Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D81/02—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage
  • B65D81/03—Wrappers or envelopes with shock-absorbing properties, e.g. bubble films

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a packaging particularly intended for fragile products such as fruit.
• It also relates to a method and an installation for manufacturing a packaging of this type.
• the invention will find particular application in the field of packaging made of plastic material. from thin sheets.
• document FR-A-2,415,043 discloses a dual-use article forming a packaging mattress between layers of articles and bag for transporting such articles.
• This article consists of a plastic sheet with air bubbles or cells folded back on itself and sealed along its edges, reserving an open side in the vicinity of which two cutouts are formed.
• the advantage of such packaging is to take advantage of air bubbles or cells to best protect the fruit contained.
• the constituent walls of this package include a multitude of air-filled cells.
• Document EP-A-0.306.207 discloses a package formed from the association of an outer bag and an inner bag separated by an inflatable chamber.
• This packaging is intended to be inflated a posteriori, which is delicate from the manufacturing point of view. In addition, no aeration of the contained product is allowed which is harmful when it comes to fresh products such as fruit.
• Another disadvantage of this packaging is that the inflatable chamber is unique for both sides. If it were to be pierced in one place, the entire protection would become inoperative.
• the present invention overcomes the drawbacks of packaging known hitherto.
• One of its first goals is to properly protect the products to be packaged, especially fruit.
• the invention has the advantage of doing this by individually maintaining, by air cushions, each product to be packaged.
• the number of products packaged in the packaging according to the invention is therefore not limited.
• the invention is also advantageous in that it provides aeration of the contained product without compromising its protection. This prevents fogging and spoilage problems of fresh produce.
• Another object of the invention is to reduce the cost of manufacturing such special packaging capable of containing fragile products.
• the packaging proposed here has the advantage of requiring only a few manufacturing steps.
• plastic material which does not necessarily have to be particularly flexible. It is therefore possible to reduce the cost of raw materials by using a plastic material, for example transparent of conventional quality.
• Another object of the invention is to preserve visual access to the product while protecting it from touch.
• the product will be visible from all sides of the packaging without the consumer being able to physically access it.
• the present invention relates to a packaging particularly intended for fragile products such as fruit, comprising two walls joined on their periphery and capable of delimiting an interior space for housing the products, characterized in that each wall comprises two sheets superimposed and welded continuously on their periphery to each define a closed volume filled with a gas.
• the two walls are joined on their periphery by discontinuous welds, to preserve one or more air passages for the interior space of the housing.
• the two sheets are punctually welded at one or more locations on their surface to form housings for the products.
• Two sheets each belonging to a different wall are made of a single bottom piece and the other two sheets are covers welded to the bottom.
• the bottom has a hinge zone between the two walls.
• the sheets are made of plastic.
• the invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a package in which two walls are joined on their periphery to delimit an interior space for housing the products to be packaged, characterized in that: - two covers are continuously welded by their periphery on a bottom, on either side of a hinge zone in order to form two walls articulated at one of their lateral edges,
• each gas wall is filled, simultaneously or after the formation of the walls,
• the periphery of the walls is welded to close the packaging.
• the periphery of the walls is welded discontinuously to preserve one or more air passages in the interior housing space.
• the invention finally relates to an installation for manufacturing a packaging intended for fragile products such as fruit, capable of implementing the method, comprising means for welding two walls on their periphery to delimit an interior space for housing the products to be packing, said walls being produced by continuous welding of the periphery of two covers on a bottom on either side of a hinge zone forming an articulation of one of the lateral edges of the walls, said walls being filled with a gas, characterized by the fact that it comprises a conveyor belt for the flat transfer of the two articulated walls, one behind the other, to means for joining the walls.
• the joining means include:
• the welding means comprise, for each lateral or longitudinal edge to be welded, a heated strip provided with slots for the formation of a discontinuous weld.
• each strip is mounted on a mobile support between a welding position and a rest position and that it includes a spring member for its connection to the support.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a preliminary step of manufacturing the packaging according to the invention in a particular embodiment.
• Figure 2 is a top view of the packaging here presented in a preferred embodiment.
• FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the packaging in the embodiment of FIG. 2.
• Figure 4 always shows in section a package according to the invention in the closed position.
• Figure 5 is an overview of the usable production line.
• FIGS 6 to 11 illustrate steps in the manufacture of the packaging according to the invention.
• the packaging 1 comprises two walls illustrated in FIG. 3 under the references 11 and 12.
• the walls 11, 12 are joined at least over part of their periphery and, preferentially, over the whole of this periphery.
• the walls 11, 12 delimit an interior space in which products such as fruit 10 can be accommodated and maintained as shown in FIG. 4.
• At least one of the walls 11, 12 comprises two sheets superimposed and welded on their periphery as shown in item 5 in the form of a peripheral junction to define a closed volume.
• one or both walls 11, 12 can be filled with a gas, for example air.
• Figure 3 shows in section the formation of this interior reservation in each wall 11, 12 which forms air cushions.
