EP0143056A1 - Roll of coiled binding wire stored on a display card, and method to obtain it - Google Patents

Abstract

Unlike the blister type displays of the prior art, the roll (1) is packaged on a display (3) with a thin plastic film (14) which matches all the visible surfaces of the roll. This film (14) cooperates with the display (3) both in the area (15) inside the roller and in the area (11) outside thereof. If cutting means (7) are also provided on the display, the film (14) (as shown in 12) completely envelops the cutting member (7), without the need for fixing means complementary. The inner end (10) of the link passes through a hole (9) in the film (14) and can thus be pulled for controlled reeling, thanks to a braking effect caused by the at least partial adhesion of the film. on the turns of the roller. Such packaging can be obtained by a single-step process in which a stretched and heated film is applied to a porous substrate carrying the roller and optionally the cutting means (7). The end (10) of the link is then shaped to pierce at (9) the film (14).

Description

The present invention relates to a rolled link roll conditioned on a display and its production process. In the description below, the coiled link roll will be called a bobbin.

At present many products are sold commercially packaged on display units in the form of cards. These displays are usually made of cardboard, plastic, cardboard coated with plastic, and the like. They generally have a perforation on the upper part making it easy to hang them on any suitable support. The products applied to such displays are wrapped in a plastic sheath which is glued or otherwise attached to the card. When a user wishes to obtain the packaged product, he must tear or tear off the plastic sheath. This does not have major drawbacks for certain objects for immediate use such as, for example, light bulbs or electric batteries, but constitutes a serious drawback for articles for prolonged use such as a wound roll of reel or bobbin. Such a bobbin is for example a roll of flexible metallic wire coated with plastic material. This flexible metal wire coated with plastic material serves as a link or fastener in many areas: at home, for example, to tighten sachers, in gardens to fix a stake or branches, in a workshop to attach many objects and others.

The link is cut to the required length using a cutting tool.

It is easily understood that if one tears off the protective sheath applied to the display, the bobbin unwinds in a disorderly manner and one thus obtains a great length of wire which is intertwined.

The bobbins are usually sold in long lengths of wire, for example, about 25 m.

Two main types of conditioned bobbins are known: the bobbins contained in rigid shells and the coils wrapped in semi-rigid sheaths.

Thus, the bobbins currently packaged on a display with a rigid shell are, for example, arranged in a cell or cap of rigid plastic material which does not provide, after opening, a satisfactory unwinding of the wire, since the latter is uncontrolled. In addition, the cost of the display is quite high.

Rigid shells can be of the refill type or for single use.

Other commercial coils are wrapped either completely or partially by a semi-rigid sheath. The major drawback of semi-rigid sheaths, the cost price of which is lower than that of rigid shells, is that, whatever the construction of the sheath, during unwinding, the metal wire becomes entangled and leads to the formation of twists. After a certain number of applications, the wire thus becomes unusable.

The bobbins according to the prior art are also usually supplied with their cutting tool. The cutting tool comprises fixing means, for example eyelets, allowing it to be riveted to the display card. The cutting tool is, in some cases, riveted directly on one of the parts of the plastic shell. All these operations take time and are costly.

The present invention provides a bobbin of a simple embodiment which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art and allows, at low cost, a controlled unwinding of the wire.

The present invention also relates to a process allowing, in a single step, to condition on a display, a wound roll of link and possibly, associated cutting means, while obtaining improved unwinding qualities.

The present invention therefore relates to a wound roll of tie, packaged on a display having the shape of a card, the roll being held in place and surrounded by a protective sheath, characterized in that the sheath consists of a flexible and thin film conforming to all the visible surfaces of the coil and cooperating with the display both in the area inside the coil and in the zone outside of it, said film being continuous with the exception of a hole provided for the passage of the end of the link of the roll, thus allowing a controlled unwinding of the wire from the inside of the reel thanks to the braking effect caused by the at least partial adhesion of the film to the turns of the roll.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a coiled link roll, packaged on a display in the form of a card, the wound link being held in place and surrounded by a protective sheath, said display further comprising means to cut the link at the coil outlet, characterized in that the sheath consists of a flexible and thin film, matching all the visible surfaces of the coil and cooperating both with said slicing means and with the display also both in the area inside the coil and in the area outside thereof, said film being continuous except for a hole provided for the passage of the end of the link of the roll, thus allowing, in combination, the holding in position of the slicing means on the display without any other fixing means and a controlled unwinding of the wire from the inside of the spool thanks to the braking effect caused by the at least partial adhesion film on the coils of the roller.

