GB2212471A

GB2212471A - Tear-open packaging for articles, in particular of right parallelepipedal shape

Info

Publication number: GB2212471A
Application number: GB8826441A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Siegfried Kissling; Rolf Guenther
Original assignee: BASF SE
Current assignee: BASF SE
Priority date: 1987-11-14
Filing date: 1988-11-11
Publication date: 1989-07-26
Also published as: GB8826441D0; FR2623168A3; JPH0178572U; DE8715168U1

Abstract

A packaging (5), e.g. a transparent polypropylene shrink film packaging for articles for example of right parallelepipedal shape, comprises film material 10 having a tear strip 7 and additionally a weakening in the form of a slit, slot, score, perforations 11 arranged adjacent the tear strip (7), e.g. at an angle thereto such that the weakening facilitates tearing into wrapping film in a direction away from the tearline after tearing open by use of the tear strip and thereby permit more ready removal of the film from the article(s). <IMAGE>

Description

PACKAGING FOR ARTICLES, IN PARTICULAR OF RIGHT PARALLELEPIPEDAL SHAPE The present invention relates to a packaging for at least one article, in particular, of substantially right parallelepipedal shape, comprising film material which encloses the one or more articles relatively closely in the form of a substantially closed film wrapping, a tear aid being provided around at least part of the film wrapping.

Known film packagings comprise many different types of film materials having a wide range of strengths and toughnesses and can accordingly be opened with varying degrees of effort, which at worst can result in the rest of the packaging or the packed article itself being damaged.

Magnetic tape cassettes are nowadays usually packed in transparent shrink-fit wrappings, usually of PVC film material, and are provided wit a tear strip. After tearing ope the wrapping by means of the tear strip, the parts of the packaging film not yet detached can, in particular when PVC film material is used, be easily detached by tearing into the nearest free edge of the film material It is an aim of the present invention to provide a packaging comprising a closely enclosing film wrapping of strong, tough film material, with an effective tear aid.

Aspects of the present invention are disclosed in claims 1, 7, 9, 10 and ii of the ensuing claims.

The unpacking problem which, apart from damage to the packaged product(s), can also result in the person wanting to unpack the product becoming frustrated, can thereby be achieved in a simple and cost-effective way.

The way of achieving the aim of the invention is The way of achieving the aim of the invention is particularly advantageous in cases where the film material is polypropylene, which is especially strong and tough and which usually can only be torn into, and thus removed, after cutting or scoring, which again presupposes the availability of a tool.

Conveniently the weakening means is in the form of a tear line, e.g. a perforated tear line, which can be provided without any problems. Suitably such a tear line should be disposed at an angle of from 90 to 200 to the parting or tear line of the tear strip.

The tear line can, in practice, be made up of a number of individual perforation holes.

The weakening means, e.g. at least one perforation, can in practice be provided in advance, but also expediently after shrink-fitting or sealing of the article(s) in the closed film wrapping, while still in a packaging or handling machine.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows an article of right parallelepipedal shape, Figure 2 shows an article of flat shape, and Figure 3 shows an article of cylindrical shape, the article in each case having a transparent packaging according to the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a right parallelepiped article 5, e.g.

a video cassette in a container, having a transparent packaging 6, e.g. of polypropylene film such as Bicor MB400 (registered trademark of the Mobil Oil Corporation), Technical Data Sheet G 404/4/86 of Mobil Plastics Europe.

