EP1625085A1

EP1625085A1 - A package for articles of substantially parallelepipedal shape

Info

Publication number: EP1625085A1
Application number: EP03727967A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Valerio Giordano Riello
Original assignee: Giordano Riello International Group SpA
Current assignee: Giordano Riello International Group SpA
Priority date: 2003-05-21
Filing date: 2003-05-21
Publication date: 2006-02-15
Also published as: WO2004103851A1; CN1771170A; AU2003234983A1; NO20056088L

Abstract

A package for articles (1), particularly for air-conditioning apparatuses of substantially parallelepipedal shape comprises: a polymer film (3) with air bubbles (4), each of the air bubbles (4) having a predetermined degree of inflation, the polymer film (3) being wrapped around the article (1) along its largest dimension, at least two shells (5) fitted on the two opposed smallest ends of the article (1) which are covered with the polymer film (3), filling elements (4) inserted between the walls of the article (1) that are housed in each shell (5) and the internal side walls of the shell (5), and a film of heat-shrinkable material (8) covering both the air-bubble polymer film (3, 4) wrapped around the article (1) and the shells (5) which are fitted on the ends of the article (1), the heat-shrinkable film (8) being in a thermally contracted condition.

Description

A PACKAGE FORARTICLES OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLELEPIPEDAL SHAPE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a package for articles of substantially parallelepipedal shape with three different perpendicular dimensions, and to a method for the packaging of articles of parallelepipedal shape in which one of the three perpendicular dimensions is the same for each article, according to the preamble to Claim 12.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a package for air-conditioning apparatus of substantially parallelepipedal shape and to a method for the packaging of a plurality of parallelepipedal air-conditioning apparatuses one of the three perpendicular dimensions of which is the same for each apparatus .

The invention is for use mainly but not exclusively in assembly lines for air-conditioning apparatuses, for example, convectors, fan/convectors, etc. with the use of anthropomorphic robots and the like.

BACKGROUND ART

There are known packages for articles and methods for the packaging of articles of various shapes and yet more packages for articles of parallelepipedal shape and methods for the packaging thereof .

Since the conventional shape of convector apparatuses is parallelepipedal, known packaging methods applicable to articles of this shape are used. P T/IT2003/000305

The packaging of an article is necessary, in the first place, to protect the article from knocks during transportation, as well as to ensure its safety during handling.

It is known to use a pair of polystyrene shells fitted onto the two opposite ends of an article, for example, a convector apparatus, and then to place the whole assembly in a cardboard box.

When the dimensions of the convector apparatus to be packaged vary, pairs of shells and cardboard boxes of suitable dimensions are used.

The resulting problem is that it is necessary to provide a store which has enough space to hold all of the pairs of shells of various sizes and the respective cardboard boxes. Moreover, the shells and boxes of different sizes must be arranged separately so that shells and boxes of the correct size can be identified more easily at the time of use.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes to provide a solution to the above-mentioned problem.

This is achieved by means of a package for articles of substantially parallelepipedal shape with three different perpendicular dimensions and having the characteristics given in Claim 1, and by means of a method for the packaging of articles of substantially parallelepipedal shape in which a first of the three perpendicular dimensions is the same for each article, according to the characteristics given in Claim 12. The dependent claims describe particularly advantageous embodiments of the package for articles and of the method for their packaging according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and the advantages of the invention will become clear from a reading of the following description which is given by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the figures shown in the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a parallelepipedal article according to the present invention,

Figure 2 shows a step for the wrapping of the article with a polymer film with air bubbles, in accordance with the method of the present invention,

Figure 3 shows a step for the fitting of two shells on two opposed faces of the article,

Figure 4 shows a step for the covering of the article with a heat-shrinkable film,

Figure 5 shows a step for the passage of the article through an oven in accordance with the method of the present inventio , and

Figure 6 shows the article of parallelepipedal shape packaged in accordance with the present invention.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION With reference to the above-mentioned drawings, a convector apparatus of parallelepipedal shape is generally indicated

1.

