AU3018300A - Foil roll packaging - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA Rglto Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL'

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD

PATENT

invention Title: Foil Roll Packaging I The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- (See within) THIS INVENTION relates to packaging and is more specifically concerned with a foil dispensing package permitting a length of foil of chosen length to be dispensed from a roll of foil carried within the package.

In the hair-care industry, strips of metal foil are provided in a stack and are used 5 during strand-colouring of hair. Strands of hair which are to be coloured are Stwisted together and impregnated with a colouring agent. The coloured strands are then enveloped in a twist of foil to keep them away from the remainder of the person's ~hair while the colouring material is permanently dyeing the strands of hair.

oooo *The pre-cut foil strips are about 10 cms. by 10 cms. and a large box of such strips is O.00 relatively heavy. The conventional way of selling aluminium foil strip in a box for kitchen use is not applicable in the hair-care art where an undistorted foil length is eee initially required, because the resistance to rotation of a metal foil roll resting on the base of the box is considerable as a result of the relatively short axial length of the roll by which the paying out length can be gripped and its weight. Also, when the roll of foil is being unwound, its diameter diminishes and it will often bounce around inside the box making it awkward to remove a desired length of the strip along an edge extending perpendicular to the edge of the foil.

An object of this invention is to provide a relatively cheap package for dispensing a metal foil.

A foil-dispensing package comprises, in accordance with the present invention, a box containing a roll of foil strip to be dispensed; a core on which the foil strip is wound; a severing edge for separating a chosen length of the foil from the roll; and a onepiece holder which is separate from the box and engages both ends of the core to define a fixed axis about which the roll can rotate and which holds the underside of the roll away from the inner surface of the underside of the box.

A package as described immediately above can be cheaply manufactured and allows a .relatively heavy metal foil roll to be easily rotated by pulling on a free end of the roll which is drawn past the severing edge as it is removed from the box. The severing 10 edge can be formed on the box itself, or on the holder.

l In a preferred arrangement, the holder is made of metal such as relatively stiff and ~relatively thick aluminium foil, say 0.15 mm thick, which is formed with a sharp cutting edge to enable a strip of chosen length to be easily cut by drawing it across the ~edge of the holder. Conveniently the holder is provided with an arrangement of simple form, for supporting the core ends. Such an arrangement may comprise two rebates at respective ends of the holder, to enable a fresh roll to be inserted into the holder when the old roll is used up. The roll used would have protruding core ends to engage in the respective rebates.

In another arrangement for carrying out the invention the holder comprises a thin, flexible channel-shaped plastics strip having two parallel end portions each respectively provided with a pair of opposed circular flanges which fit into the ends of a hollow core supporting the roll inside the holder. The actual length of the intermediate portion of the holder is approximately the same as that of the core and corresponds to the spacing between the ends of the box so that the box ends hold the annular flanges inside the core ends. The box is suitably made of cardboard and may be provided with a serrated straight edge past which the foil travels as it is removed from the box. The foil strip is easily severed by jerking it downwardly along the straight edge when a desired length of foil has been removed from the box.

In practice, it is preferred to utilise two annular protrusions formed on the ends of the holder and which suitably fit within the ends of the core to support it while allowing it to rotate. However, the annual protrusions may in some cases be arranged 10 to encircle, respectively, opposite protruding ends of the core.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a metal foil dispenser box with its lid open and containing a roll of metal foil partially extending from the box; FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the box of figure 1; FIGURE3 is a front view of a holder made from flexible plastics strip and of inverted channel-shaped cross section, supporting a roll of foil in readiness for placing it in the box; FIGURE 4 is an exploded front view of a second embodiment of the invention and showing, in descending order in the figure, a metal foil roll mounted on a 4 cylindrical hollow core, a rigid aluminium holder, and, a cardboard box having its lid open; and, is an end view of the holder of figure 4 showing, diagrammatically, a half consumed foil metal roll supported within it.

Figure 1 shows a cardboard parallelepiped box 1 made from a single strip of cardboard and having a lid 2. The upper edge of a front face 3 of the box is serrated at 4 as shown in figure 2 to facilitate severing of a length of foil strip drawn off a roll 5 provided inside the box.

