, flat web material is arranged above the object on or against its surface. This flat web material also extends beyond the surface on all four edges, and this extension can be in any direction, advantageously horizontal or vertical.

[0012] At certain edges on the front surface, the end surface, and the two lateral side surfaces, the flat web material is either folded at the bottom surface (i.e., from bottom to top) around the respective horizontally running edge of the object or folded parallel to it, sometimes even away from the object. Additionally or alternatively, the flat web material can be folded from the top surface around some of the respective horizontally running edges on the top surface (from top to bottom) or along this edge altogether. Thus, it can be provided that at least at some of the aforementioned four circumferential surfaces, and advantageously at all of them, a flat web material lies against this surface from above or below. Advantageously, it should lie against at least 90% of the surface or cover 90% of the surface from below or above; particularly advantageously, it should cover essentially the entire surface.

[0013] In the area of ​​the object's edges, the two layers of flat web material come together, with the sides of the flat web material facing the object—that is, the top of the lower flat web material and the underside of the upper flat web material—being permanently bonded together. Advantageously, they are bonded inseparably, or in such a way that the bond can only be broken by destroying, tearing, or ripping the flat web material, for example, to open the packaged item after purchase. It is important that the sides of the flat web material that actually face the object, which are advantageously identical in both flat web materials, are bonded together, and that no bond is formed with either of the outer surfaces. This applies advantageously to the area of ​​the horizontal edges.

[0014] Along the vertical edges of the object, the areas of the flat sheet material adjacent to two neighboring surfaces are also permanently and, in particular, inseparably joined together with their sides facing the object. This joining is advantageously carried out as described above; it is especially advantageous if the flat sheet materials are joined together in the same way at all edges of the object where they are joined. The sequence of the joining steps is, in principle, arbitrary; this will be explained in more detail below.

[0015] It should be noted that in the sections or areas where two flat web materials are joined together, an overhang of the joined flat web materials, according to the invention, points away from the object in one direction. Advantageously, it points away from it in a horizontal or vertical direction, but possibly also at an angle corresponding to the angle bisector at the respective edge of the object. The overhang is cut off or trimmed at a distance from the object that can be up to 5 mm or between 1% and 10% of the longest edge length of the object. Particularly advantageously, the overhang is only a maximum of 3 mm or even a maximum of 2 mm.

[0016] In this type of packaging, the interconnected sections of flat web materials do not lie flat against the object at some or all of their connection points, but rather protrude slightly. However, if these protrusions are cleanly and straightly formed and cut, this can be visually appealing. Furthermore, it simplifies the packaging process.

[0017] Preferably, the base of the object is designed so that no overlapping flat sheet materials protrude downwards. Additionally or alternatively, it can be designed so that no overlapping flat sheet materials protrude upwards over the top surface. Thus, when the object is placed on its base or top surface, it does not rest on any overlapping material, but lies flat and completely flush.

[0018] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the joining of two layers of flat sheet material can be omitted at some edges of the object. This is possible by using a single sheet of flat sheet material and, advantageously with the front surface leading, essentially folding the object into the flat sheet material. This will be explained in more detail below.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the process can be carried out at least partially while the object is moving, and particularly advantageously, though not entirely. The object can be moved along a track, for example, a roller conveyor or a conveyor belt. It is preferably moved with its front surface leading, which is why this surface is referred to as the front surface. Particularly preferably, the object is moved with the side surface that is larger than the adjacent side surfaces leading, forming the aforementioned lateral side surfaces. This has the advantage that, as a rule, folding or refolding the flat web material can be carried out more easily and cleanly at the front and end surfaces, or at the edges running transversely to the direction of travel.A further advantage is achieved primarily when a single sheet of flat material is used for packaging, rather than two separate sheets. It is folded over and essentially folded or laid flat on top of itself. This will be explained in more detail below.

[0020] An advantageous feature of the invention is that at no point on the object do two layers of flat web material lie flat against each other or overlapping, and simultaneously on any surface of the object, particularly on one of the circumferential side surfaces. Thus, flat web materials are not folded flat against each other on the object or one of its sides and then joined together; rather, any areas of joined flat web materials protrude from the object or packaging, forming the aforementioned overhangs. It is possible that there are areas along edges where the flat web material overlaps the two surfaces joined along the edge. However, no second layer of flat web material is provided in these areas.

[0021] In a further embodiment of the invention, the interconnected sections of the flat web material are positioned along the edges of the object at a maximum distance from the edge of the object itself equal to the width of the connection between the sections or the width of the overhang. In particular, they are at most 50% or even only 30% of this width from the edge. This means that the connection between two layers of flat web material should be as close to the edge as possible, resulting in a tighter fit of the packaging and thus a better and more appealing visual appearance of the packaged item.

[0022] In the invention, the flat web material is bent around an edge of the object, or bent away from the object at the edges, or generally folded, by the use of rollers, rods, fingers, sheets, or brushes. At least the rollers can rotate, either driven or freely. This can also apply to rotary brushes. Such devices for bending flat web material around an edge, bending it away from it, or generally folding it are generally known to those skilled in the art from packaging technology. Applied fingers or rods can run close to the edge and parallel to a surface of the object, advantageously at a distance of less than 5 mm or even less than 2 mm from the edge or surface.