The term "convector apparatus" is intended to define herein any air-conditioning apparatus such as, for example, a convector, or a fan/convector.

Moreover, the reference to a convector should not be understood in a limiting sense since it is intended to refer to any article having a substantially parallelepipedal shape .

The convector 1 has a first dimension D corresponding to the depth of the convector 1, a second dimension W corresponding to the width of . the convector 1, and a third dimension H corresponding to the height of the convector 1, as shown in Figure 1.

The present invention advantageously relates to convectors the depth D of which does not vary but the width W and the height H of which may vary, generally in dependence on the power and/or the model of the convector 1.

In particular, the width W may vary within a defined range, for example, of from 60 cm to 120 cm, whereas the height H may vary within a range defined between a minimum and a maximum size, for example, between 45 cm and 65 cm.

The packaging method, which is advantageously automated, provides for the transportation of the convector 1 on a conveyor belt 2 on which the convector 1 lies in the manner shown in Figure 2. The convector 1, which is moved in the direction of travel Y of the conveyor belt, is oriented with its width W, which corresponds to the longest of its maximum perpendicular dimensions, arranged along the direction Y.

When the convector 1 has reached the packaging station, it is wrapped along the direction of travel Y, and hence along its width W, .with a polymer film 3, preferably of polyethylene, comprising air bubbles 4.

The air bubbles 4 are produced at the time in question by means of known apparatus which is therefore not described in detail herein.

The amount of air- present in each bubble 4 can be programmed by a central system, not shown, which regulates the amount of air to be incorporated in each bubble 4 and consequently the final size that can be reached by the bubbles, by the adjustment of suitable parameters.

When the air bubbles 4 are wrapped around the convector 1, they are preferably arranged transversely relative to the width W of the convector 1.

The number of air bubbles 4 present along the height H and along the width W of the convector 1 may vary as required, provided that it remains such as to allow the convector 1 to be wrapped without particular difficulty when the bubbles 4 are inflated to their maximum permissible extent.

The polyethylene film 3 is in the form of a continuous roll 13 in two layers, welded together in accordance with known techniques to form air bubbles 4 of the desired dimensions. The polyethylene film 3 has a width Z at least equal to the maximum height H of the convector 1 to be wrapped so as always to be greater than the height H of a convector 1 having a height H less than the maximum height .

Naturally, the polyethylene film 3 may be formed by more than two layers if it is desired to ensure greater strength of the packaging and greater air-tightness of the bubbles 4.

Since the polyethylene film 3 is in rolls 13, after it has been wrapped completely around the convector 1 transported by the conveyor belt 2, it is cut by suitable cutters, not shown in the drawings, in accordance with known techniques .

The wrapping operation consists in covering the convector 1 completely with a covering of air bubbles 4.

After the above-described wrapping of the convector 1, two shells 5 of a shock-absorbent material, preferably of polystyrene, are fitted as shown in Figure 3.

This operation may also be performed automatically with the aid of robots and hence without the assistance of any manual operation. For example, a conveyor belt 6, optionally the conveyor belt 2 described above, transports the convector 1, wrapped in the film 3, to a suitable station in which rotary means 7 disposed in the plane of the conveyor belt 6 rotate the convector 1 through 90° so as to arrange it transversely relative to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt 6, thus permitting easy fitting of the shells 5, optionally by robots located at the sides of the belt 6 and programmed for the purpose.

The shells 5 are fitted on the two opposed ends of the convector 1 which are formed by the substantially rectangular surfaces having the two perpendicular dimensions corresponding to the height H and to the depth D of the convector 1.

In practice, the shells 5 are fitted on the two opposed smallest ends of the convector 1.

Advantageously, the shells 5 have a substantially parallelepipedal internal shape in which the three internal perpendicular dimensions are predefined in a manner such as to contain, after the above-described wrapping step, a convector 1 having a height H equal to the maximum size which, in the example given, is 120 cm. It will be recalled that, as stated above, the end of the convector 1 which is fitted in the shell is that which is formed by the rectangular surface having the two perpendicular dimensions corresponding to the variable height H and to the fixed depth D.

