DE19638096C2 - Pulp-molded body - Google Patents

Description

Background of the Invention (I) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a pulp molding according to the preamble of claim 1.

(II) Description of the Prior Art

Conventional packaging materials, such as those used for this be used to produce agricultural products or food, e.g. B. fruits, eggs, cans or fresh meat, or industrial products, e.g. B. computer parts, electronic comm Components, electrical parts and porcelain products, are usually made from Polylones or EPE foam materials made. As is well known, are these materials are massive and extremely flammable and spontaneously flammable, non-degradable, toxic and non-recyclable, and consequently they cause significant problems in environmental protection. EPE foam materials contain CFC that would go away is known to be harmful to the ozone in the atmosphere and so is it is bad for soil pollution.

In order to overcome the disadvantages of conventional packaging materials, the most of the countries that have been concerned with environmental protection for a long time make no effort reluctant to find substitutes, and they are using pulp and cell more and more cloth-form body-packaging materials. Because the raw material of the pulp molded body are made from recycled paper and do not require tree felling fully suited to the increasingly necessary environmental needs. Compared to the traditional polylones and EPE foam materials require  the pulp molded body materials take up less space and become no toxic substances generate zen when burning. The fibrous components of the pulp molded body mate materials are suitable for absorbing moisture. Furthermore, the pulp shape body materials not spontaneously combustible.

However, existing pulp molding materials are only intended to counter to hold or support stands. More precisely, they only work in order to counter positions and no damping or spring effect in relation to the to deliver packaged items. This means that the traditional pulp shape body materials do not damage the packaged items due to egg collision or impact during shipping. Dane The conventional shaping devices for producing pulp Shaped bodies can only be used for a specific design. More specifically is there where there is a change in the contour or shape of an object ne new forming device may be required for such a change. As a result far from the conventional shaping devices no flexibility in use.  

A generic pulp molded body is known from GB 2 283 966 A. In this Pulp molded body is an approximately hemispherical depression for receiving a Ge provided for. In the side walls of the recess three are ge to the outside arched contact points for making contact between the pulp molded body and provided the item. The bulging contact points stand out there from the fact that they have a smaller wall thickness than the rest of the pulp Have molded body. This enables them to collapse in the event of higher loads.

A disadvantage of the known pulp molding is, on the one hand, that the production of a pulp molding with areas of different wall thicknesses dig is. On the other hand there is a point contact between the molded body and the adversely affected object. With such a contact, the Pulp molded bodies exert forces on the object being held in a punctiform manner wear. The concentration of the forces increases the risk of damage to the Object.

Further pulp moldings are known from WO 94/10058 A1, WO 95/08485 A1, US 4,120,441, US 3,807,622 and GB 2 052 427 A are known. However, they are not used to record Objects with a substantially circular cross section, but only for Acquisition of corners, edges or flat side surfaces of objects.

The object of the present invention is to provide a pulp molding for positioning and cushioning an object with a substantially circular cross section To provide the improved support compared to known pulp moldings tion and damping properties.

This object is achieved by a pulp molded body with the features of the claim 1 solved.

Advantageous embodiments describe the subclaims.

The invention is described below with reference to a drawing.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing the pulp molded article according to an embodiment of the present invention for packaging an article having a substantially circular cross section;

Figs. 2A and 2B are schematic views for packaging a Ge genstands having a substantially rectangular cross-section, represent the pulp molded article according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 illustrates an alternative to the present invention shown in Figure 2;

Fig. 4 illustrates another alternative of the present invention, which is shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5A illustrates an attached pulp molded body according to the present invention;

Fig. 5B shows a side view of Fig. 5A;

Fig. 6A illustrates a yet another fixed or reinforced pulp-molded body constitutes the present invention;

Fig. 6B shows a side view of Fig. 6A;

Fig. 7A shows another pulp molded article according to the present invention.

Fig. 7B illustrates the molding equipment for making the pulp molding units of the present invention;

Fig. 8A shows a pulp molded article according to the prior art for supporting fruit or eggs; and

Fig. 8B shows a pulp molded article according to the prior art for packaging articles with jagged contours.

The foregoing and other tasks, aspects, and advantages of the present invention can be better understood from the detailed description below become.  