The biaxially stretched film described therein has a relatively high tear strength or tensile strength of 150 N/mm2 in longitudinal direction and 220 N/mm2 in transverse N/mm2 direction. Films for use in the present invention can, however, generally be characterised by a tensile strength of from about 120 to about 180 N/mm2 longitudinally and from about 140 to about 240 N/mm2 transversely. Another physical property used for selecting films is the edge tearing force (for example determined in the tear test in accordance with DIN 7734 (October 1958) and specified in DIN 40634 for insulating films). The edge tear force for the film with which the invention can be used preferably should be at least 150 N and most preferably lie in the range from about 150 N to 250 N.The transparent packaging 6 comprises a film sheet with an elongate tear member in the form of a tear strip 7 already provided on it, the right parallelepiped article 5 being wrapped in the film sheet in the manner of a package and the sheet being held together by three seals 8a, 8b and Sc, which are provided on the narrow sides of the packaging 6, and thus forming a substantially closed film wrapping 10. The packaging 6 is a shrink-fit or sealed packaging, since the seals 8a have been produced by means of a heat-sealing process. In Figure 1, the tear strip 7 is arranged in a transverse direction around the article 5, to be precise in such a way that the right parallelepiped article is divided in terms of volume in a ratio of about 3/4 to 1/4.A tear tab 9 is provided on the front narrow side of the package - i.e. the side on which the long seal 8b is also provided. The arrow a denotes the direction in which the packaging is usually torn open. After tearing the package open by pulling the tear strip 7, the smaller (right-hand) part 10b of the film 10 can, without any great difficulty be pulled off the article 5. On the other hand, the wrapping part 10a, which is three tithes larger, can only be removed with great difficulty or with the aid of a tool, e.g. a pair of scissors.To avoid this difficulty, which occurs in the case of very strong and very tough film materials, such as polypropylene, weakening means are provided preferably in the form of at least one further perforation 11 which is advantageously made, for example, by a heated needle or needles or a perforation wheel on the sealed wrapping 10i.e. after the wrapping 10 has been wrapped in order to avoid at all events a premature tearing of the film wrapping 10. The perforation(s) 11 may, as shown, be made up of a plurality of individual punched holes 12 and is arranged at least in the vicinity of the parting line 13 or of the film wrapping edge or edges produced after removal of the tear strip 7. The perforation(s) 11 should consist of at least one hole, expediently a slot or slit, in order to predetermine the direction of tearing of the perforation 11.However, a tear line made up of a plurality of individual holes or a score line may also be provided for the purposes of the present invention. In Figures, the angle a between the parting line 13 and the perforation(s) 11 is about 900, but in the embodiments shown in Figures 2 and 3, a1 = 450 and a2 = 600, respectively. In general, the angle a should be about from 200 to 900.

Figure 2 shows a flat article 14, e.g. a FlexyDisk (registered trademark of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen), in a polypropylene film package 15. The perforation 11 is likewise provided in the vicinity of the tear tab 9.

Figure 3 shows a cylindrical article, e.g. a film roll 16, having a film packaging 17.

The article or articles to be packed, or rather to be unpacked, can be of any shape. What is important in the case of each packaging of such an article or articles is that it or they can be unpacked by the person performing the unpacking unproblematically without the need for special instructions/directions. In particular the parts of the film wrapping should be capable of being removed quickly and reliably, so that the unwrapped object or objects are available for use.

The polypropylene film used for the packaging 6 of video cassettes has a thickness of from about 15 um.

The packaging may equally be used for one or more articles or objects, which may then together have the shape of a right parallelepiped or roll.

The use of the invention is not restricted to packagings of polypropylene films. Other films of another material having similar strength and toughness characteristics, suitable for packagings of this type, come into consideration for use of the packaging according to the invention with dual tearing means.

The advantages of the invention were tested by ten persons using the same numbers of video cassettes packed using polypropylene film, without the persons having been informed beforehand about the perforation according to the invention. According to the results, only the video cassettes provided with the perforation could be opened, in spite of many varied efforts. Tools were not allowed for this.

Claims

1. A packaging for articles, in particular of substantially right parallelepiped shape, composed of film material, which encloses the one or more articles relatively closely in the form of a substantially closed film wrapping, a tear aid being provided at least around part of the film wrapping, characterised in that the tear aid consists of a tear thread, which is provided on the film wrapping in a substantially straight circumferential line, and in that at least one perforation is provided in the film wrapping at an angle to and close to the parting line of the tear thread, for tearing into the at least one part of the film wrapping still enclosing the article or articles after tearing open by means of the tear thread.

2. A packaging according to claim 1, characterised in that the film material is a polypropylene film.

3. A packaging according to claim 1, characterised in that the edge tearing force of the film is at least 150 N and preferably lies in the range from about 150 to about 250 N.

4. A packaging according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the perforation is provided at an angle of from about 200 to about 900 to the parting line.

5. A packaging according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the perforation is formed as a tear line.

6. A packaging according to any of claims 2 to 5, characterised in that the tensile strength or tear strength of the film is in the range of from about 120 to 150 N/mm2 in longitudinal direction and from about 140 N/mm2 to about 2 240 N/mm2 in transverse direction.

7. One or more packed articles, in particular audio or video cassettes, characterised by a packaging according to one or more of claims 1 to 6.

8. A packaging for articles constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figures 1, 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawing.

9. A packaging comprising at least one article wrapped with a packaging as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

10. Packaging material comprising film material having a tear strip and weakening means positioned at least in part adjacent the tear strip for facilitating tearing into the film material.

11. A packaging comprising film material for enclosing at least one article relatively closely in the form of a substantially closed wrapping and a tear aid comprising an elongate tear member attached to the film material for tearing the latter along a tear line and weakening means in the film material positioned at least in part adjacent the tear member for facilitating tearing into the film material from said tear line.