The outer surface of an article is covered with a wrapping film, and both ends of the wrapping film are lap-welded by heating, so that a body seal section is created. A removal tab is created at a position close to the longitudinal end thereof by slits that are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance and cut parallel to each other along the marginal line of the body seal section on an upper overlapping film of the wrapping film. A perforated section is created and extended in line with one of the slits that constitute the removal tab in such a way that it crosses an imaginary continuation from this slit and departs from another imaginary continuation from the remaining slit. The end of the removal tab is picked up with fingers, and the fingers are moved in a direction of an arrow A, and the wrapping film is torn up from the slits. A split from one of the slits reaches the perforated section. Further pulling of the removal tab in the A direction causes the split from the slit to spread along the perforated section, and a split from another slit also spreads, whereby the wrapping film is widely opened.
A film-wrapped article consisting of a rectangular product wrapped with a heat-shrinkable plastic film in intimate contact therewith, the upper and under edge portions of the film being overlapped and sealed together along the body of the wrap to form a seal. A part of the seal on one side of the article is formed as a weakly joined zone whose adhesion strength increases by continuous or stepwise gradations from an opening zone where the adhesion strength is the lowest toward the both ends of the article. The weakly joined zone is made up of joined and unjoined regions extending along the interface between the upper and under edge portions, in a repetitive pattern of the regions varying in adhesion strength with changes in the area ratio of the joined and unjoined regions. The wrap has a cut for unwrapping use made in the opening or neighboring zone of the upper edge portion.
A packaging member (1, 80, 100) is provided with easy-opening means (7, 85, 107, 108) for allowing the packaging member to be opened easily, wherein the easy-opening means is either positionally or structurally improved. As one example, the packaging member is a packaging bag (1, 80), in which the easy-opening means serves as a tearing start point when opened with the use of the easy-opening means. The easy-opening portion is formed at a position slightly shifted inward from a perimeter edge of the packaging bag. As another example, the packaging member is a packaging container (100), in which the easy-opening means is structurally improved.
An apparatus (10) is disclosed including a web of film (20) extending between first and second pairs of pinch rollers (12-15) and onto a vacuum table (18). A rotary cutter (46) positioned before the first pair of pinch rollers (12, 13) includes laterally extending and spaced knives (52) for creating cuts (54, 58) in the film (20) which expand into vent openings (54') positioned over the sides (68) of the product (72) when the film (20) is wrapped around and shrunk upon the product (72). A further rotary cutter (30) positioned between the pairs of pinch rollers (12-15) includes a cut-off knife (36) and first and second blades (44). The cut-off knife (36) creates a cut (60) in the film (20) to form a single sheet of film (20) and includes notches (38) in its cutting edge to form tie strips (62) connecting the single sheet to the web of film (20). The tie strips (62) are broken after the cut (60) leaves the second pair of pinch rollers (14, 15) since the speed of the film (20) on the vacuum table (18) is greater than the peripheral speed of the first pair of pinch rollers (12, 13) at their abutment. The blades (44) cut perforations (56) in the film (20) which extend between the bullseye openings (78) in the shrink wrapping and are positioned over the top (66) of the product (72). Thus, the shrink wrapping can be torn by pulling the film (20) between the perforations (56) to allow ease of removal of the product (72) from the shrink wrapping.
An easy-opening feature in a flexible package is provided by forming a tear feature in the package material by slitting, perforating, or otherwise forming a stress riser in the material, and affixing a label to the package material so that the label adheres to the tear feature. The formation of the tear feature and affixing of the label are performed prior to wrapping a product in the package material and sealing the material, and preferably are performed while the package material is moving along a path in a packaging apparatus. The label in one embodiment includes a detachable middle portion that tears free of the rest of the label upon pulling the detachable portion, such that remaining portions of the label remain on the package adjacent the opening created by the tear feature.
An apparatus (10) is disclosed including a web of film (20) extending between first and second pairs of pinch rollers (12 15) and onto a vacuum table (18). A rotary cutter (46) positioned before the first pair of pinch rollers (12, 13) includes laterally extending and spaced knives (52) for creating cuts (54, 58) in the film (20) which expand into vent openings (54') positioned over the sides (68) of the product (72) when the film (20) is wrapped around and shrunk upon the product (72). A further rotary cutter (30) positioned between the pairs of pinch rollers (12 15) includes a cut-off knife (36) and first and second blades (44). The cut-off knife (36) creates a cut (60) in the film (20) to form a single sheet of film (20) and includes notches (38) in its cutting edge to form tie strips (62) connecting the single sheet to the web of film (20). A kicker plate (84) of a rotatable tie strip breaker (80) engages the cut film (20) on the vacuum table (18) at the trailing edge and at a speed faster than the film (20) is being conveyed to place tensional force on and breaking the tie strips (62).