[0023] In the invention, two fingers or rods, positioned close together, first fold the flat web material downwards around an edge. This can be done up to just before the edge or surface of the object opposite this edge, advantageously up to this edge or surface. The two fingers or rods can then be moved apart and moved outwards and away from each other along the edge around which the flat web material was previously bent, or along the surface against which it almost rests. In this way, the flat web material can be folded and brought to the edges located outwards in this direction, which are perpendicular to the aforementioned edge around which the flat web material was bent. This then covers this surface of the object with the flat web material. Along the two outer edges, the flat web material is bent or folded by pressing from the outside.The folded flat sheet material is advantageously folded at a 90° angle such that it protrudes perpendicularly from the surface just covered. This folded flat sheet material is then pressed against a section of the flat sheet material that covers the surface of the object adjacent to the edges reached. The two adjacent sections of flat sheet material can then be joined together, advantageously welded, as described. Next, the flat sheet material is pressed against the existing flat sheet material at the edge opposite and parallel to the edge around which it was folded, and then joined to it. The same fingers or rods can be used for this; alternatively, other pressing devices such as fingers, rods, sliders, or plates can be used. Finally, any protruding sections can be trimmed.

[0024] By using two fingers or rods to bend the flat web material around one edge to the opposite edge, and then spreading the two fingers or rods apart, the flat web material can advantageously be bent smoothly and flat around one edge and attached or pressed onto the underlying surface of the object. Furthermore, simplification is possible by using the same device both for creating a fold or bend and for joining multiple layers of flat web material together.

[0025] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the upper layer of flat web material is folded or bent downwards along three upper edges or along the upper four edges around the top surface, as this makes the object easier to access and process. This has the advantage that, regardless of the specific size of the object, the aforementioned web on which it rests or moves can be significantly larger and can also be formed essentially without openings or the like, which would be required to fold the lower layer of flat web material upwards or sideways along the lower edge.

[0026] Furthermore, it can be advantageous to first make a connection along the vertical edges of the front surface, and only then along the two vertical edges of the end surface. This procedure can be deviated from when wrapping the object in a single strip of flat material, in order to first roughly fix it within the packaging formed by the flat material. In this case, the aforementioned sequence can be reversed.

[0027] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is not necessary to bend or fold the material around each edge of the object where two layers of flat web material are joined. It is also possible for one layer of flat web material to continue essentially along the surface on which it runs. The other layer of flat web material to be joined is bent or folded away from the edge at a near right angle and parallel to the other layer so that the two layers lie against each other. This is particularly preferred to avoid overhangs beyond the bottom surface and possibly also beyond the top surface.

[0028] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, excess material is removed or cut off from the flat web material using a knife or a laser, although other methods can also be used. Cutting with scissors or shearing is also advantageously possible.

[0029] In a first alternative scenario, if two separate layers of flat material are used to package the item, they are advantageously fed to the item separately or kept separate as the item is brought towards and between them. For example, they can be arranged parallel and spaced apart; the item is then placed between them, and the folding or bending and joining are carried out. The two layers can advantageously be unwound continuously from a roll. They can be of the same width, but this is not necessary. Alternatively, they can already be joined together to form a kind of curtain into or against which the item is moved.In this process, an edge of the object can be driven and pressed from the inside into the curtain and against an area where the two panels are connected by means of an outward-protruding overhang.

[0030] A second alternative involves using a single sheet of flat material, forming two layers. This can be stretched like a curtain, for example, from a roll positioned below the object's path. The object is then moved along its path, facing forward, against the flat material, pulling the material from the roll so that it adheres completely to the front and bottom surfaces. Simultaneously, the free end of the flat material, of sufficient length, can be placed on top of the top surface, or alternatively, before or after. This length should, of course, be measured as precisely as possible to completely encase the object.It may even be possible to measure it so precisely that it doesn't need to be trimmed later. Generally, when joining two layers of flat web material, a longer overhang is preferable for safe mechanical handling. It can then be trimmed as needed. This alternative achieves the result that no joining of two layers of flat web material is necessary at the two horizontal edges of the front surface or at one horizontal edge of the end surface; instead, the material can be folded or bent directly around the edge. Under tension, the free end of the flat web material can then be pressed against the lower layer of flat web material at the lower horizontal edge of the end surface, advantageously as close as possible to this edge of the object. The two layers of flat web material can then be joined at this point.

[0031] Afterwards, at least the bottom layer of flat web material can be cut off, advantageously by cutting off the entire excess to a desired length. The object is then at least wrapped along the four horizontal edges that are perpendicular to the length of the flat web material coming from the roll. At two further horizontal edges of the bottom surface or the top surface, preferably the top surface, the layer of flat web material present there is bent or folded over and placed onto the two lateral side surfaces. Preferably, this is done identically on both lateral side surfaces, either from top to bottom or from bottom to top. Then, along the other two horizontal edges of the lateral side surfaces, a connection is made with the other layer of flat web material, which remains essentially unchanged, whereby the folded or folded layer...The folded layer of flat web material is bent away from the lateral side surfaces. Finally, the adjacent layers of flat web material are joined together at all four vertical edges of the object by pressing them together. Preferably, this is done such that the layers of flat web material on the front and end surfaces continue in their original direction, and the layers of flat web material covering the lateral side surfaces are bent away from the edges. They are then joined to the other layer in the usual way. An object packaged in this manner then has two joined layers of flat web material at seven edges. At five edges, the flat web material is folded or bent directly around the edges, i.e., without joining, and lies largely flat and flush against the surface.

