Method and device for applying a plastic film around a product to be packaged

Abstract

A method for applying a wrapping plastic film band ( 15 ) around a product ( 16 ) to be packaged, according to which method the wrapping plastic film band is wrapped to form a film girdle ( 18 ) around supporting elements ( 21 ), from where it is transferred to a position around the product ( 16 ) to be packaged. A device for applying a wrapping plastic film band around a product to be packaged comprises supporting elements ( 21, 22 ), upon which the wrapping plastic film band is wrapped, and transfer elements ( 21, 23 ) for transferring the film girdle to a position around the product to be packaged.

1 . A method for applying a plastic film ( 18 ) around a product ( 16 ) to be packaged, according to which method 
 the product ( 16 ) to be packaged is moved to a position inside a plastic film girdle ( 18 ) of shrinkable and/or stretchable plastic placed on a supporting frame consisting of supporting elements ( 21 ) and having a circumference larger than the circumference of the product to be packaged, or correspondingly the plastic film girdle is moved to a position surrounding the product to be packaged,    whereupon the supporting frame consisting of supporting elements ( 21 ) is removed from inside the plastic film girdle ( 18 ), thus allowing the plastic film girdle to tighten around the product ( 16 ) to be packaged,    characterized in    that the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) is formed by winding shrinkable and/or stretchable wrapping plastic film band ( 15 ) to form a plastic film girdle ( 18 ) around the supporting frame consisting of supporting elements ( 21 ) and having a circumference larger than the circumference of the product ( 16 ) to be packaged,    that the product ( 16 ) to be packaged and/or the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) are/is moved so that the product to be packaged remains inside the plastic film girdle,    and that the supporting frame consisting of supporting elements ( 21 ) is removed from inside the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) and the plastic film girdle is allowed to tighten around the product to be packaged.    
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , characterized in 
 that the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) is formed by winding wrapping plastic film band ( 15 ) around the supporting frame consisting of supporting elements ( 21 )    that the wrapping plastic film band ( 15 ) supplied to form the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) is severed and, if necessary, seamed,    that the product ( 16 ) to be packaged and/or the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) are/is moved on a track ( 11 ) so that the product to be packaged remains inside the plastic film girdle,    and that the supporting frame consisting of supporting elements ( 21 ) is removed from inside the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) and the plastic film girdle is allowed to shrink and tighten around the product ( 16 ) to be packaged.    
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 1 , characterized in 
 that wrapping film band ( 15 ) is wound over the supporting frame consisting of supporting elements ( 21 ), thus forming a plastic film girder tube ( 18   b ) on the supporting frame,    that a plastic film girder ( 18   a ) of desired length is cut off the plastic film girder tube ( 18   b ),    that the product ( 16 ) to be packaged and/or the plastic film girder ( 18 ) are/is moved on the track ( 11 ) so that the product to be packaged remains inside the plastic film girder ( 18   a ) cut off,    and that the supporting frame consisting of supporting elements ( 21 ) is removed from inside the plastic film girder ( 18   a ) and the plastic film girder is allowed to shrink and tighten around the product ( 16 ) to be packaged.    
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 3 , characterized in 
 that wrapping film band ( 15 ) is wrapped over the supporting frame consisting of supporting elements ( 21 ) in a continuous manner so that a plastic film girder tube ( 18   b ) continuously increasing in length is formed on the supporting frame,    that a plastic film girdle ( 18   a ) of desired length is cut off the plastic film girdle tube ( 18   b ) during the wrapping operation,    that, while the wrapping operation is being continued, the product ( 16 ) to be packaged and/or the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) areas moved on the track ( 11 ) so that the product to be packaged remains inside the plastic film girdle ( 18   a ) cut off,    and that the supporting frame consisting of supporting elements ( 21 ) is removed from inside the plastic film girdle ( 18   a ) and the plastic film girdle is allowed to shrink and tighten around the product ( 16 ) to be packaged.    
   
   
       5 . A device ( 10 ) for applying a plastic film ( 18 ) around a product ( 16 ) to be packaged, said device comprising 
 a supporting frame consisting of supporting elements ( 21 ) and having over it a plastic film girdle ( 18 ) of shrinkable and/or stretchable plastic, said girdle having a circumference larger than the circumference of the product ( 16 ) to be packaged,    transfer elements ( 11 ,  22 ,  23 ) for transferring the product ( 16 ) to be packaged and/or the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) so that the product to be packaged remains inside the plastic film girdle,    means ( 22 ,  23 ) for removing the supporting elements ( 21 ) from inside the plastic film girdle ( 18 ), allowing the plastic film girdle to tighten around the product ( 16 ) to be packaged,    characterized in that the device ( 1 ) comprises    a wrapping system ( 12 ,  13 ) for wrapping a shrinkable and/or stretchable plastic film band ( 15 ) from a film reel ( 14 ) over the supporting elements ( 21 ) so that the wrapping film band being wrapped forms on the supporting elements a plastic film girdle ( 18 ) tightening over the product ( 16 ) to be packaged,    and transfer elements ( 11 ,  22 ,  23 ) for transferring the product ( 16 ) to be packaged and/or the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) formed from the wrapping plastic film band ( 15 ) so that the product to be packaged remains inside the plastic film girdle,    
   
   
       6 . A device ( 10 ) according to  claim 5 , characterized in that 
 that the supporting elements ( 21 ) of the device ( 10 ), on which the wrapping plastic film band ( 15 ) can be wrapped to form a plastic film girdle ( 18 ), form a preferably rectangular supporting frame whose width and height are larger than the width and height of the product ( 16 ) to be packaged,    and that each corner of the supporting frame consisting of supporting elements ( 21 ) is provided with at least one supporting element ( 21 ), which can be moved to transfer the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) to a position around the product ( 16 ) to be packaged.    
   
   
       7 . A device according to  claim 6 , characterized in that the device ( 10 ) has at the corners of the supporting frame supporting element pairs ( 21   a ,  21   b ) which can be turned or moved away from each other to pass the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) wrapped over the supporting elements ( 21 ) to a position around the product ( 16 ) to be packaged.  
   
   
       8 . A device ( 10 ) according to  claim 6 , characterized in that the device comprises 
 a wrapping system ( 12 ,  13 ) and supporting elements ( 21 ) for winding a wrapping plastic film band ( 15 ) to form a plastic film tube ( 18   b ) having a circumference larger than the circumference of the product ( 16 ) to be packaged,    a clipper ( 26 ) for cutting the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) off the plastic film tube ( 18   b ),    and which plastic film tube ( 18   b ) supporting elements ( 21 ) also constitute plastic film girdle ( 18 ) transfer elements, such as endless bands or rotating bars.    
   
   
       9 . A device ( 10 ) according to  claim 8 , characterized in 
 that, in the device, the wrapping system ( 12 ,  13 ) for wrapping the wrapping plastic film band ( 15 ) to form a plastic film tube ( 18   b ) is a continuously working system    and that the supporting elements ( 21 ) in the device ( 10 ) consist of two parts such that the first part of the supporting elements Is a base on which the wrapping of the wrapping plastic film band ( 15 ) is carried out, while the second part of the supporting elements is a transfer part for transferring the plastic film girdle ( 18 ) cut off by the clipper ( 26 ).