EP0227559A1 - Intermediate element for separating layers of stacked articles packaged in boxes or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

This interlayer is characterized in that it is formed on the one hand by a plate of rigid material (1) provided with openings (2) whose outline corresponds to that of the projection onto a horizontal plane of the articles to be packed and , on the other hand, by at least one film (3) of a relatively flexible and deformable material which is fixed to the plate and which covers at least all the openings (2) of the plate of rigid material (1). Advantageously, this interlayer comprises two films (3) of deformable material arranged on either side of the plate (1) made of rigid material. Application to the separation of layers of superimposed articles packaged in cases or the like.

Description

The subject of the present invention is a spacer for the separation of layers of superimposed articles packaged in cases or the like.

Such spacers are intended to ensure not only the separation of the different successive layers but also the wedging of these articles as well as their protection, especially when it comes to fragile products such as glass bottles which must imperatively be separated from each other. others when stacked to avoid breakage.

The dividers most often used are formed by simple cardboard partitions with the same outline as the inside outline of the container in which the products to be separated are conditioned.

These spacers must be rigid in order to ensure good support for the upper layers, and, in the case where the packaged articles have different shapes at their upper and lower ends (such as, for example in the case of bottles), they do not allow sufficient wedging of these articles allowing the stacking of the boxes or the like in which they are packed.

In addition, these cardboard dividers are very sensitive to humidity and they are damaged in the event of prolonged storage outside by the mere fact of condensation, when they are covered with a waterproof envelope.

There are also spacers made of thermoformed plastic material which are molded with suitable shapes corresponding to those of the articles to be stacked. These dividers ensure effective blocking and wedging of the stacked articles; however, they are very expensive since they must be made specifically for each different product and they are also very sensitive to ultraviolet rays.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks and in particular to provide an interlayer for packaging layers of articles having different shapes at their upper and lower ends in boxes or the like, which achieves good separation of the different layers. of these articles and an effective wedging thereof and allows the stacking of boxes or the like in which they are placed, while being of reduced cost.

Another object of the present invention is also to provide a spacer which can be reused inexpensively.

Finally, a final object of the invention is to provide a spacer ensuring good protection against impact of the packaged products.

These objects are achieved in that the interlayer according to the invention is formed on the one hand, by a plate of rigid material provided with openings whose outline corresponds to that of the projection onto a horizontal plane of the articles to be packaged and , on the other hand, by at least one film of a relatively flexible and deformable material, which is fixed to the plate and which covers at least all the openings of the plate of rigid material.

Thus, during the stacking of the articles, the film deforms, without breaking, at each opening until the upper and lower ends of the articles disposed respectively below and above the interlayer at level of this opening, come to bear against one another, which ensures both the wedging and the support of these articles against each other despite their different shape, as well as their separation by the layer or layers of film interposed between them.

In addition, the central plate ensures the rigidity of the final product and facilitates manual or automatic placement on the layer of articles to be protected.

Finally, the same opening dimension of an interlayer may be suitable for several types of articles, having different shapes but projecting on a similar horizontal plane, and the same interlayer can therefore make it possible to package several articles of different shapes because of the ability to deform the film covering these openings, which is not the case with the thermoformed plastic inserts currently known.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interlayer comprises two films of elastic material arranged on either side of the plate of rigid material.

This arrangement is particularly advantageous in particular when the film is made of plastic, because the connection of the two films to the central plate can then be carried out very simply by bonding or welding together these two films. In addition, the double thickness of films allows them to be reinforced, as well as protection against humidity of the central plate, particularly when the latter is made of cardboard.

In this case, one or more air cushions can be formed at each opening between the two films of elastic material, which provides additional protection against impact.

• Figure 1 est une vue en perspective de l'intercalaire selon une première forme de réalisation ;
• Figure 2 est une vue en coupe transversale de l'intercalaire de figure 1 dans le cas où celui-ci ne comporte qu'une couche de film élastique;
• Figure 3 est une vue similaire à figure 2 dans le cas où l'intercalaire comporte deux couches de film élastique ;
• Figure 4 est une vue en coupe partielle montrant deux articles empilés l'un sur l'autre et séparés par un intercalaire similaire à celui de la figure 3 ;
• Figure 5 est une vue en perspective de l'intercalaire selon une troisième forme de réalisation ;
• Figure 6 est une vue en coupe partielle montrant deux articles empilés l'un sur l'autre et séparés par un intercalaire similaire à celui de la figure 5 ;
• Figures 7 à 10 sont des vues similaires à figure 3 d'autres formes de réalisation de l'intercalaire.

In any case, the invention will be well understood and other characteristics will be highlighted with the aid of the description which follows with reference to the appended schematic drawing which represents, by way of non-limiting examples, several embodiments of this tab.