[0032] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, two flat web materials, advantageously with overhangs in the aforementioned sections, are joined together without the need to add separate adhesive or the like during the joining process. This significantly simplifies the method, as no additional application of adhesive or glue or the like is necessary during folding or bending. Furthermore, no pre-applied glue residues or the like are provided, which would complicate or prevent practical handling of the flat web material. A preferred method for joining two flat web materials is to have one side of the flat web material, namely the side facing the object, coated with, or consisting of, a thermoplastic material. Such a coating can be produced, for example, by extruding a film onto a paper web.Alternatively, a coating can be applied by spraying on the appropriate plastic. PE is a suitable thermoplastic, but other plastics suitable for welding, such as polyolefin or PP, can also be used. So-called sealable paper is a particularly useful flat web material.

[0033] A layer of flat sheet material can be bonded not just to another layer of flat sheet material by heating the plastic on one side, but advantageously to the same plastic on the other layer. The two surfaces to be joined are thermally melted and bonded or welded together. This creates a stable bond, potentially requiring less plastic or a thinner plastic coating than if the bond were applied to only a single surface or sheet. A plastic coating, or plastic in general, can be applied to a large area or even the entire surface of one side of the flat sheet material. Such a flat sheet material can be used very universally for packaging objects of any size, without having to ensure that plastic is present at the specific point required.

[0034] In a first basic embodiment of the invention, the flat web material comprises paper or consists essentially of paper. This is then coated with plastic in the manner described above, or has plastic in it, specifically the aforementioned plastic for bonding. When recycling paper, it is now quite possible to separate the plastic from the paper itself. Thus, at least the paper can be reused, and ideally, the plastic as well. The paper itself can be any type of paper. Advantageously, and for environmental reasons, it is recycled paper; alternatively, it can be wrapping paper. The paper thickness can also be chosen largely arbitrarily, advantageously between 40 g / m². 2 and 200 g / m² 2 up to, especially with wrapping paper, 400 to 500 g / m² 2 It is important that the paper can still be easily bent or folded.

[0035] As an alternative to paper as a base material or carrier for the flat web material, a film can also be used, preferably made of plastic. Such a film is either already thermoplastic itself, allowing it to be easily welded together for joining. Alternatively, a film can be coated with one of the aforementioned thermoplastic materials. A film can generally be made of plastic or from renewable raw materials, for example, cellulose-based. Here, too, materials that are as recyclable as possible should be chosen.

[0036] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the flat web material is selected or designed such that it is inelastic or cannot be stretched, at least within normal stress limits. Furthermore, it should not shrink significantly under thermal stress. This is particularly possible if the flat web material contains paper or consists mainly of paper. Alternatively, a flat web material can consist essentially or entirely of film and be elastic. In this case, it can optionally be thermally shrunk to achieve an even closer fit of the flat web material to the packaged object.

[0037] Another advantageous option is to use one flat web material, for example, for the bottom web, made of paper, either entirely paper or with a plastic coating as described above. The other flat web material, for example, for the top web, consists of a shrink film, i.e., a shrinkable plastic film, such as PE or polyolefin. These two flat web materials can also be joined together as described previously, in particular by thermal welding. This creates a largely shrinkable package for an item. At the same time, the film and paper can be separated after use and recycled separately. This can be particularly advantageous if the packaging needs to fit snugly around the packaged item, if the item has a complex shape, or if several items need to be packaged and a certain degree of cohesion is important.Here, so-called banderole packaging, for example glasses or cans on a cardboard base, could also be packaged, whereby a lower layer of the packaging can consist of the aforementioned paper and an upper layer of the aforementioned shrink film.

[0038] For welding the layers together using the aforementioned thermoplastic material, reference can be made to the state of the art for such processes. Temperature control of the welding process is important here to ensure sufficient quality without otherwise thermally damaging or burning the flat sheet material.

[0039] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the top surface, and advantageously also the bottom surface, consists only of continuous, uninterrupted flat web material, particularly advantageously a single layer. Thus, no joining of two layers of flat web material is provided on these surfaces, nor is any folding or bending. These two surfaces, which are usually and advantageously the largest surfaces of the object, are therefore smooth and can, for example, be easily printed or covered with adhesive. Generally, it can be provided that a joining of two layers of flat web material is located a maximum of 5 mm, advantageously a maximum of 3 mm, from an edge of the object. This ensures that the packaging fits as tightly, tautly, and smoothly as possible on the object. This is advantageous from a packaging perspective and is also visually appealing.

[0040] The same provisions described for the base and, where applicable, the top surface can also be applied to the front, end, and lateral side surfaces. While the aforementioned overhangs may extend beyond these surfaces, if the surfaces themselves are essentially unobstructed, they can also be covered with adhesive film and / or printed on.

