DE29811784U1 - Sheet of flat material - Google Patents

Description

^# pAreMi^rawÄLTE

RUf^K BEIER AND PARTNERS

STUTTGART

Dipl.-Chem. Dr. Michael Ruft Dipl.-Ing. Joachim Beier Dipl.-Phys. Jürgen Schöndorf Dipl.-Chem. Dr.Thomas Mütschele

Ruff, Beier and Partner · Willy-Brandt-Straße 28 · D-7O173 Stuttgart European Patent Attorneys

European Trade Mark Attorneys

Registered in: Stark ista GmbH Willy-Brandt-Straße 28

Winnender Strasse 75 D-70173 Stuttgart

Telephone (0711) 22 2976-0

-7 1 Kd &lgr;^ if _ov .v „-U Fax (0711) 22 2976-76

71563 Affalterbach Country/Area Code:+49-711

Dresdner Bank (bank code 600800 00) Account 9 011341 Landesgirokasse (bank code 60050101) Account 2 530413

Our reference: A 32 83 2 Postbank Stuttgart (bank code 60010070) Account 42930-708

VAT number: DE 147528073

1 July 1998 JB/FR/sc

Description Flat material sheet

FIELD OF APPLICATION AND STATE OF THE ART

The invention relates to a flat material sheet with at least one surface suitable for applying a label or print.

Hangers are made from such a flat material, for example a cardboard box or the like, which are attached to an object or its packaging or onto which an object is placed in thin plastic material in the manner of a blister pack. However, the cardboard material is difficult to handle, especially with regard to labeling or the like, and it is costly.

TASK AND SOLUTION

The object of the invention is to create a flat material sheet which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art, is cost-effective and versatile in use.

A 32 832 - 2 -

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. The invention provides a flat material sheet with at least one surface suitable for applying a label or for printing, which is divided into individual sections, each of which is separated from one another by material weakening lines, which enable individual sections to be separated or separated to form hangers for objects or packages. The sections each have at least two recesses, which are arranged in mirror image to a fold line and lie on top of one another when the section is folded, and form a continuous hanging opening for the hanger. This makes it possible to provide the flat material sheets, which are larger than the individual hangers and preferably have a frequently used format such as DIN A4 format, with prints or to label them by hand using conventional PC printers or copiers or stamps. Hangers, possibly also for price tags or the like, can be created individually and as required in this way. By doubling 0 the flat material by folding, a hanger is created with twice the material thickness of the original flat material. In a further development of the invention, the flat material can be folded several times to increase the reinforcement effect.

The material weakening lines are preferably provided with perforations, which are designed in particular as slots with narrow material webs in between for easy separation. Perforation lines are particularly preferred, but point-shaped perforations are also possible.

Alternatively, the material weakening lines can be designed as cuts that partially cut the flat material, if necessary from both sides. To ensure sufficient cohesion of the flat material sheet,

A 32 832 - 3 -

not much more than half the thickness should be cut through.

The sections are preferably axially symmetrical, in particular rectangular. The fold lines can run along the axis of symmetry and be formed by embossed lines. When embossing, the thickness of the flat material is preferably reduced to less than half. Particularly preferably, all sections of a sheet of flat material are the same size, in particular identical.

The recesses in the sections can be rounded, and preferably have an elongated shape. They are particularly preferably designed as so-called Euro holes. If the recesses are arranged in the middle of the section in the longitudinal direction of the fold line, a finished hanger together with the object or its packaging hangs approximately straight on a hanging profile or similar.

If the flat material sheet has a rectangular shape, it is preferably provided with more material weakening lines and/or fold lines in its longitudinal direction than in its transverse direction. It is particularly preferred that it has four sections whose longitudinal axis of symmetry runs parallel to that of the sheet.

In a further embodiment of the invention, a sheet of flat material can be a component of a flat material stored in web form or similar. The web material can be separated into sheets of flat material without tools using prefabricated perforations.

Preferably, the flat material contains pulp, in particular being a paper material or containing paper.

A 32 832 - 4 -

An application that requires particularly little effort can be made using a monomaterial made of thicker paper or thin cardboard. A thickness in the range of 100 to 250 g/m² can be used advantageously, particularly preferably around 150 g/m². Alternatively, plastic materials, such as thick foils, are possible. Another possible application is a flat material made up of at least two layers. One layer can be a mechanically strong carrier, a second layer can be self-adhesive, advantageously with a protective film. After removing the protective film, the two halves of the section can overlap by folding along the fold line and be firmly glued, possibly with the object or a package in the adhesive area.