• - la gaine protectrice est une pellicule de matière plastique d'une épaisseur d'environ 80 microns;
• - la gaine protectrice est en polyéthylène ;
• - le rouleau de lien bobiné est combiné sur la carte présentoir à un outil de coupe fixé et complètement enrobé par la gaine protectrice.

The present invention also relates to the characteristics below considered in isolation or in all their technically possible combinations:

• - the protective sheath is a plastic film with a thickness of about 80 microns;
• - the protective sheath is made of polyethylene;
• - the coiled link roll is combined on the display card with a fixed cutting tool completely covered by the protective sheath.

• a) à déployer et chauffer une pellicule plastique mince afin de la tendre et de la ramollir,
• b) à disposer en vis-à-vis de la pellicule un substrat poreux sur lequel est posé au moins un rouleau de lien bobiné, l'extrémité du lien du côté intérieur du rouleau étant légèrement sortie et conformée pour faire saillie en direction de la pellicule,
• c) à appliquer la gaine plastique sur le substrat et à exercer une aspiration par le dessous du substrat, pour faire ainsi épouser à la gaine plastique la forme du rouleau et coller la gaine sur le substrat, ladite opération ayant simultanément pour effet que l'extrémité du lien transperce la pellicule etdevienne ainsi accessible.

The present invention also relates to a process for obtaining a wound roll of tie, packaged on a display comprising the steps consisting:

• a) deploying and heating a thin plastic film in order to stretch and soften it,
• b) to place opposite the film a porous substrate on which at least one wound roll of bond is placed, the end of the link on the inside of the roll being slightly extended and shaped to protrude towards the film,
• c) applying the plastic sheath to the substrate and exerting suction from underneath the substrate, thereby making the plastic sheath conform to the shape of the roll and sticking the sheath to the substrate, said operation having the simultaneous effect that the end of the link pierces the film and becomes accessible.

According to another aspect of the process of the invention, a cutting tool is placed on the substrate, next to the wound roll of tie, which, at the end of step c), is completely coated with the film and fixed on the substrate, without the need to provide additional fixing means.

In the method of the present invention, it is provided for example that the end of the inner strand is folded back at least over about 5 to 10 mm during the implementation of step c), this end of inner strand being folded back in a horizontal position relative to the substrate or being folded in a vertical position relative to said substrate.

The substrate used in the method of the invention is of any type chosen to act as a display and also allow the passage of air during aspiration. The cardboard is suitable for this purpose.

It is important to choose a film of thermoplastic material sufficiently thin to match all the contours of the objects placed on the substrate (roller and, if necessary, cutting tool) while allowing the end of the inner strand to pierce it, which is made easier when applying the heated and softened film. Furthermore, if a cutting tool is placed on the substrate next to the roller, it has been found that the film completely envelops it without generally being pierced during the application of the film. During the first use, it suffices to introduce the unwound link in the direction of the cutting face of the cutting tool in order to pass through the film and cut the link to the desired length. Thus, the film also exerts a protective effect with regard to the cutting tool.

According to the invention, the flexible and thin film which marries all the visible faces of the roll has the function, not only of maintaining the roll on the substrate, but also of allowing a controlled unwinding of the bond. This one is not untidy as in the previous realizations. In the reel conditioned according to the invention, the thread is unwound regularly and in a controlled manner thanks to the braking effect obtained by the at least partial cooperation of the turns of the roll and the film which follows its outline.

• - FIG. 1 est une coupe schématique d'un bobinot conditionné selon un mode de réalisation de l'art antérieur,
• - FIG. 2 est une coupe schématique d'un bobinot conditionné selon un autre mode de réalisation de l'art antérieur,
• - FIG. 3 est une perspective d'un bobinot conditionné selon l'art antérieur sur un présentoir avec une gaine semi-rigide en matière plastique,
• - FIG. 4 est une coupe schématique du rouleau de lien bobiné selon la présente invention prise suivant la ligne IV-IV de la figure 5.
• - FIG. 5 est une perspective du bobinot conditionné selon la présente invention.