[0041] In general, the invention advantageously provides that a connection between two layers of flat sheet material is only made along or near the edges of the object. As explained above, the distance between the two layers should be relatively small. However, a connection should be provided along at least half of the edges.

[0042] The packaging should present the item in an aesthetically pleasing way and protect it from dirt and other environmental influences. It can be packaged in a waterproof manner, and possibly even airtight. This depends primarily on the choice of flat-sheet material and how precisely and intricately each layer of flat-sheet material is bonded together. Admittedly, it is difficult to achieve a completely sealed package in the corner areas of the item, where at least two or even three overlapping sections meet.

[0043] As described above, the object is advantageously cuboid-shaped, particularly designed as a regular cuboid or a box. The edges, and therefore also the corners, should be relatively sharp; the radius of any curvature should not exceed 5 mm or 5%, preferably 2% or 1%, of the object's longest edge length. Welded sections of the flat web material project from the object, with the flat web material folded over along at least two edges of the object. Welded and projecting sections are provided at the remaining edges or run parallel to these remaining edges.

[0044] Two line welders or similar devices, which are brought from the two outer sides towards two overlapping layers of flat material and press them together and weld them, do not need to be guided vertically or horizontally, or parallel to the sides of the object. This is also possible along an inclined line, for example at an angle of 30° to 85°, particularly 40° to 60°, to the surface in which the two layers actually lie, or to the side of the object from which the resulting overhang from cutting extends approximately in line with this side. Welding can then take place even closer to the corresponding edge of the object, since the narrow weld edges or similar of such line welders can be brought closer to the edge and thus closer to the object.

[0045] These and other features are evident not only from the claims but also from the description and the drawings, whereby the individual features, either alone or in combination, may be implemented in one embodiment of the invention and in other fields, and may represent advantageous and individually protectable embodiments for which protection is claimed here. The division of the application into individual sections and subheadings does not limit the general validity of the statements made therein. Detailed description of the exemplary implementations

[0046] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail below. The drawings show: Fig. 1. An oblique view of a cuboid box as an object to be packed, Fig. 2 the packed box from Fig. 1 in corresponding oblique view, Fig. 3 the box out Fig. 1 on a paper web from which the packaging is made, Fig. 4 a side view of the arrangement Fig. 3, Fig. 5 to 7 side views of steps in the packaging process, showing the paper web being wrapped around the box, joined together and cut, Fig. 8 to 13 alternating front and top views to illustrate the process of packing the box with a single strip of paper on a left and right side, including trimming any excess. Fig. 14 to 18 alternating front and top views to illustrate the packaging of the box with two separate sheets of paper. Detailed description of the exemplary implementations

[0047] In the Fig. Figure 1 shows a cuboid box 11 of uniform shape, representing an object to be packed or wrapped. The box 11 has a top surface (OS), a front surface (VS), a bottom surface (US), a back surface (HS), a left side (LS), and a right side (RS). Opposite sides are of equal size. The edges K run along the top surface (OS). OL , K OH , K OR and K OV The edges K run in a similar form along the underside US. UL , K UH , K UR and K UV The vertically running edges are the edges K. VL , K HL , K HR and K VRThe dimensions of Box 11 can vary; for example, the shortest edge length could be 1 cm and the longest 50 cm. This is only an example. Furthermore, Box 11 should be inherently stable and dimensionally stable as the item to be packaged. Additionally, the edges and corners should be both sturdy and reasonably sharp, without a large radius or rounding, for example, a maximum radius of 1 mm to 5 mm.

[0048] In the Fig. Figure 2 shows the fully packaged box 11', at least the top (OS), front (VS), and left side (LS) are labeled for orientation purposes, which will also be used in the following sections. From the outside, only the packaging 13 is visible, which here consists of the aforementioned flat-web material in the form of paper with a thin plastic coating or layer on its inner surface. The outer surface 17 of the packaging 13 is thus formed by the paper, or rather its paper side, so that the packaging 13 has a paper exterior. This exterior can be designed as desired, i.e., colored, printed, etc. Furthermore, it can also be printed on subsequently, i.e., after the box 11 has been packed inside. Relatively simple inkjet printers, which are very well suited for printing on paper, are suitable for this purpose.Therefore, printing on a packaged box 11' with a paper exterior is much easier than if it were made of pure film. However, manufacturing the entire packaging 13, or joining individual sides or surfaces together, is similarly easy compared to using film, because the plastic coating on the inside allows for similar application.

[0049] On packaging 13, it is noticeable that some edges have a trimmed overhang 31, while others do not. All edges along the top surface OS are without such an overhang, as the web material or paper web 15 of packaging 13 is simply folded over here. Specifically, the edges K OV , K OL , K OH , K OR and the rear lower edge K UHWithout overhang, the paper web 15 is folded directly around the edges of the box 11. The other edges each have an overhang 31. As can be clearly seen, the overhang 31 is relatively short and can advantageously be between 1 mm and 5 mm, with an edge length K. OV Of approximately 15 cm, it can be 2 mm. For an appealing visual appearance of the packaging 13, all cut-off overhangs 31 should be of the same length or protrude the same distance from the corresponding edges of the box and thus from the outside of the packaging 13. The overhang 31 is located at edge K. UV in a horizontal direction, i.e., parallel to the underside US. The projections 31 on the edges K are also in the same plane corresponding to the underside US. UL and K URThe cut-off overhangs 31 along the vertical edges extend in line with the plane of the back (HS) and the plane of the front (VS). Thus, none of the overhangs 31 extend downwards below the plane of the bottom (US) or upwards above the plane of the top (OS), allowing the packaged box 11' to be stacked easily.

