Method and device for producing an edge

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a device for folding a foil material half-shell edge which protrudes from a surface of the packaging of a packaged food product, said half-shells receiving the food product. The half-shells have flanges, at least some regions of which lie one on top of the other and which form the protruding edge. The aim of the invention is to improve a quick and reliable method which can be carried out with little effort for improving the appearance of food products packaged in foil half-shells. This is achieved in that during a relative movement between a packaged food product and a die, an edge region of the die presses against the protruding edge of the foils, whereby the edge of the foils is at least partly folded to lie substantially flush on one of the half-shells. The invention further relates to a device which corresponds to the method.

1 . Method for folding an edge ( 4 ) of half-shells ( 2 ) of a foil-like material protruding from a surface of the packaging of a packaged food product ( 1 ) in which the food product ( 1 ) is received to lie substantially flush, wherein the half-shells ( 2 ) comprise flanges ( 3 ) lying one on top of the other at least in some sections and forming the protruding edge ( 4 ),
 characterized in that   during a relative movement between a die ( 5 ) and the package, at least one edge region ( 8 ) of the opening ( 7 ) of the die ( 5 ) presses onto the edge ( 4 ) of the foils, whereby the edge ( 4 ) of the foils is at least partially folded to lie substantially flush at at least one half-shell ( 2 ).   
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that at the edge region ( 8 ) of the die ( 5 ), at least one elastic element presses onto the edge ( 4 ) of the foils, whereby the edge ( 4 ) of the foils is at least partially folded to lie substantially flush at at least one half-shell ( 2 ). 
     
     
         3 . Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at the edge region ( 8 ) of the die, bristles press onto the edge ( 4 ) of the foils, whereby the edge ( 4 ) of the foils is at least partially folded to lie substantially flush at at least one half-shell ( 2 ). 
     
     
         4 . Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the die ( 5 ) is at rest and the packaged food product ( 1 ) is moved relative to the die ( 5 ) through the opening ( 7 ), or that the packaged food product ( 1 ) is at rest and the die ( 5 ) is moved relative to the packaged food product ( 1 ). 
     
     
         5 . Method according to one of  claims 1  to  3 , characterized in that both the packaged food product ( 1 ) and the die ( 5 ) are moved. 
     
     
         6 . Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the edge ( 4 ) of the foils is, during the passage through the opening ( 7 ) of the die ( 5 ), in a first step initially approached to the surface of the half-shells ( 2 ), and subsequently, in a further step, folded to lie substantially flush at at least one half-shell ( 2 ). 
     
     
         7 . Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the relative movement between the die ( 5 ) and the packaged food product ( 1 ) extends one-dimensionally. 
     
     
         8 . Method according to one of  claims 1  to  6 , characterized in that the relative movement of the packaged food product ( 1 ) first extends in a first moving direction through the opening ( 7 ) of the die ( 5 ), and subsequently transverse to the first moving direction to adapt the folding of the edge ( 4 ) to the outer shape of the food product ( 1 ). 
     
     
         9 . Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the packaged food product ( 1 ) is moved relative to the die ( 5 ) with the aid of guide means ( 6 ). 
     
     
         10 . Method according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the packaged food product ( 1 ) is held at the guide means ( 6 ) during the relative movement. 
     
     
         11 . Method according to  claim 10 , characterized in that the packaged food product ( 1 ) is held at the guide means ( 6 ) by a vacuum. 
     
     
         12 . Method according to one of  claim 10  or  11 , characterized in that the packaged food product ( 1 ) is held between the guide means ( 6 ) and a backing part ( 10 ). 
     
     
         13 . Method according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the backing part ( 10 ) exerts a guide force onto the packaged food product ( 1 ), in particular by means of a resilient element ( 17 ). 
     
     
         14 . Method according to one of  claim 12  or  13 , characterized in that at least part of the guide force between the guide means ( 6 ) and the backing part ( 10 ) is transmitted via the packaged food product ( 1 ). 
     
     
         15 . Method according to one of  claims 12  to  14 , characterized in that the guide means ( 6 ) and the backing part ( 10 ) are spaced apart so that a folding of the edge ( 4 ) non-obstructed by these parts is ensured. 
     
     
         16 . Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the protruding edge ( 4 ) has a proximal section ( 14 ) which is directly connected to the half-shells ( 2 ) and connects a distal section ( 15 ) of the edge with the half-shells ( 2 ), wherein the distal section ( 15 ) is folded onto the proximal section ( 14 ) before the folding of the edge to lie substantially flush. 
     
     
         17 . Method according to  claim 16 , characterized in that, before the folding to lie substantially flat, the distal section ( 15 ) is directed with its front end towards the surface of at least one half-shell ( 2 ) and in particular touches it or is spaced apart from it. 
     
     
         18 . Method according to one of  claim 16  or  17 , characterized in that the packaged food product ( 1 ) moves, with the proximal section ( 14 ) leading, through the opening ( 7 ) of the die ( 5 ) so that the proximal section ( 14 ) comes into contact with the edge region ( 8 ) of the opening ( 7 ), and the distal section ( 15 ) is at least partially folded to lie substantially flush at at least one half-shell ( 2 ). 
     
