Method of wrapping products

Abstract

Soap bars are packaged in a single sheet of material which can be plastic, paper, paperboard or combinations of these materials in the form of laminates. The soap bars are packaged in high-speed machines at more than about 50/minute. The single sheet of material is die cut to form a main section with the top, bottom and longitudinal side panels and end flaps appended to each panel. In order to promote folding at the desired points the sheet of material is weakened by scoring, perforating or scoring at the fold points. This weakening can be done just prior to feeding to the wrapping machine or at the time of die cutting. The die cutting can be done at the time of feeding in to the wrapping machine. The packaged soap bar will have planar end surfaces so that the package can stand on end and can have corner vents to permit the escape of some moisture and some fragrance at the point of sale.

1 . A method of wrapping products having a major dimension and a minor dimension comprising: 
 (a) providing a roll of sheet material for wrapping products;    (b) cutting edge portions from said roll of sheet material to form a modified sheet material having a main section and a plurality of depending flaps section, said plurality of depending flaps section depending from each side of said main section and being of a shape to facilitate the formation of a wrapped product with said flaps forming end surfaces of the wrapped product;    (c) feeding the modified sheet material and a plurality of products into an automatic product wrapping machine wherein segments of said modified sheet material are formed in the machine by cutting at designated points and said segments of said modified sheet material are wrapped laterally around each of said plurality of products and said plurality of flaps in said plurality of depending flaps section are folded to overlap and form end surfaces of a wrapped product; and    (d) sealing the overlapping flaps to form the wrapped product.    
   
   
       2 . The method as in  claim 1  wherein said automatic wrapping machine receives said product from a first direction and said modified sheet material from said first direction, as said product moves through said automatic wrapping machine disposing said modified sheet material over said product and cutting said modified sheet material into a segment to be wrapped around said product, folding a trailing edge of said segment under said product, folding a leading edge of said segment under said product to at least partially overlap said trailing edge, folding the flaps of said flap sections into an overlapping relationship, and sealing the overlapping flaps of said flap section and said overlapping leading edge and trailing edge.  
   
   
       3 . A method as in  claim 2  wherein said product is received by said wrapping machine with a leading first dimension and said product is rotated to a leading second dimension prior to said sheet of material being disposed over said product.  
   
   
       4 . A method as in  claim 2  wherein said main section of said sheet material from said roll of sheet material is weakened by one of scoring, perforating or slitting along selected lines to form top, bottom and longitudinal side panels.  
   
   
       5 . A method as in  claim 2  wherein said modified sheet material is weakened by one of scoring, perforating or slitting at the time of feeding said sheet modified material into said automatic product wrapping machine.  
   
   
       6 . A method as in  claim 2  wherein said sheet of film is printed in the step (b) of cutting edge portions of said roll of sheet material.  
   
   
       7 . A method as in  claim 2  wherein said product is a soap bar.  
   
   
       8 . The method as in  claim 1  wherein said automatic wrapping machine receives said product from a first direction and said modified sheet material from said first direction, as said product moves through said automatic wrapping machine disposing said modified sheet material under said product and cutting said modified sheet material into a segment to be wrapped around said product, folding a trailing edge of said segment under said product, folding a leading edge of said segment under said product to at least partially overlap said trailing edge, folding the flaps of said flap sections into an overlapping relationship, and sealing the overlapping flaps of said flap section and said overlapping leading edge and trailing edge.  
   
   
       9 . A method as in  claim 8  wherein said product is received by said wrapping machine with a leading first dimension and said product is rotated to a leading second dimension prior to said sheet of material being disposed over said product.  
   
   
       10 . A method as in  claim 8  wherein said main section of said sheet material from said roll of sheet material is weakened by one of scoring, perforating or slitting along selected lines to form top, bottom and longitudinal side panels.  
   
   
       11 . A method as in  claim 8  wherein said modified sheet material is weakened by one of scoring, perforating or slitting at the time of feeding said sheet modified material into said automatic product wrapping machine.  
   
   
       12 . A method as in  claim 8  wherein said sheet of film is printed in the step (b) of cutting edge portions of said roll of sheet material.  
   
   
       13 . A method as in  claim 8  wherein said product is a soap bar.  
   