[0050] To illustrate the procedure according to the Fig. 3 ff. is placed on an essentially endless paper roll 15, which is located at the back left in the Fig. 3. A box 11 with its bottom side US facing downwards is placed on a box 11 with a right-angled cut end edge 21. The back side HS faces towards the end edge 21, and the left side LS faces left and is visible. The width of the paper web 15 can be matched to the box 11, for example, extending further to the left and right than the height of the left side LS and the right side RS, in particular by at least 10% but also by a maximum of 50%. A paper web 15 can be pre-cut when it is fed into the box 11. Alternatively, a correspondingly wide paper web can be used for each box 11. In this way, waste of paper web 15 or flat web material can be minimized for environmental reasons.

[0051] According to the side view of the Fig. 4. The distance of the end edge 21 to the box 11 is a few centimeters more than the sum of the lengths of the edges K. HL , KOL and K VL Furthermore, it is clearly visible that the box 11, with its underside US, rests on the foil side 16 of the paper web 15. The paper web 15 itself, with its outer side 17, which consists of paper, is guided on a substrate in a packaging machine or similar. This paper web 15 can be made of paper with a thickness of 50 g / m². 2 up to 200 g / m² 2 consist of, advantageously here 70 g / m² 2The film side 17 consists of a coating of PE film, which is characterized, among other things, by being thermally melted for welding to itself or to surfaces. It can be very thin, for example, 0.01 mm or 0.02 mm. The film side 16 is fully covered with the film or film coating. Furthermore, the paper web 15 can be designed in such a way that the paper component can be separated from the film component or plastic component in a recycling plant, thus enabling improved recycling.

[0052] As from the Fig. As can be seen in Figure 4, the end edge 21 of the paper web 15 is guided upwards to enclose the box 11. The box 11 can advantageously be held firmly on the paper web 15, for example by a press-down device, gripper, or the like. According to the Fig. In step 5, the box 11 is completely enclosed, or rather, the paper web 15 wraps around it on the underside (US), back (HS), top (OS), and front (VS). The position of the box 11 within the paper web 15 is illustrated by the markings on the left side (LS) and the top (OS). The paper web 15 is guided with the end edge 21 leading so that it overlaps itself with the film side 16 to form an overhang 27. Near the end edge 21, the paper web 15 is gripped by a gripping device 23 and pressed against itself. For this purpose, the gripping device 23 has an upper gripper 24a and a lower gripper 24b, which firmly press the paper web 15 and the film sides 16 together. However, no connection or welding of the film takes place at this stage.

[0053] The first step in Fig. Step 5 therefore consists of pressing the end edge 21, or this area, onto the area of ​​the paper web 15 in front of the box 11 using the gripping device 23. In a second step, a pressure roller 26 is pressed horizontally from the outside against the paper web 15 and against the front face VS of the box 11, in order to lightly press the paper web 15 against the box 11. In a third step, the pressure roller 26 is moved downwards into a position corresponding to Fig. 6. This ensures that the paper web 15 is guided relatively tightly around the box 11. The gripping device 23 holds the two paper webs 15 firmly connected. The pressure roller 26 can also simply be a profile or a rod, i.e., have a significantly smaller radius. According to Fig. 7. It is removed and a welding device 28 is brought into position. This welding device 28 has an upper line welder 29a and a lower line welder 29b. These join the layers of the paper web 15 together or thermally weld the overlapping film sides 16. This welding is advantageously carried out simultaneously along the entire parallel edge K. UV A strip-shaped weld area can be very close to this edge K. UV have moved closer together, for example, showing a distance of only 1 mm or 2 mm.

[0054] Furthermore, such a welded area can itself have a width of 1 mm or 2 mm, ensuring a reliable weld along its length and thus across the resulting surface. This is easily achieved by appropriately designing the line welders 29a and 29b, as is also known from film packaging. Furthermore, K is then applied along this edge.UV The layers of paper web 15 are cut, which is not explicitly shown here. This can be done after welding by means of cutting devices brought into position, for example by means of transversely guided blades, cutting wheels or lasers or the like. It is also possible that long blades are present on the line welders 29a and 29b, which cut the layers of paper web 15 simultaneously with their approach and compression. Thus, along the edge K UV The packaging was produced, with the box 11 already completely enclosed in one direction by the paper web 15.