     
         19 . Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flanges ( 3 ) are bordered and/or sealed to each other before the folding of the edge ( 4 ) to lie substantially flush. 
     
     
         20 . Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the packaged food product ( 1 ) completely passes through the die ( 5 ). 
     
     
         21 . Device for folding an edge ( 4 ) of a packaged food product ( 1 ) to lie substantially flush, which comprises
 a die ( 5 ) with an opening ( 7 ) formed by an edge region ( 8 ) of the die ( 5 ),   a packaged food product ( 1 ) which is received between half-shells ( 2 ) of a foil-like material ( 5 ), wherein the half-shells ( 2 ) comprise flanges ( 3 ) at least partially lying one on top of the other and forming an edge ( 4 ) protruding from the surface of the packaging, and   guide means ( 6 ) by which the packaged food product ( 1 ) and the opening ( 7 ) of the die ( 5 ) are movable relative with respect to each other,   characterized in that, during a relative movement of the packaged food product through the opening of the die ( 5 ), the protruding edge ( 4 ) can be brought into contact with the edge region ( 8 ) of the opening so that the protruding edge ( 4 ) may be at least partially folded to lie substantially flush at at least one of the half-shells ( 2 ).   
     
     
         22 . Device according to  claim 21 , characterized in that the edge region ( 8 ) has at least one elastic element pressing onto the protruding edge ( 4 ). 
     
     
         23 . Device according to one of  claims 21  and  22 , characterized in that the edge region ( 8 ) has bristles which press onto the protruding edge ( 4 ). 
     
     
         24 . Device according to one of  claims 21  to  23 , characterized in that the clearance (A) between the edge of the die ( 5 ) bordering the opening ( 7 ) and the half-shells ( 2 ) is, at least in some sections, smaller than the width (B) of the protruding edge ( 4 ). 
     
     
         25 . Device according to one of  claims 21  to  24 , characterized in that the clearance (A) between the edge of the die ( 5 ) bordering the opening ( 7 ) and the half-shells ( 2 ) corresponds, at least in some sections, to the thickness (D) of the protruding edge ( 4 ). 
     
     
         26 . Device according to one of  claims 21  to  25 , characterized in that the guide means ( 6 ) comprise retention means ( 11 ) for the packaged food product ( 1 ). 
     
     
         27 . Device according to  claim 26 , characterized in that one or several suction elements are provided as retention means ( 11 ). 
     
     
         28 . Device according to one of  claims 21  to  25 , characterized in that a backing part ( 10 ) opposite the guide means ( 6 ) is provided with which the packaged food product ( 1 ) may be held between the guide means ( 6 ) and the backing part ( 10 ). 
     
     
         29 . Device according to  claim 28 , characterized in that the backing part ( 10 ) exerts a compressive force onto the packaged food product ( 1 ) which is directed opposite to the direction of the relative movement of the food product ( 1 ) through the opening ( 7 ) of the die ( 5 ). 
     
     
         30 . Device according to  claim 29 , characterized in that the backing part ( 10 ) includes a resilient element ( 17 ) which may exert a compressive force onto the packaged food product ( 1 ). 
     
     
         31 . Device according to one of  claims 21  to  30 , characterized in that it furthermore comprises a pre-bending element ( 12 ) for approaching the edge ( 4 ) to the surface, having an opening ( 7 ) whose edge region is further spaced apart from the half-shells ( 2 ) than the thickness (D) of the flanges ( 3 ) lying one on top of the other in some sections. 
     
     
         32 . Device according to one of  claims 21  to  31 , characterized in that the die ( 5 ) is fixed and the guide means ( 6 ) are movable, or that the guide means ( 6 ) are fixed and the die ( 5 ) is movable. 
     
     
         33 . Device according to one of  claims 21  to  32 , characterized in that the die ( 5 ) and the guide means ( 6 ) are movable. 
     
     
         34 . Device according to one of  claims 21  to  33 , characterized in that the die ( 5 ) and the guide means ( 6 ) are movable relative with respect to each other in one single direction or in several directions. 
     
     
         35 . Device according to one of  claims 21  to  34 , characterized in that the edge region of the opening of the pre-bending element ( 12 ) tapers towards the edge region ( 8 ) of the opening ( 7 ) of the die ( 5 ). 
     
     
         36 . Device according to one of  claims 21  to  35 , characterized in that the pre-bending element ( 12 ) is embodied as a chamfer ( 13 ) of the edge region ( 8 ) of the opening ( 7 ). 
     
     
         37 . Device according to one of  claims 21  to  36 , characterized in that the flanges ( 3 ) at least partially lying one on top of the other are bordered and/or sealed to each other. 
     
     
         38 . Device according to one of  claims 21  to  37 , characterized in that the guide means ( 6 ) and the backing means ( 10 ) are spaced apart.