Wallet-Style Product Wrapping Process for Sealed Packaging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods struggle to efficiently and industrially scale the sealing of wallet-style wrapped products, such as chocolates and candies, due to difficulties in stabilizing the flaps for heat-sealing or adhesive bonding, limiting productivity and cost-effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

A process involving a wrapping sheet that is folded into a C-shape with one base longer than the other, stably coupling the short flap to the inner surface of the long flap, orienting the protruding flap parallel to the product, folding tubular portions onto the heads, and finally coupling the free flap to the bottom, using heat-sealing and adhesive bonding for secure sealing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If wallet-style wrapping is used for traditional products, then product preference and tradition are maintained, but sealing and contamination protection cannot be achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduct preferenceVSAvoidcontamination
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The wrapping sheet is divided into multiple flaps (first flap, second flap, third flap, fourth flap) that can be independently folded and sealed. This segmentation allows the wallet-style wrapping to create separate sealed compartments, enabling contamination protection while maintaining the traditional wrapping style that products prefer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If heat-sealing or adhesive bonding is introduced for sealing, then contamination protection is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontamination protectionVSAvoidsealing mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wrapping process utilizes the product itself (specifically the heads of the product) as part of the sealing mechanism. The flaps are folded over the heads and sealed to each other, creating self-contained sealed compartments without requiring external sealing devices. This self-service approach achieves contamination protection while avoiding complex heat-sealing or adhesive bonding equipment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Object-affected harmful factors

If sealing mechanisms are added to wrapping machines, then contamination protection is achieved, but productivity and manufacturing efficiency decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontamination protectionVSAvoidmanufacturing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The wrapping sheet is pre-configured with multiple flaps designed to fold over the product heads in a predetermined sequence. This preliminary arrangement of the wrapping structure allows for rapid sealing operations without requiring complex real-time adjustments or additional sealing mechanisms, thereby maintaining high productivity while achieving contamination protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables high productivity and cost-effective, partial or complete sealing of wallet-style packages on an industrial scale, ensuring product isolation and safety from contamination.

Implementation Method 1

introducing respective heat-sealers on the packaging machines

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat-sealing: Heating

Implementation Method 2

depositing layers of adhesive substances onto some portions of the covering sheet, so that these stably couple the juxtaposed faces thereof

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdhesive bonding: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentEP3354579B1Process for the at least partially sealed wrapping of individual products
Publication Date: 2019.07.31 CMFIMA
  • EP3354579B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3354579B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP3354579B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

A process for the at least partially sealed wrapping of individual products (P), products (P) of the type preferably chosen from among chocolates, candy, chocolate bars, snacks, chewing gums and the like, which consists of juxtaposing a wrapping sheet (1) against a first face (A) of the product (P); folding the flaps (2, 3) of the sheet (1) onto the product (P) along the faces (B, C) that are contiguous with the first face (A), giving the sheet (1) a C-shape with one base longer than the other; stably coupling the short flap (3) to the inner surface of the long flap (2), thus confining the product (P) within a closed tubular portion, consequently giving the sheet (1) a P-like shape; orienting the protruding flap (2) of the sheet (1) along a direction that is parallel to the first face (A) of the product (P), without juxtaposing the flap (2) on itself; folding the tubular portions (4, 5) that protrude with respect to the two mutually opposite heads (D, E) of the product (P) onto the respective head (D, E), according to the wallet wrapping method, stably coupling them in the closed configuration; folding the free flap (2) of the sheet (1), which comprises respective parts of the tubular portions (4, 5) which are folded and mutually coupled in a stable manner, onto the bottom of the product (P), and coupling it thereto.