[0055] The packaging on the left side (LS) and the right side (RS) is explained in the following figures. Fig. Figure 8 shows a view of the front face VS of box 11, with sleeve-like projections 30 extending beyond the outer surfaces LS and RS on the left and right sides, respectively. Two positioning fingers 33a are brought into position on the left side LS and two positioning fingers 33b on the right side RS from above. This is shown in the top view of the Fig. 9 clearly. The positioning fingers 33a and 33b are each present in pairs, spaced a short distance apart or lying adjacent to each other. In this way, they can position an upper layer of the paper web 15 approximately in the plane of the top surface OS along the upper left edge K. OL and along the upper right edge K OR Fold downwards or attach. The attachment fingers 33a can be slightly beveled or rounded at the bottom, as shown on the left. Alternatively, they can also be angular, like the attachment fingers 33b.

[0056] According to the presentation of Fig. 10. The positioning fingers 33a and 33b have already moved down to about half the height of box 11, where they are still close together according to the Fig. 9. Their horizontal distance to the plane of the back surface (HS) and to the plane of the front surface (VS) should be as large as possible and at least 1 cm. Furthermore, the width of the positioning fingers 33 should not be too small to ensure even and damage-free folding of the paper web around the upper edges (K). OL and K OR to enable. As can be seen from the Fig. As can be seen in Figure 10, the overhang 30 towards the free outer edges is already bent slightly downwards, since the paper web is slowly applied from top to bottom against the outer sides LS and RS of the box 11 by the positioning fingers 33. However, this is not a problem, as the material of the paper web can slide down accordingly.

[0057] According to the Fig. 11. The positioning fingers 33a and 33b are guided all the way down, or to a plane of the underside US of the box. They should press the paper web 15 with the film side 16 against the left side LS and the right side RS, or align it with these sides. It can be seen below that the paper web 15 extends slightly outwards beyond the positioning fingers 33a to the left and beyond the positioning fingers 33b to the right, thus forming doubled areas 27. Here too, the positioning fingers 33a and 33b should still be close together, as shown in the top view of the Fig. 9 is shown.

[0058] According to the top view in Fig. In a first step, the positioning fingers 33a and 33b on each side are then moved apart, so to speak, towards the planes of the back surface (HS) and the front surface (VS). They remain moved downwards as far as the Fig. Figure 11 shows that once their respective outer surfaces reach these planes, further line welders 35a on the left and 35b on the right are brought into contact with these outer surfaces. They weld the doubled sections 27 of the paper web 15 together, with the film sides 16 again lying on top of each other. This welding is carried out in one go along the vertical height of the box 11. The welding and trimming of the excess material is carried out as before. Fig. 7 explained. This means that the packaging 13 is along all vertical edges K VL , K HL , K HR and K VR completed. Here too, the cut-off overhangs 31 can protrude from box 11 or the aforementioned edges by a similar distance as before. Fig. 7 described.

[0059] In a final step, which according to Fig. As shown in front view 13, the positioning fingers 33 can be removed, and pressure plates 37a on the left and 37b on the right are guided downwards from above in a similar manner. Alternatively, flatter pressure plates can also be used, which in any case should be longer in the horizontal direction than the edge length of the edges K. UL and K UR They press the overlapping layers of the paper web 15 together along the two lower edges K along the lower doubled areas 27. UL and K UR From below, line welders 39a and 39b are brought in and weld the layers of the paper web 15 together in the manner described above. Subsequently, the pressure plates 37a and 37b are removed and the finished packaged box 11' is removed according to Fig. 2 is available.

[0060] As previously explained and from the Fig. As can be seen in Figure 2, all the cut-off overhangs 31 are of the same type or the same size. This can, of course, be changed as desired, depending on the variant, so that they are of different widths or protrude at different distances from the edges K of the box 11 running underneath them.

[0061] Another option, which is also known from other types of packaging, is that the outer edges of the cut-off overhangs 31 are not straight, but wavy, jagged, or the like. This allows the exterior to be varied.

[0062] The described method demonstrates that packaging and tightly wrapping the box 11 in the paper web 15 is technically manageable and quick to perform. Due to the inventive aspect of welding the surfaces of the paper web 15 together along the film sides 16, no additional adhesive or similar substance needs to be applied. Furthermore, the paper component of the paper web 15 can be recycled, while the relatively small plastic component of the film side 16 is very low. This plastic component can also be separated during recycling.

[0063] Based on the depictions of the figures, it is also easy to imagine that the packaging of box 11 does not take place in a single sheet of paper 15, which according to the Fig. 3 to 7 are not folded over, but rather into two separate paper webs, which are guided above and below box 11. Then, instead of folding from the top (OS) to the back (HS) and to the front (VS), the upper paper web is folded downwards or the lower paper web upwards, according to the Fig. Steps 8 to 13 are carried out. Only then is the process repeated along the outer sides LS and RS, as previously described. However, wrapping box 11 in a paper web has the significant advantage that a simpler folding process can be carried out along the edges, and fewer joining or welding operations are required overall.

[0064] In the Fig. Figure 14 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention described above, namely when the box 111 is packed with two separate paper webs 115a and 115b. Similar to the illustration of Fig. 4. In the side view of the left side LS of box 111, it lies on a lower paper web 115a. This is connected at its left-facing end to an upper paper web 115b by a cut-off overhang 131, in the manner of a seam. Thus, the two paper webs 115a and 115b form a kind of curtain, as mentioned above, into which box 111 with its edge KUH is inserted according to Fig. 1 is inserted adjacent to the box. This cut-off overhang 131 is a remnant from the previous packaging of a box, which will be explained in more detail below.

