MUMBAI, India, Aug. 1 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202517064177 A) filed by Sacmi Cooperativa Meccanici Imola Societa' Cooperativa, Imola, Italy, on July 4, for 'folding apparatus and folding method for folding flap means of a capsule.'
Inventor(s) include Venturini, Matteo.
The application for the patent was published on Aug. 1, under issue no. 31/2025.
According to the abstract released by the Intellectual Property India: "An apparatus and a method for folding flap means (201) of a capsule (200) and a combination of a capsule (200) and a folding apparatus are disclosed; in which the capsule (200) comprises: a cup body (202) defined by a side wall (204) and by an end wall (203) that bounds, at one end (209), the side wall (204); a tamper-evident band (206) connected to the side wall (204) by connecting elements (207) and having an edge (224) from which the flap means (201) leads; and an outer protrusion (211) extending laterally outside the capsule (200); the folding method comprising the steps of: - arranging the capsule (200) resting on a support element (2) of a folding apparatus (1; 100; 1000) with one end (210) facing upwards; - moving a punch element (4) of the folding apparatus (1; 100; 1000) along a centring direction (C) towards the support element (2) and inserting the punch element (4) inside the cup body (202) until a centring element (5) of the punch element (4) interacts with clearance, in particular a radial clearance 0.30 mm, with inner portions of the capsule (200) so as to block, or limit, a movement of the capsule (200) along a plane perpendicular to the centring direction (C); - moving the support element (2) along an operating direction (O) having at least one component parallel to and opposite the centring direction (C), moving the support element (2) along the operating direction (O) comprising dragging the capsule (200) and the punch element (4) along the operating direction (O); - during moving the support element (2) along the operating direction (O), making the flap means (201) interact with abutting means (11) of the folding apparatus (1; 100; 1000) to rotate the flap means (201) from an initial configuration (D) extending outwardly the cup body (202) to an end configuration (R) folded inwardly the cup body (202); in which, when the centring element (5) interacts with the inner portions of the capsule (200), a main axis (P) of the capsule (200) and a longitudinal axis (L) of the abutting means (11) coincide so that the support element (2) induces the capsule (200) to interact with the abutting means (11) in a centred position with respect to the abutting means (11) in which the outer protrusion (211) remains spaced apart from the abutting means (11)."
The patent application was internationally filed on Jan. 23, 2024, under International application No.PCT/IB2024/050642.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