Detailed description

FIGS. 8A and 8B respectively represent the schematic views of conventional Pul pe-shaped body for supporting or holding of fruit or eggs and for supporting indu strieller parts which have jagged contours. As shown in Fig. Shown 8A, the pulp Shaped body according to the prior art with recessed areas to take on objects 10 , such as apples, which have a substantially circular cross section. The pulp molded body according to the prior art, as shown in Fig. 8B, serves to hold an object 12 , such as an electronic product or a mechanical device, for example, which has a fissured contour. The pulp molded body according to the prior art has recessed sections 13 , 14 corresponding to the contour of the object 12 so as to hold the object 12 therein. The known pulp moldings are easily seen to hold or support the packaged items alone and do not provide a damping or resilient effect to protect the packaged items from an impact or a collision during shipping. In other words, the packaging materials of the prior art cannot minimize the damage to which the objects can be subjected.

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment according to the present invention. The pulp molded body, which is shown in Fig. 1, serves to position and resiliently store objects which have a substantially circular cross-section. These items can include, for example, fruits, eggs and cans. In this embodiment, a substantially cylindrical recess 20 is formed in the pulp molded body. The opening of the recess 20 has an inner diameter significantly larger than that of the bottom 21 of the recess 20th The bottom 21 is vorzugwei se provided with an opening for ventilation. A resilient or damping section 22 , which is formed by a plurality of spaced pulp-shaped strips, defines the inner wall of the recess 20th Each strip extends from the periphery of the opening to the bottom 21 . The feather or pillow section 22 creates "surface to surface" contact with an object 23 to be packaged. Surface-to-surface contact is achieved when the ring zones 24 and 24 'engage each other. The prior art, which is shown in Fig. 8A, typically provides "point to point" contact alone because the prior art pulp molded body is formed with depressions of a uniform dimension and often there is a gap 11 , when an object is placed in one of the recesses. As a result, the prior art packaging material cannot securely hold the packaged item and typically uses sponge-like pads to compensate for the gap 11 . This solution requires undesirable materials that continue to cause additional environmental problems and increase costs. In contrast to this, according to the present invention, due to the cushion section 22, the packaged article 23 can not only be held more securely, but also a cushion or damping effect is created due to the elasticity of the pulp molded body fibers.

Figs. 2A and 2B illustrate another embodiment of the present invention. As in Fig. 2a, the pulp-shaped body constructed in this embodiment 30 with resilient or pad portions 31, 32 and 33, each in the X-, Y- and -Z- (negative Z) direction (Cartesian coordinate system) are constructed to encase an object 34 which has a substantially rectangular cross-section. Item 34 may be the actual item to be packaged or an outer wrapper containing an item. The cushion section from 33 in the negative Z direction is constructed with a plurality of successive units 35 which extend lengthwise. The units 35 have ribbed surfaces which protrude from the surface of the pulp molded body 30 , and have, for example, semicircular, rectangular or triangular shapes. The cushion sections 31 and 32 are formed with a number of laterally extending units 36 in the X and Y directions, respectively.

FIG. 2B illustrates an alternative use of the pulp mold body 30. In this embodiment, an object thereof is packed 37 at four or eight corners by the Pul pe-form body 30.

Although not shown, it can be easily understood that the cushion portion ( 31 , 32 ) is arranged at an angle greater than orthogonal to one another, as shown in FIG. 2A, to encase a substantially cylindrical object.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2, wherein a pulp shaped body 40 , similar to the pulp shaped body 30 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, on two, four or eight Corners of an object with a substantially rectangular cross section are attached. However, when the receiving portion 42 of the pulp molded body 40 is fitted in the corner, the pulp molded body 40 creates a cushion function along each of the three orthogonal axes, namely the X, Y and Z axes. Direction, or alternatively in the (1, 0, 0), (0, 1, 0) and (0, 0, 1) orientation, by means of the pillow sections formed by units 41, which are successively along the axes are arranged.

FIG. 4 shows yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, which is shown in FIG. 2, in which the pulp shaped body 50 can also be used at two, four or eight corners of a substantially rectangular cross section. However, when the receiving portion 52 of the pulp pad 50 is fitted in a corner of the article, the units 51 forming a pillow portion are sequentially in each of the (1, 1, 0) , (0, 1, 1) and (1, 0, 1) orientation as opposed to the (1, 0, 0), (0, 1, 0) and (0, 0, 1) orientation that are in Fig. 3 is provided.