[0065] The lower paper web 115a extends from the cut-off overhang 131 to the right, flat and horizontally. The upper paper web 115b extends from the cut-off overhang 131 along the back side HS of the box 111, first upwards and then, lying against the top surface OS, to the right. Both paper webs 115a and 115b are unwound from large supply rolls or similar.

[0066] A tightening roller 142 comes down from above and presses lightly against the upper paper web 115b, which then rests on top of the OS of the box 111. This shows the Fig. 15. Then the box 111 is moved to the left and pulls the paper webs 115a and 115b from the respective supply rolls according to the distance traveled.

[0067] According to Fig. In step 16, the box 111, together with the curtain formed by the two paper webs 115a and 115b, is moved beyond the tensioning roller 142. Then, similar to the previous steps, Fig. Figure 7 explains the use of two line welders, 129a and 129b. The lower line welder, 129a, grips the outer surface 117a of the lower paper web 115a from below, directly behind the box 111 or at a very small distance from its edge K. UV, for example 1 mm to 3 mm. The upper line welder 129b is brought in from above, between the box 111 and the tightening roller 142. Its distance in the horizontal direction to the edge K OV The clearance of box 111 is very small and can be just a few millimeters. The upper line welder 129b is advantageously positioned directly above the lower line welder 129a. As previously explained, the two line welders 129 do not necessarily have to run or move along a vertical line. They can also be positioned along an inclined line, for example, at an angle of 45° to 85° to the horizontal. This allows welding to be performed even closer to edge K. UV This will take place in box 111.

[0068] As the Fig. As shown in Figure 17, the lower line sealer 129a remains in its position while the upper line sealer 129b is moved downwards. The upper line sealer 129b rests against the front VS of the box 111, either completely or with only a small gap of a few millimeters, thus pulling the paper web 115b downwards and away from its supply roll. If the gliding action of the line sealer 129b and the pulling action could damage or negatively affect the paper web 115b, particularly on its outer edge 117b, the tensioning roller 142 can also move downwards, advantageously with a slight downward lead. This also ensures that the upper paper web 115b is taut and tightly fitted against the two upper edges K. OH and K OV is being drawn.

[0069] In the Fig. Figure 18 shows that the upper line welder 129b meets the lower line welder 129a precisely in the plane of the underside US of the box 111. Then, as previously described, the upper paper web 115b, with its foil side 116b, is welded to the foil side 116a of the lower paper web 115a by heating and welding, and is advantageously also cut in the process. Alternatively, the cutting can also be carried out subsequently in a further step.

[0070] After separating the paper webs 115a and 115b, box 111 is packed as follows: Fig. 7, if the box 11 there is wrapped in a single sheet of paper 15. The only difference is precisely what comes out of it. Fig. 18 can be seen that on the opposite lower transverse edges K UH and K UVEach has an overhang 131 or a seam. In the case of box 11 packaged according to the first method, only an overhang 31 or a single seam is provided. This is not a major issue, however. Furthermore, this second method is easier to carry out, since the folding of the paper web 15 according to the Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig. Number 6 is omitted. In practice, this is difficult with regard to the length of the envelope.

[0071] From the Fig. Figure 18 also shows that when welding with the line welders 129a and 129b, the projection 131 is simultaneously adjusted according to the Fig. 14 is created, against which the edge K UH Box 111 is used. This also makes it clear that no excess paper is actually produced along the length of the paper webs that would need to be disposed of after cutting. The second method is therefore also more environmentally friendly.