• the wall or walls 11, 12 thus formed may have point welds 6 between the two sheets which compose it. These point welds 6 are made at several locations on the surface of the wall 11 in order to form as many housings for the products as necessary.
• the spot welds 6 are for example visible in Figure 2 in top view.
• the two walls 11, 12 are formed identically and symmetrically around the axis 13.
• the spot welds 6 are produced symmetrically also along the axis 13.
• the components of the package 1 are made of plastic.
• each wall 11, 12 can be produced from a single piece constituting a bottom 2.
• the covers 3, 4 can be produced individually and separately for each wall 11, 12, or else a single sheet, for example made of plastic, can be used to make the covers 3, 4 in one piece as shown in the figure 1.
• this bottom 2 comprises a hinge zone 7 between the two walls 11, 12.
• This hinge zone 7 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 when the packaging is in the unfolded position.
• FIG. 4 It also appears in FIG. 4 in the folded position in order to close the packaging.
• a preferred embodiment of the method for manufacturing the packaging is described below, the structure of which has just been described.
• the two walls 11, 12 are composed.
• this step of manufacturing the two walls 11, 12 is carried out while preserving a hinge zone 7 between the walls 11, 12.
• This hinge zone 7 is located near one of the lateral edges of the walls 11, 12 and makes it possible to articulate them together around an axis of symmetry 13.
• each wall is filled with gas, for example air.
• gas for example air.
• air is blown inside each wall 11, 12 and then it is closed permanently.
• FIG. 4 shows a closed position of the packaging thus formed, where it clearly appears that the welding points 6 of each wall 11, 12 are substantially at the same level to receive the products to be packaged, such as fruit 10.
• the lateral edges 8, 9 can be welded just like the longitudinal edges of the walls 1 1, 12. To completely close the interior volume of the package 1, it will be advantageous to carry out this peripheral welding over the entire periphery walls 1 1, 12.
• packaging lines according to the invention is advantageous in terms of cost reduction but poses manufacturing problems in particular in the step of peripheral joining of the two walls 11, 12.
• FIG. 8 shows the flap face of the wall 11 while FIG. 9 illustrates the application of a support on this wall 11.
• this discontinuous welding to preserve several air passages to the interior housing.
• Figure 11 shows the discontinuous weld formation 14 which preserves intermediate passages.
• the lateral edge 8 is not welded but, to reinforce the junction of the two walls 11, 12, it is possible to add a weld at this level.
• traction is preferably exerted at the four corners of the walls 11, 12 in order to improve the flatness and the straightness of the lateral edges 8, 9 and longitudinal edges 21, 22.
• groups of walls 11, 12 are formed according to the method described above at a bagging machine 23.
• the latter is able to create groups of bags joined by a hinge 7 capable of constituting the sets of walls. 11, 12.
• a conveyor belt 15 receives the groups of walls 11, 12 placed one behind the other in the direction of movement.
• the product. such a fruit 10 is positioned on the wall 12 during conveying.
• abutment means are formed in the form of two ramps 16 each positioned on either side of the mat 15 to bear each on a longitudinal edge 21, 22 of the wall 11.
• a bearing surface 17 is formed to finalize the application of the wall 11 on the wall 12. This surface 17 is substantially horizontal and positioned at a height adapted to the final thickness of the entire package.
• the bearing surface 17 advantageously comprises an edge 18 projecting substantially upwards to initiate the bearing of the wall 11 on the surface 17.
• FIGS. 10 and 11 describe an exemplary embodiment of traction means on the four corners of the walls 11, 12 before performing the preferably discontinuous peripheral welding.
• a clamp 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d is present at the four corners of the walls 1 1, 12 which are preferably rectangular.
• the packaging reaches level 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d, these are actuated to grasp a corner of the packaging.
• Cylinders 20 for example pneumatic cylinders 20, positioned behind the clamps, can be used as a means of traction.
• the latter is advantageously formed by means of substantially rectilinear strips and provided with slots, the strips being heated to produce a heat seal by application to the side edges 8, 9 and / or longitudinal 21, 22 of the walls 11, 12.
• a strip or pair of strips is formed for each edge.
• the strips are advantageously mounted on a support by means of spring means providing damping during support .
• the strip support is also movable between a rest position and a welding position bearing on the edge of the packaging.
• the conveyor belt 15 is stopped during the gripping step by the clamps 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d and welding. It is also possible to split the belt 15 along its length so as not to disturb the advance of the other groups of walls 11, 12 during the peripheral assembly step.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Packaging Frangible Articles (AREA)
• Buffer Packaging (AREA)
• Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
• Making Paper Articles (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=8852538

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 2000
  • 2000-07-12 FR FR0009283A patent/FR2811646B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2001
  • 2001-07-05 EP EP01984158A patent/EP1299292B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-07-05 WO PCT/FR2001/002148 patent/WO2002004316A2/fr active Application Filing
  • 2001-07-05 AU AU2002218764A patent/AU2002218764A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-07-05 DE DE60137930T patent/DE60137930D1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-07-05 AT AT01984158T patent/ATE425103T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events