Various advantages and characteristics of the present invention will emerge from the detailed description below made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• - FIG. 1 is a schematic section of a bobbin packaged according to an embodiment of the prior art,
• - FIG. 2 is a schematic section of a bobbin packaged according to another embodiment of the prior art,
• - FIG. 3 is a perspective of a bobbin conditioned according to the prior art on a display with a semi-rigid plastic sheath,
• - FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic section of the wound roll of the link according to the present invention taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 5.
• - FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bobbin packaged according to the present invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show two coils conditioned according to the prior art. In the embodiment of Figure 1, the coil 1 is arranged in a cell 2 which is, for example, a rigid shell of plastic. Cell 2 is applied to a card display stand 3. For packaging on the display board 3, a semi-rigid plastic sheath 4 covers the assembly. During use, the sheath 4 must be completely torn off.

The embodiment according to FIG. 2 is practically equivalent to that of FIG. 1 except that the bobbin 1 is not, in this case, placed in a cell 2 but is held in a plastic cap 5 In this case also, the cap rests on a display card 3 and is wrapped by a semi-rigid sheath 4 which must, during use, be torn off.

Of course, there are many variations to the two embodiments mentioned above. Thus, the plastic shell, whether it is the cap 5 or the cell 2, can be faired by a shell of corresponding shape. Finally, the link roll can also be introduced into a reel made entirely of plastic which is riveted on the display card at different contact points.

The above-mentioned embodiments include rigid plastic shells, the cost of which is expensive to manufacture. The thickness of the rigid shells generally varies in the range from 8,000 to 10,000 microns and the plastics used are generally thermosetting plastics. The wire feed cannot be checked.

FIG. 3 represents a bobbin 1 conditioned using a semi-rigid sheath 4 which constitutes another example of embodiment according to the prior art.

As is usual, the bobbin 1 is applied to the display card 3. The bobbin 1 is enveloped by the semi-rigid sheath 4 which has an opening 6 through which the user unwinds the wire. The diameter of the opening 6 corresponds substantially to that of the inner ring of the bobbin 1. In this case, the semi-rigid sheath 4 does not need to be torn from the display 3, but the unwinding is not controlled and the thread gets tangled and forms twists. The semi-rigid sheath 4 is, moreover, of a significant cost price. Its thickness is in the range of 200 to 250 microns. Usually, specialists call such a semi-rigid sheath a blister.

In this type of conditioned bobbins, the cutting tool 7 is necessarily riveted on the display board 3 by means of fixing eyelets 8. The cutting tool 8 is placed below the bobbin 1. It is easily understood that the need to rivet the cutting tool 8 on the display card 3 constitutes an additional costly and disadvantageous operation.

In another embodiment of bobbins packaged with a blister, which has not been shown in the accompanying drawings, the semi-rigid sheath does not have an opening, it envelops the entire top of the bobbin and the wire is unwound through a hole at the back in the display card. In this case also, the unwinding of the wire is inconvenient, it leads to the formation of twists because the tension of the wire is not controlled. Because the wire exits through the rear face of the display card, it is not possible in this case to provide on said display card the cutting tool.

The blister according to this latter embodiment of the prior art has a thickness also in the range of 200 to 250 microns. The material of such a blister is generally polyvinyl chloride.

In the reel 1 packaged according to the present invention and represented in FIGS. 4 and 5, a thin film 14 envelops and hugs all the visible surfaces of the reel 1. It also extends on the display card 3 as well in the interior zone 15 from the spool to outside of it (zonell). The film 14 has an opening or punctured 9 through which protrudes up a strand of the link 10. The film 14 also envelops, as indicated in 12, The cutting member 7, which is held by the latter on the display card 3. The cutting tool no longer needs to be riveted to the display card 3 and, consequently, the eyelets are superfluous.

The film 14, according to the present invention, is of a structure very different from the blisters of the prior art. It is a very thin polyethylene film of about 80 microns which is coated, as already indicated, around the entire circumference of the bobbin.l both inside and outside and on the display board 3.

It can thus be seen that the film 14 follows all the apparent surfaces of the bobbin 1 and adheres at least partially to the turns of the latter. When the end 10 of the link is pulled to unwind a desired length, the unwinding is thus regular and controlled. The link is maintained by the film 14 in the turns of the bobbin 1.

Thanks to the above structure, the bobbin 1 is unwound with a tension controlled turn by turn, no twist or intermingling of the strands being thus possible.

The cutting tool 7 is also pressed and retained (zone 12) on the display card 3 by the plastic film 14. It can thus be combined with the bobbin 1.

The hole 9 which allows the strand to exit is obtained in a simple and automatic manner, as will be indicated below.

