Reception sleeve

Abstract

A reception sleeve that may be mounted on a mandrel of a packaging machine for winding up a film used in the packaging process on the reception sleeve. The reception sleeve may include a plurality of hinges. Each hinge may have a hinge axis, wherein each hinge axis may be oriented in a direction parallel to a central axis of the reception sleeve. The reception sleeve may be mounted on a reception mandrel of the packaging machine, preferably for winding a residual film grid remaining after sealing trays in the packaging machine. The mandrel may include a mechanism for selectively tensioning the reception sleeve thereon to tension the reception sleeve to allow the mandrel to transfer a winding torque to the reception sleeve, and to reduce the tension so the reception sleeve can easily be removed from the mandrel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A reception sleeve for winding up a film at a packaging machine, wherein the reception sleeve comprises: a plurality of hinges, wherein said hinges are oriented parallel to a central axis of the reception sleeve. 
     
     
         2 . The reception sleeve according to  claim 1 , wherein the reception sleeve comprises at least two adjacent link elements that define one of said plurality of hinges. 
     
     
         3 . The reception sleeve according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least two link elements are configured to be folded inwards towards the central axis of the reception sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The reception sleeve according to  claim 2 , wherein the reception sleeve comprises at least five link elements. 
     
     
         5 . The reception sleeve according to  claim 2 , wherein the link elements each comprise an articulation axis, wherein all the articulation axes are oriented parallel to one another. 
     
     
         6 . The reception sleeve according to  claim 1 , wherein the reception sleeve is configured to be tensioned into a substantially cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         7 . The reception sleeve according to  claim 1 , wherein the reception sleeve is configured to be pushed onto a reception mandrel of a residual film winder of said packaging machine. 
     
     
         8 . A method of winding-up a film on a packaging machine said method comprising the following steps:
 pushing a reception sleeve onto a reception mandrel of a residual film winder of said packaging machine, wherein said reception sleeve comprises a plurality of hinges and said hinges are parallel to a central axis of the reception sleeve;   winding a film onto the reception sleeve to form a roll of the film;   pulling off the reception sleeve together with the roll of the film from the reception mandrel after the winding step;   folding the reception sleeve inwards toward the central axis on one of the plurality of hinges after the pulling off step; and   removing the reception sleeve from the roll after the folding step.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the step:
 tensioning the reception sleeve on the reception mandrel using at least one tensioner, so the reception mandrel is operable to transmit a torque to the reception sleeve for winding up a film.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising the step of relaxing the reception sleeve on the reception mandrel after the tensioning step. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the step of tensioning the reception sleeve such that it assumes a substantially cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the packaging machine is a tray sealing machine and the film is a residual film grid, wherein the residual film grid including the portion of the film remaining after the trays have been sealed and the tray lids have been cut from said film.