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of the insert according to a first embodiment;
• Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the interlayer of Figure 1 in the case where it has only one layer of elastic film;
• Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 in the case where the interlayer has two layers of elastic film;
• Figure 4 is a partial sectional view showing two articles stacked one on the other and separated by a spacer similar to that of Figure 3;
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of the insert according to a third embodiment;
• Figure 6 is a partial sectional view showing two articles stacked one on the other and separated by an interlayer similar to that of Figure 5;
• Figures 7 to 10 are views similar to Figure 3 of other embodiments of the interlayer.

As shown in Figure 1, the insert according to the invention is in the form of a rigid plate 1 provided with openings 2 and covered by at least one film 3 of deformable material.

This interlayer may comprise a single layer of deformable film 3 on one side of this plate as shown in FIG. 2 or else two layers of deformable film 3 placed on either side of this rigid plate 1 as shown in FIG. 3 .

The films 3 are linked to the rigid plate 1 in a manner known per se by bonding, welding, etc.

As shown in particular in Figure 4, the openings 2 have dimensions corresponding to the outline of the articles 4 to be wrapped and more especially to the outline of the projection on a horizontal plane of these same articles.

Thus, for example, in the case of FIG. 4, where the articles to be packaged are formed by bottles 4 which therefore have at their upper end 4a a relatively tapered shape and at their lower end 4b a cylindrical shape, the projection onto a horizontal plane, or horizontal projection, of these bottles is formed by a circle of diameter corresponding to that of the cylindrical part 4b thereof. Consequently, the openings 2 will have a circular shape whose diameter corresponds to that of the lower end 4b of the bottles 4.

As shown in this FIG. 4, the interlayer according to the invention is placed at the upper end of the layer of lower bottles 4, so that its openings 2 are opposite each of the ends 4a of these bottles 4, and the bottles 4 of the upper layer are then each positioned above a bottle of the lower layer.

We then see that the upper end 4a of the bottles of the lower layer enters the hollow formed at the lower end 4b of the bottle located above, this penetration being authorized by the deformation (elastic or not) of the film or films (s) 3 on which are supported both the lower part 4b of the bottle above (contact points 6) and the upper part 4a of the bottle below (contact zone 7).

This gives a centering of the upper bottle 4 relative to the lower bottle 4 and a wedging of these bottles with each other, while keeping a separation using the films 3 between two bottles stacked one on the other. These films therefore allow a relatively intimate connection between each upper and lower bottle while avoiding direct contact between them, which is particularly harmful when these bottles are made of glass.

Of course, the contact points 6,7 between the film layers 3 and the lower and upper bottles vary according to the shapes of these bottles.

The plate 1 made of rigid material provides the assembly with rigidity making it possible to facilitate the manual or automatic positioning of these spacers inside similar boxes where the bottles 4 are positioned.

Of course, the same opening 2 may allow the packaging of bottles 4 of different shapes provided that these have a horizontal projection whose outline corresponds to that of this opening 2 or has a shape facilitating the deformation of the film in order to achieve the objective which is the final protection of the object.

It can therefore be seen that the interlayer according to the invention can be used for different types of objects and can therefore be more or less standardized. The rigid plate 1 can be of any material having a certain rigidity; it is, for example, made of wood, thick paper, cardboard. It can also be made of plastic (ABS) or metal.

The elastic films 3 are preferably made of polyethylene or polypropylene and are fixed to the rigid plate 1 in a manner known per se by welding together (in the case of two layers of film) or by bonding directly to this rigid plate.

In the case where two layers of elastic film 3 are provided, holes 5 are provided and distributed regularly over the surface of the rigid plate 1 in order to allow the welding between them of the two elastic films 3 located on either side of this plate 1.

In this case also, the elastic films can be welded all along the periphery of the rigid plate 1 as shown at 8 in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The spacer thus obtained has a much lower cost price than the spacers made of thermoformed plastic materials known up to now.

It can therefore be discarded or lost, given its low cost, especially when the rigid plate 1 is made of an inexpensive material such as cardboard. It is also possible to recover the rigid part 1, in particular when the latter is made of an ABS plastic material, and to cover it with two new films 3 of elastic material, in order to produce a new interlayer.

It can be noted that the two elastic films which cover the rigid plate of each interlayer also provide protection of this rigid plate against humidity or other aggressive products and agents which could destroy or reduce the mechanical characteristics of this rigid plate 1, which is particularly advantageous for example in the case where this rigid plate 1 and formed by cardboard, since this allows storage outside without deterioration of this cardboard plate 1.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the interlayer according to the invention, in which similar or identical elements will be designated by the same references as in FIGS. 1 to 4, increased by 10.

In this case, the interlayer is also formed of a rigid plate 11 covered on either side by two layers of elastic film 13 and provided with openings 12 whose outline corresponds to that of the horizontal projection of the articles 4 in front be conditioned.