   
       14 . The method as in  claim 1  wherein said automatic wrapping machine receives said product from a first direction and said modified sheet material from a second direction, as said product moves through said automatic wrapping machine disposing said modified sheet material over said product and cutting said modified sheet material into a segment to be wrapped around said product, folding a trailing edge of said segment under said product, folding a leading edge of said segment under said product to at least partially overlap said trailing edge, folding the flaps of said flap sections into an overlapping relationship, and sealing the overlapping flaps of said flap section and said overlapping leading edge and trailing edge.  
   
   
       15 . A method as in  claim 14  wherein said product is received by said wrapping machine with a leading minor dimension and said product is rotated to a leading major dimension prior to said sheet of material being disposed over said product.  
   
   
       16 . A method as in  claim 14  wherein said main section of said sheet material from said roll of sheet material is weakened by one of scoring, perforating or slitting along selected lines to form top, bottom and longitudinal side panels.  
   
   
       17 . A method as in  claim 14  wherein said modified sheet material is weakened by one of scoring, perforating or slitting at the time of feeding said sheet modified material into said automatic product wrapping machine.  
   
   
       18 . A method as in  claim 14  wherein said sheet of film is printed in the step (b) of cutting edge portions of said roll of sheet material.  
   
   
       19 . A method as in  claim 14  wherein said product is a soap bar.  
   
   
       20 . A method as in  claim 14  wherein said second direction is perpendicular to said first direction.  
   
   
       21 . A method as in  claim 14  wherein said second direction is opposite to said first direction.  
   
   
       22 . The method as in  claim 1  wherein said automatic wrapping machine receives said product from a first direction and said modified sheet material from said first direction, as said product moves through said automatic wrapping machine disposing said modified sheet material under said product and cutting said modified sheet material into a segment to be wrapped around said product, folding a trailing edge of said segment under said product, folding a leading edge of said segment under said product to at least partially overlap said trailing edge, folding the flaps of said flap sections into an overlapping relationship, and sealing the overlapping flaps of said flap section and said overlapping leading edge and trailing edge.  
   
   
       23 . A method as in  claim 22  wherein said product is received by said wrapping machine with a leading first dimension and said product is rotated to a leading second dimension prior to said sheet of material being disposed over said product.  
   
   
       24 . A method as in  claim 22  wherein said sheet material from said roll of sheet material is weakened by one of scoring, perforating or slitting at about the intersection of said main section and said plurality of flaps section.  
   
   
       25 . A method as in  claim 22  wherein said modified sheet material is weakened by one of scoring, perforating or slitting at the time of feeding said sheet modified material into said automatic product wrapping machine.  
   
   
       26 . A method as in  claim 22  wherein said sheet of film is printed in the step (b) of cutting edge portions of said roll of sheet material.  
   
   
       27 . A method as in  claim 22  wherein said product is a soap bar.  
   
   
       28 . A method as in  claim 22  wherein said second direction is perpendicular to said first direction.  
   
   
       29 . A method as in  claim 22  wherein said second direction is opposite to said first direction.  
   
   
       30 . A method as in  claim 1  wherein said sheet of material is selected firm the group consisting of plastics, paper, paperboard, plastic laminates, plastic/paperboard laminates, plastic/paperboard/plastic laminates, plastic/paper laminates and plastic/paper/plastic laminates.  
   
   
       31 . A method as in  claim 30  wherein the plastic and the plastic of said plastic laminates, plastic paper laminates, plastic/paperboard laminates, and plastic/paperboard/plastic laminates is a thermoplastic.  
   
   
       32 . A method as in  claim 31  wherein said thermoplastic is selected from the group consisting of ethylene polymers and copolymers. polypropylene polymers and copolymers, acrylic polymers and copolymers, vinyl polymers and copolymers and polyethylene terephthalate.  
   
   
       33 . A method as in  claim 1  wherein said sheet material has a thickness of about 50 micron to about 600 micron.  
   
   
       34 . A method as in claim  42  wherein a paperboard, a plastic/paperboard laminate and plastic/paperboard/plastic laminate will have a thickness of about 200 micron to about 500 micron.  
   
   
       35 . A method as in  claim 1  wherein in step (b) of cutting edge portions an increased portion is cut from said main section to form at least one aperture of a predetermined size in a corner of said wrapped soap bar to allow some of the fragrance from the soap bar to leave the wrapped soap bar.  
   
   
       36 . A method as in  claim 35  wherein there are at least two apertures in an upper part of the wrapped soap bar.