A preferred embodiment of the invention can provide a rectangular paper sheet with perforation lines along its two axes of symmetry, which divide the sheet into four equal sections. Each of these is traversed by embossed lines for precise and easy folding along its longitudinal axis of symmetry and has two recesses in the form of Euro holes that are a mirror image of these embossed lines.

A hanger for an object, possibly packed in a bag, which is cut out of a sheet of flat material according to the invention can consist of two folded and overlapping halves of a section, between which the object and/or the bag are placed and which are then connected with connecting means. The connecting means can be staples, adhesive layers, rivets or the like. The hanger is attached to a profile corresponding to the opening in a hanging opening formed by the recesses in the halves.

A 32 832 - 5 -

The recesses are preferably arranged closer to the axis of symmetry or the fold line than to the lateral boundary of a section. In a preferred application, a hanger is inserted with the fold line upwards, so that the hanger essentially extends downwards from a hanger profile.

A simplification of the manufacturing process and of the removal of hangers from a sheet of flat material can be achieved by having the boundaries of the flat material form part of the boundaries of the sections, preferably at least one long side edge.

One application of the invention does not provide a hanger for an object, but rather a pendant that can be attached to an object. In this case, folding and doubling can be dispensed with, since only low forces are to be expected.

These and other features emerge not only from the claims but also from the description and the drawings, whereby the individual features can be implemented individually or in combination in the form of sub-combinations in an embodiment of the invention and in other fields and can represent advantageous and protectable embodiments for which protection is claimed here. The division of the application into individual sections and 5 subheadings does not limit the general validity of the statements made under these.

A 32 832 - 6 -

Short description of the drawings

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 a sheet of paper material with four

Perforation lines separable sections with hanging recesses,

Fig. 2 a partially folded section as a hanger for a plastic bag containing an object and

Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of Fig. 2, with the fully folded halves of the hanger clamped together enclosing the plastic bag.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Fig. 1 shows a flat material sheet 11, which can be DIN A4 format, for example. The sheet in Fig. 1 is in the so-called raw state, i.e. still without printing or the like. The sheet can be divided into four areas or sections without additional aids such as scissors or knives using perforation lines 12 shown in dashed lines, which run along the axes of symmetry of the flat material sheet 11. The sections 13 formed by the perforation lines 12 have an embossed line 14 as a folding line along their longitudinal axis of symmetry, which runs through two sections. Recesses 16 designed as Euro holes are provided symmetrically to the embossed line 14.

A 32 832 - 7 -

for example by punching. The recesses 16 are arranged centrally in the longitudinal direction of the sections 13, but significantly closer to the embossing line 14 than to the long sides 17.

The Euro holes consist of an elongated slot with rounded ends, which has a circular recess in the middle, the radius of which corresponds to the width of the slot. The length of such a slot is about 25 mm, the width about 5 mm and the circle diameter about 10 mm.

Fig. 2 shows a section 13 cut out of a flat material sheet 11, which has two halves that can be folded together by folding along the embossed line 14. Between these, reaching just below the edge of the recess 16, a plastic bag 19 is inserted, the width of which is slightly less than the length of the long sides 17 and which contains an unspecified object 20. Such a bag 19 is preferably made of PE film and is transparent in order to present the object 20. The upper opening 18 of the bag 19 can remain unchanged or be closed, for example by welding or wrapping the material of the bag several times.

Fig. 3 shows a section 13 in the finished state that functions as a hanger, the halves of which are connected to the enclosed plastic bag 19 by two staples 22. Instead of the staples 22, other fastening options are possible, for example penetrating fastening means such as rivets or similar or gluing. The hanger can be about 8 cm to 20 cm long.

In Fig. 3 are shown prints and/or labels 23, the information regarding the contents of the plastic bag 19

A 32 832 -*8**- ^#

contained object 2 0, as well as other information such as the name of the manufacturer, price, bar code prints, or the like. These prints 23 can be applied as adhesive labels or printed on the flat material sheet 11 in its state according to Fig. 1. Alternatively, labeling by hand is possible.

FUNCTION

According to one aspect of the invention, due to the widespread DIN A4 format, it is possible to provide a flat material sheet made of paper material in this format, the thickness of which should not be much more than 150 g/m², with various prints, possibly in color, using a commercially available PC printer (needle, inkjet or laser printer). A flat material sheet according to Fig. 1 can be placed directly in a printer (or copier) and provided with a desired print per section 13 or per half of the sections 13. Paper materials are preferably suitable for this, but coated paper and thin cardboard material or foils can also possibly be used. After printing, which preferably covers an entire sheet 11, the individual sections 13 can be separated from the sheet along the perforation lines 12 as required.