The only difference lies in the fact that pads 17 are provided in the center of each opening 12. These pads 17 are made of the same material as the rigid plate 11 and are connected to the edge of the openings 12 by fastening tabs 17a designed so as to break easily. These pads and these fastening tabs 17a can be produced very easily at the same time as the openings 12 by simple cutting of the rigid plate 11. The fastening tabs 17a can have incipient fractures formed by notches 17b or the like of so as to precisely determine the place of their rupture.

In the case of FIG. 5, four attachment tabs 17a are provided for each patch 17, but there could obviously be only one or two, or, on the contrary, a greater number.

Each patch 17 has a dimension corresponding to the contour of the upper end 4a of the articles 4 to be packaged. Thus, for example, in the case of FIG. 6, the pellets 17 have the shape of a disc whose diameter corresponds to that of the neck 4a of a bottle 4.

When the upper bottle is placed on the lower bottle, with the interposition of the interlayer according to the invention, the attachment tabs 17a break and allow the deformation of the two layers of elastic film 13 for the interpenetration of the two bottles ; a rigid part 17 is thus obtained in the contact zone of the bottles 4, allowing additional security in particular when the upper end 4a of the lower articles is very tapered.

Note that in the case of this Figure 6, the opening 12 has a contour slightly less than the horizontal projection of the bottle 4, which allows to have a support of the upper bottle 4 on the rigid plate instead of the film 3, as in figure 4.

FIGS. 7 to 10 show other embodiments of the interlayer according to the invention in which the similar elements or identical will be designated by the same references as in FIGS. 1 to 4 increased respectively by 20, 30, 40, 50.

In the case of FIG. 7, the interlayer is also formed of a rigid plate 21, covered on either side by two films 23 of deformable material and provided with openings 22, and the films 23 are welded together. one to the other along the opening 22 with simultaneous air or gas insufflation so as to form an air cushion 29, which will absorb the shocks between the upper part and the lower part of the articles stacked on top of each other.

In the other embodiments of Figures 8 to 10, an air cushion respectively 39, 49, 59, is also formed in each opening respectively 32,42,52. In the case of FIG. 8, this air cushion 39 has an annular shape and is formed by two circular welds 39a, 39b produced on the one hand along the edge of the opening 32 and, on the other hand, at a certain distance from this edge corresponding to the width of the ring 39.

In the case of FIG. 9, multiple air cushions 49 are formed using welds 49a produced in circles of small diameter.

These air cushions 29, 39, 49, could have any other shape than those described above; they stretch in the same way as the stretched films 3.13 of the embodiments previously described, in order to adapt to the shape of the objects between which they will be inserted. They therefore provide a particularly important additional protection when the articles to be packaged are made of a fragile material such as glass.

Of course, these different embodiments can be combined with one another as shown in the tab of FIG. 10, in which a pad 57 and air cushions 59 in the form of a circular arc are provided simultaneously at each opening 52, the air cushions 59 each extending between two successive attached legs 57a. Likewise, the interlayer can also be thermoformed at the level of the openings, in order to increase the precision of the setting.

As it goes without saying, the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiments shown above by way of nonlimiting examples, it embraces, on the contrary, all the variant embodiments using similar means or equivalent.

Claims (10)

1- Spacer for the separation of layers of superimposed articles packaged in boxes or the like, characterized in that it is formed on the one hand by a plate of rigid material (1,11,21,31) provided with openings (2,12,22,32) whose outline corresponds to that of the projection on a horizontal plane of the articles (4) to be wrapped and, on the other hand, by at least one film (3,13,23,33 ) in a relatively flexible and deformable material which is fixed on the plate and which covers at least all the openings (2,12,22,32) of the plate of rigid material (1,11,21,31). 2- interlayer according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two films (3,13,23,33) of deformable material arranged on either side of the plate (1,11,21,31) in material rigid. 3- interlayer according to claim 2, characterized in that the pellets (17,57) of rigid material are provided in the center of each opening (12,22). 4- interlayer according to claim 3, characterized in that each patch (17,57) is connected to the edge of the opening (12,52) by fastening tabs (17a, 57a) capable of being broken during the positioning of the upper article layer and in that these pads (17,57) and attachment tabs (17a, 57a) are produced at the same time as the openings (12,52) in the rigid plate (11 , 51). 5- interlayer according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the pellets (17,57) have a shape adapted to that of the upper end (4a) of the articles to be packaged. 6- interlayer according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that at least one air cushion (29,39,49,59) is produced at each opening (22,32,42,52) by blowing air or gas simultaneously with the welding of two films (22,32,42,52). 7- A spacer according to claim 6, characterized in that each air cushion (29,49) has the shape of a balloon. 8- A spacer according to claim 6, characterized in that each air cushion (39,59) has an annular shape or portion of a ring. 9- A spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the rigid plate is made of cardboard, paper, metal or plastic. 10- An interlayer according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the deformable films are made of polyethylene or polypropylene.

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