To condition the bobbin 1 and, if applicable, its cutting tool 7, on the display board 3, the following steps are carried out: a thin film is deployed, pulled horizontally and heated by hot air blown 14 of polyethylene with a thickness of about 80 microns in order to tension and soften it. A large sheet of porous cardboard is placed on a tray where several rolls of tie are placed with their respective cutting member. The end of the inner strand 10 of each bobbin is folded over substantially 1 cm and the tray is raised to the level of the thin film of heated polyethylene. The film is applied to ^/ cardboard carrying the coils and the cutting members while vacuuming through the underside of the cardboard sheet so as to press and stick the plastic film both on the cardboard and on the whole of the spool and its cutting member. We then proceed to the division of each bobbin and cutting member to supply them to the unit on each display stand. When applying the plastic film, the folded end 10 of the internal strand will make it possible to obtain a puncture 9 by means of which the link will be unwound turn by turn and in a controlled manner.

The cost price of such an implementation process is very advantageous. The polyethylene film conforms perfectly to the outline of each bobbin and adheres well by bonding to the substrate.

According to the invention, it is no longer necessary to have recourse to thick, unwieldy, expensive films, which are deformed and which do not allow controlled reeling turn by turn of the packaged product.

Due to the controlled winding by winding of the bobbin, this bobbin can be used until its end without any entanglement or twists occurring and, for the user, this is indeed a particularly advantageous advantage .

Claims (12)

1. Roll of bonded link (1), conditioned on a display (3) having the form of a card, the wound link being held in place and surrounded by a protective sheath (14), characterized in that the sheath (14 ) is made of a flexible and thin film conforming to all the visible surfaces of the reel and cooperating with the display (3) both in the area (15) located inside the reel and in the area (11) being outside of it, said film (14) being continuous with the exception of a hole (9) provided for the passage of the end (10) of the link of the roller, thus allowing controlled reeling wire from inside the spool (1) due to the braking effect caused by the at least partial adhesion of the film (14) on the turns of the roll. 2. Roll of bonded link (1) packaged on a display (3) having the shape of a card, the roll (1) being held in place and surrounded by a protective sheath (14), said display (3) comprising in addition to means (7) for cutting the link at the output of the coil (1), characterized in that the sheath (14) consists of a flexible and thin film conforming to all the visible surfaces of the coil and cooperating in the both with said slicing means (7) and with the display (3) both in the area (15) located inside the coil and in the area (11) located outside thereof , said film (14) being continuous except for a hole (9) provided for the passage of the end (10) of the link of the roller, thus allowing, in combination, the holding in position of the slicing means ( 7) on the display (3) without any other fixing means and a controlled unwinding of the wire from the inside of the spool (1) thanks to the braking effect c blunt by at least partial adhesion of the film (14) on the turns of the roller (1). 3. Roller according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the film (14) is a plastic material having a thickness of about 80 microns. 4. Roller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the film (14) is made of polyethylene. 5. Roll according to any one of claims 1, 3 or 4, characterized in that it is combined on the display card (3) with a cutting tool (7) fixed and completely coated (12) with the film ( 14). 6. Method for obtaining a wound roll of link, packaged on a display stand, characterized in that it comprises the steps consisting in: a) deploying and heating a thin plastic film in order to stretch and soften it, b) placing a porous substrate facing the film on which at least one wound roll of bond is placed, the end of the link on the inside of the roll being slightly extended and shaped to protrude towards the film, c) applying the plastic sheath to the substrate and exerting suction from beneath the substrate so as to make the plastic sheath conform to the shape of the roll and stick the sheath to the substrate, said operation having the simultaneous effect that the end of the link pierces the film and thus becomes accessible. 7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that there is placed on the substrate, next to the wound roll of link, a cutting tool, which, at the end of step (c) is completely coated with the film and fixed on the substrate, without the need to provide additional fixing means. 8. Method according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that, during step c), the end of the inner strand is folded at least over about 5 to 10 mm, in a horizontal or vertical position by relation to the substrate. 9. Method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the substrate is of any type chosen to act as a display and also allow the passage of air during aspiration. 10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the substrate is a porous cardboard. 11. Method according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the film of thermoplastic material is chosen to be thin enough to match all the contours of the objects placed on the substrate (roller and, if necessary, cutting tool) while allowing the end of the inner strand to pierce it, which is made easier when applying the heated and softened film. 12. The method of claim 11, characterized in that the plastic film is made of polyethylene, for example with a thickness of about 80 microns.

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