The embossed lines 14 make it easier to bend the two halves against each other and to fold them together so that the two recesses 16 of a section 13 lie on top of each other. After inserting the upper part of a plastic bag 19 with the upper edge or the upper opening 18 to just below the recesses 16, the arrangement is connected, for example by means of the staples 22. By doubling the hanger, both of which

A 32 832 - 9 -

If the halves are to hang on a suspension profile, the stability is increased.

If the plastic bag 19 contains small parts, it is advantageous to close it. This can be done, for example, by folding the upper end of the bag several times, approximately one centimeter wide. If the staples 22 are guided precisely through this area, the plastic bag 19 is both securely closed and reinforced. The staples 22 can be attached using a standard stapler, for example a desk-top version.

A flat material sheet is also possible which is at least partially provided with an adhesive layer on one side. The adhesive layer can be covered by a protective film which is only removed when plastic bags or the like are attached to the sections 13. Such self-adhesive sections save the step of stapling them together with staples or the like. An adhesive layer is advantageous at least in the edge area of the sections, preferably along the side edges.

The length of the sections 13 can be chosen independently of the width of the bags. For very small or very large bags, the section 13 can extend well beyond the bag or be shorter. In the first case, connecting devices such as staples or the like should be attached in such a way that they penetrate the material of the bag at least once to connect it to the section and also connect the two halves of the section to each other to create a unit.

Claims (13)

1 July 1998 JB/FR claims flat material sheets 1. Flat material sheet with at least one surface suitable for applying a label or print, which is divided into individual sections (13), which are each separated from one another by material weakening lines (12) which enable individual sections to be separated to form hangers (24) for objects (20) or packages (19), wherein the sections each have at least two recesses (16) which are arranged in mirror image to a fold line (14) and lie one above the other when folded to form a continuous hanging opening (21). 2. Flat material sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the material weakening lines (12) are provided with openings, in particular with elongated slits with short material webs, wherein they are preferably designed as perforation lines. 3. Flat material sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the material weakening lines (12) are designed as cuts that only partially penetrate into the flat material, whereby in particular approximately half of the · · A32 832 Thickness of the flat material, preferably penetrating the flat material from both sides. 4. Flat material sheet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sections (13) are axially symmetrical, in particular rectangular, wherein preferably the fold line is along the axis of symmetry ,. of a section, in particular as an embossed line (14), wherein preferably the thickness of the flat material is reduced by the embossing to less than the is reduced by half. 5. Flat material sheet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that all sections (13) of a flat material sheet (11) are of the same size. 6. Flat material sheet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recesses (16) are rounded, preferably have an elongated shape and are arranged centrally in the section (13) when viewed in the longitudinal direction, wherein they are designed in particular as Euro holes. 7. Flat material sheet according to one of the claims, characterized in that it has a rectangular shape, in particular in DIN A4 format, preferably with more material weakening lines (12) and/or folding lines in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction, wherein a sheet (11) has in particular four sections (13). 8. Flat material sheet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is a component of a web material, in particular a web material formed by folding A 32 832 - 3 - or rolling up magazined web material, which preferably has perforations for separation into individual flat material sheets (11). 9. Flat material sheet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains pulp, in particular is a paper material. 10., Flat material sheet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is a monomaterial, in particular paper or cardboard, preferably with a thickness of 150 g/m². 11. Flat material sheet according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it is constructed from at least two layers, whereby preferably one layer is designed as a mechanically strong carrier and one layer is at least partially self-adhesive. 12. Flat material sheet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is a rectangular paper sheet (11) with perforation lines (12) along the two axes of symmetry, which divide the sheet into four equal sections (13), each of which is traversed by embossed lines (14) along its longitudinal axis of symmetry, each section having two recesses (16) in the form of Euro holes symmetrical to the embossed lines. 13. Hanger (24) for an object (20) possibly packed in a bag (19) which is cut out of a flat material sheet (11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it consists of two folded and overlapping halves A 32 832 -' 4'·- a section (13) cut out of a perforated sheet of flat material, which are connected to one another by means of connecting means, in particular staples (22), wherein the object and/or the bag is enclosed by the halves and held therein, preferably penetrated by the connecting means, and wherein in each half of the section recesses (16) are formed symmetrically to the fold line (14) for hanging on a profile or the like, which overlap as a continuous hanging opening (21).