~The roll 5 of foil strip is wound on a cardboard cylindrical former 6 having its opposite ends 7 protruding slightly from the end walls of the roll or foil strip as "'"shown in figure 3.

The foil roll is supported inside the box by a holder 8 of inverted channel-shape having an intermediate portion 10 provided with a front edge 16, and two parallel end-portions formed as turned-down flaps 11. The holder 8 is made of thin transparent flexible plastics material and is preformed into the channel-shape illustrated. Each of the end flaps 12 has an integrally moulded co-axial opposed annular flange 13 shaped to fit around, or alternatively within, a respective end of the core 6. The annular flanges 13 enable the core 6 to rotate inside the box 1 while holding its axis of rotation fixed at a level such that the underside of a new roll 5 of foil supported by the annular flanges is held spaced above the inside upper surface of a base 9 of the box 1 as shown in figure 2. The actual spacing of the end flaps 11 of the holder 8 from one another is marginally less than the spacing between opposite end walls 14 of the box so that the annular flanges 13 cannot disengage from respective ends of the core 6.

To use the package, the user opens the lid 2 of the box 1 and positions the intermediate portion 10 of the holder 8 uppermost so that the free end of the foil strip is withdrawn from the slit formed between the front edge 16 of the intermediate portion 10 and the serrated edge 4 of the box 1.

When a length of strip of desired length has been drawn out of the box 1, the user tugs the foil gently downwards from one side, so that it severs along the line of the oo° serrated edge 4.

leO• *co* 10 The above described box allows fresh rolls to be quickly and easily replaced and holds ~the rolls so that they rotate easily. Each roll may be 100 metres long and have a width of 11 centimetres so that its weight is relatively large, being of the order of ~500 grams, as compared with a roll of kitchen foil which is lighter and has a much greater width.

*aaa.9 a In the embodiment shown in figures 3, 4 and 5, parts corresponding to those shown in figure 2 are correspondingly numbered but numbers are primed. These parts will not be again described to avoid needless repetition.

The distinction between the holder of figures 4 and 5 and that shown in figures 1 to 3, is that the holder 8' is made out of rigid aluminium. It is mounted in the box 1' with its intermediate portion 10' lying against the inside front wall of the box 1' which, in this case, does not have a serrated upper-edge. Instead, the upper-edge of the 6 intermediate portion of the holder is sharpened to provide a straight cutting edge which extends slightly above the upper-edge 4' of the front 9' of the box.

To facilitate mounting of a new roll inside the box, the holder 8' has its parallel end flaps 11' each provided with a parallel diagonal rebate 21 to allow the opposite protruding ends 7' of the core 6' to be accommodated in them respectively. When the cutting edge 20 of the holder is uppermost, as shown in figure 5 the rebates 2' slope downwardly to semi-circular ends 23 against which the opposite end-portions 7' of the core 6' rest when the holder is in position.

To remove a chosen length of the foil roll 5' from the box, it is simply pulled down 10 against the sharp edge 20 of the holder 8' to sever it.

Claims (7)

1. A foil dispensing package comprising: a box containing a roll of foil strip to be dispensed; a core on which the foil strip is wound; a severing edge for separating a chosen length of the foil from the roll; and a holder which is separate from the box and engages both ends of the core to define a fixed axis about which the roll can rotate and which the underside of the roll away from the inner surface of the underside of the box.

2. A package as set forth in claim 1, in which the holder is made from a 0 flexible strip of channel-shape providing parallel end-portions each formed with annular means shaped to engage respective opposite end-portions of the core. *go. 9o

3. A package as set forth in claim 2, in which the annular means comprise a circular flange for supporting the associated core end portion. 9909

4. A package as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, in which the *00l holder is rigid and is provided with a linear cutting edge for severing a chosen length 15 of foil from the remainder of the roll.

A package as set forth in claim 4, in which the holder is of channel shape to provide spaced, parallel end-portions formed with respective upwardly-opening rebates for holding respective ends of a roll core when in use, roll replacement being achieved by way of the upward openings of the rebates.

6. A package as claimed in Claim 1, constructed and operating substantially as described with reference to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A package as claimed in Claim 1, constructed and operating substantially as described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings. Dated this 27th. day of April 2000. 0* 000..3 RAPFORD PTY. LIMITED **(Applicant's Patent Attorney) o* S