Claims

[1] Method for packaging an object (11, 111), wherein the object (11, 111) is essentially cuboid in shape with a bottom surface (US), a top surface (OS), a front surface (VS), an end surface (HS) and two lateral side surfaces (LS, RS) and edges (K) passing between each pair of these surfaces, wherein the method comprises the steps: - Arranging flat web material (15) below the object (11, 111) on the base surface (US), which is attached to all four edges (K UV , K UR , K UH , K UL ) of the ground surface (US) protrudes above this, - Arranging flat web material (15, 115) above the object (11, 111) on the top surface (OS), which is attached to all four edges (K OV , K OR , K OH , K OL ) the top surface (OS) protrudes beyond this, - on the front surface (VS), the end surface (HS) and on the two lateral side surfaces (LS, RS) either the flat web material (15, 115) is wrapped around the covered horizontally running edge (K) UV , K UR , K UH K UL , K OV , K OR , K OH , K OL ) of the object (11, 111) folded from bottom to top or from top to bottom, so that it lies against a surface of the object (11, 111) substantially over its entire surface, preferably against at least 90% of the surface, - the flat web material (15, 115) is folded or bent around the edge (K) of the object (11, 111) by means of fingers (33) or rods, wherein two of the fingers (33) or rods are first used close together or adjacent to each other to bend the flat web material (15, 115) around the edge (K) and apply it to the surface of the object (11, 111), - the two fingers (33) or rods are moved apart to an edge (K) on this surface of the object (11, 111) which is parallel to the edge (K) around which the flat web material (15, 115) has been bent, and then the two fingers (33) or rods are moved apart, - in the area of ​​edges (K) of the object (11, 111) the sides of the flat web material (15, 115) facing the object (11, 111) or a top side (16, 116a) of the lower flat web material (15, 115a) and a bottom side (16, 116b) of the upper flat web material (15, 115b) are permanently connected to each other, - along the vertically running edges (K VL , K VR , K HR , K HL ) of the object (11, 111) the areas of the flat sheet material (15, 115) adjacent to two neighboring surfaces are connected to each other with the sides facing the object (11, 111), - in the sections where two flat web materials (15, 115) are joined together, an overhang (31, 131) of the joined flat web materials (15, 115) is then cut off in the direction away from the object (11, 111) at a distance of up to 5 mm or between 1% and 10% of the longest edge length of the object (11, 111). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by , that the method is carried out in the passage of the object (11, 111), wherein the object (11, 111) is moved with the front surface (VS) leading, wherein preferably the front surface (VS) is larger than the lateral side surfaces (LS, RS). [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that at no point do two layers of flat web material (15, 115) lie on top of each other and flat on a surface of the object (11, 111). [4] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the interconnected sections of the flat web materials (15, 115) along the edges (K) of the object (11, 111) are at most as far from the edge (K) of the object (11, 111) as the width of the connection between them is, in particular at most 50% or at most 30% as large. [5] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that subsequently the two fingers (33) or rods are moved apart until they each reach an edge (K) which is perpendicular to the edge (K) around which the flat web material (15, 115) has been bent and which laterally limits the surface of the object (11, 111) against which the flat web material (15, 115) has been pressed. [6] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the removal or cutting of the protrusions (31, 131) is carried out using a knife or a laser. [7] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that two separate webs are used as layers (115a, 115b) of flat web material for packaging the article (111), wherein the two layers (115a, 115b) are brought separately to the article (111), wherein preferably a first layer (115a) runs below the article (111) and the article is placed on this first layer (115a), and the second layer (115b) runs above the article (11, 111). [8] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by , that a single web is used as a layer (15) of flat web material for packaging the article (11), wherein the front surface (VS) of the article (11) is covered by the flat web material (15) and the edges (K UV , K OV) the front surface (VS) with the bottom surface (US) and with the top surface (OS) are covered by folding over with the flat sheet material (15) such that along the edges (K UV , K OV ) the front surface (VS) with the bottom surface (US) and with the top surface (OS) no connection of two layers of the flat web material (15) is made with each other. [9] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the flat sheet materials (15, 115) are joined together without the addition of separate adhesive or the like during joining. [10] Method according to claim 9, characterized by , that the flat web material (15, 115) is coated on one side (16, 116a, 116b) facing the object (11, 111) with a thermoplastic material or has a thermoplastic material, in particular PE, for bonding to the plastic of another flat web material (15, 115) by heating, wherein the coating is preferably over the entire surface. [11] Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized by , that the flat web material (15, 115) comprises paper or consists essentially of paper, preferably recycled paper or wrapping paper, wherein the paper is coated with plastic on one side. [12] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the flat web material (15, 115) is not elastic or stretchable, and in particular is not thermally shrinkable. [13] Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized by , that the flat web material (15, 115) is a film, in particular made of plastic or of renewable raw materials based on cellulose, wherein preferably the film is coated with a thermoplastic plastic or is a thermoplastic plastic. [14] Method according to claim 13, characterized by , that the flat web material (15, 115) is elastic or stretchable, in particular thermally shrinkable. [15] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that continuous uninterrupted flat web material (15, 115) is provided on the top surface (OS) and on the bottom surface (US) of the object (11, 111), in particular no connection of two layers of flat web material (15, 115) is provided on these surfaces (OS, US) or a connection of two layers of flat web material (15, 115) is a maximum of 5 mm, preferably a maximum of 3 mm, away from an edge (K) of the object (11, 111). [16] Method according to claim 15, characterized by, that continuous uninterrupted flat web material (15, 115) is also provided on the front surface (VS), the end surface (HS) and the lateral side surfaces (LS, RS) of the object (11, 111), in particular no connection of two layers of flat web material (15, 115) is provided on these surfaces or a connection of two layers of flat web material (15, 115) is a maximum of 5 mm, preferably a maximum of 3 mm, away from an edge (K) of the object (11, 111). [17] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a connection of two layers of flat web material (15, 115) is made only along edges (K) of the object (11, 111), wherein preferably a connection is provided at some edges (K), in particular at least 5 edges (K). [18] Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the overhang (31, 131) of interconnected flat web materials (15, 115) as layers is the same at all edges (K) or along all edges (K). [19] Packaged article (11') which has been packaged using a method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that it is completely wrapped with the flat web material (15, 115), with welded sections of the flat web material (15, 115) extending as overhangs (31, 131) from the object (11, 111) protrude, preferably along at least two edges (K OV , K OR , K OL , K OH ) of the object (11, 111) the flat web material (15, 115) around the respective edge (K OV , K OR , K OL , K OH ) is folded over and the welded sections are provided on the remaining edges (K).

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