Fig. 5A illustrates a pulp-molded body 60 according to another embodiment of the present invention, having the pad portions which are formed by a plurality of pulp-shaped body units 61. As shown, four units form a cushion portion. Each unit 61 has a rib-like surface which is not simply formed by elementary, geometric shapes such as semicircular, triangular or rectangular, but is formed with a terrace-like portion 62 on both sides of the rib-like surface to define a configuration , which has a narrow, upper surface and a wide, lower area. The pulp molded body 60 is also provided with a base 63 to which the bottom surfaces 64 connecting the units 61 are connected. In addition, to provide shock absorption and cushioning effect on the packaged item, the units formed with the terrace-like portion 62 also provide additional resistance to the pressure from above. The base 63 is intended to continue to support the units 61 to protect them from collapsing to thereby form a reinforced pulp molded structure.

FIG. 6A illustrates a pulp molded body 70 that also has a reinforced structure that has a pillow portion that is constructed with a plurality of units 71 . As shown, four units form a pillow section. Compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, the units 71 have a terrace-like portion 72 on one side of the ribbed surface alone and a base 73 .

The present invention also provides a molding device for manufacturing the units. FIG. 7A illustrates a finished pulp molded article 81. The pulp molded article 81 has a cushion portion, the body units with a plurality of pulp mold is constructed 82, which, as shown, as a unit matrix arranged are so that it is in contact with an outer packaging material such as a carton or a cardboard box (not shown). The bottom surfaces 83 , each connecting successive units, can be shaped according to the contour of the object 84 to be packaged. In the embodiment, the object 84 has a contour which is defined by curved lines f and g in the horizontal plane. The bottom surfaces 83 are designed to form a wrapping plane by curved lines f 'and g' corresponding to the curved lines f and g so as to closely fit the object 84 .

FIG. 7B shows a shaping device 85 for producing the pulp shaped body 81 , which is illustrated in FIG. 7A. The shaping device 85 has an upper shaped body part 86 (hatched areas) and a lower shaped body part 87 (non-hatched areas), wherein each lower molded part connects two successive upper molded parts to one another. The upper and lower molded parts 86 and 87 together define the configuration of the units 82 , such as a semicircular, a triangular, a square or a terrace-like configuration. The lower molded parts 87 are also used to form the bottom surface 83 so that an envelope plane can be defined to correspond to the contour of the object. In Fig. 7B, broken line 88 represents the pulp molded units attached to the upper and lower molded parts, which are then dehydrated, dried, or baked and possibly further processed to form the pulp molded article 81 .

In the former 85 of the present invention, the upper molded body parts 86 can be used repeatedly even when the contour of the object to be packaged changes, such as when it has a contour defined by another curved contour line h (not shown) is defined. In such a case, only the lower molded parts 87 are redesigned to match the new contour, and the upper molded parts 86 can be maintained. In contrast, the prior art molding device for making pulp molded articles as shown in FIGS . 8A and 8B take the form of integral molded article parts so that the entire molding device is no longer subject to design changes are usable. Obviously, the molding device according to the present invention is flexible and economical to use.

As discussed above, the present invention provides a pulp molding per who has cushion-like or springy and shock-absorbing features, and a Molding device for producing the pulp molded body units of the pulp mold body that are sometimes used repeatedly with a different design can. Although the present invention with reference to the specific before Preferred embodiments have been described, those skilled in the art subject make a variety of modifications and changes without the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims is defined to leave.

Claims (3)

1. Pulp molded body for positioning and cushioning an object ( 23 ) with an essentially circular cross section with:
a recessed portion ( 20 ) for receiving the article ( 23 ), the recessed portion ( 20 ) having an upper opening, a bottom ( 21 ) and an inner wall and the diameter of the opening being larger than that of the bottom,
characterized by
that a resilient portion ( 22 ) is provided with a plurality of pulp molded body strips, the pulp molded body strips being spaced apart and forming the inner wall of the recessed portion ( 20 ), and each of the strips extending from a perimeter of the opening to the bottom ( 21 ) of the recessed portion ( 20 ) extends. 2. Pulp molding according to claim 1, characterized in that the resilient portion ( 22 ) produces an essentially annular contact between the pulp molding and an object ( 23 ) with a substantially circular cross-section. 3. Pulp molded body according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom ( 21 ) of the recessed portion ( 20 ) is provided with an opening for ventilation.