The depth of the shells 5 may be selected as required, provided that, when the shells are fitted on the convector 1, wrapped in the film 3, the shells do not overlap. For example, if the shells 5 have a depth that does not vary, this depth should not exceed half of the minimum possible width W of the convector 1.

Instead of polystyrene, the shells 5 may be made of any other shock- bsorbent material such as, for example, wood, cardboard, or other polymer or composite material.

If, after the above-described wrapping step, the shells 5 are fitted on a convector 1 having a height H less than the maximum dimension, there will be a space between the portion of the walls of the convector 1 that are housed in the shells 5 and the internal side walls of the shells. This is because the shells 5 have a single size, preferably selected with reference to the convector 1 having the maximum height H.

The above-mentioned space is filled with filling materials.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the portion of air-bubble polymer film 3, which is to be interposed between the walls of the convector 1 and the internal side walls of the shells 5 has its air bubbles 4 inflated to a greater extent than those on the remaining surface portion of the convector 1 which is not fitted in the shells 5.

This is achieved with the use of known machines which permit selective inflation of the air bubbles 4 of the polymer film 3.

A programmed system may be provided for implementing the selective inflation procedure automatically. For example, it is possible to provide for the use of a bar code to be affixed to the frame of each convector 1; the reading of the bar code, which is performed, during transportation on the belt, by means of an optical reader optionally disposed on the conveyor belt 2, enables the three perpendicular dimensions of the convector 1 to be acquired automatically and enables the data to be communicated to the programmed system for the selective inflation of the air bubbles 4.

If the convector 1 is the smallest model, the air bubbles which are to be inserted in the shells 5 will thus be inflated more than the bubbles 4 which cover the rest of the convector 1. The selection of the air bubbles 4 which are to be inserted in the shells 5 and which are to be inflated is performed as required by suitable programming of the selective inflation system.

If, on the other hand, the convector 1 is the largest model, the air bubbles which are to be inserted in the shells 5 will be inflated in the same manner as the remaining air bubbles which coyer the convector 1.

For a convector 1 of intermediate size, the air bubbles which are to be inserted in the shells 5 will be inflated more than the bubbles 4 which cover the rest of the convector 1 but not to their maximum degree of inflation.

Alternatively, the above-mentioned space may be filled with a deformable shock-resistant pad, for example, an air-filled polymer pad which can also be inserted automatically by a robot, or manually.

After the pair of shells 5 has been fitted on the convector 1, wrapped with the air-bubble polymer film 3, as described above, the assembly, indicated la, is transported, again by a conveyor belt 10, to an automatic work station in which it is covered with a heat-shrinkable polyethylene film 8 as shown in Figure 4.

Here again, as in the step for wrapping with the air-bubble film 3, the heat-shrinkable film 8 is in the form of a continuous roll 9 having a width Z¹ at least equal to the maximum height H of the convector to be wrapped, increased by the thickness defined by the air-bubble film 3,.

The wrapping process is similar to that described with reference to the air-bubble film 3. After the assembly has been covered with a layer of heat- shrinkable film 8, it is transported, again on a conveyor belt 11, into a controlled-temperature oven 12 in which it is left for a period of time sufficient to achieve the desired heat-shrinkage.

The heat-shrinkable film 8 contracts onto the assembly la, rendering the entire packaging wrapper compact, as shown in Figure 6.

Upon completion of the heat-shrinking in the oven 12, the convector 1 with its package proceeds to palletizers which automatically arrange the convectors on pallets in a predetermined configuration.

In practice, it has been found that the packaged article and the method for its packaging according to the present invention fully solve the problems of the known techniques, with significant advantages over the prior art .

The method according to the present invention in fact improves the efficiency of the packaging stage in production cycles for producing a plurality of parallelepipedal apparatuses of which at least one of the three perpendicular dimensions is fixed.

It will also -be appreciated that there will be a considerable reduction in the space to be allocated to the storage of the shock-resistant shells, since shells of a single size are provided for packaging apparatuses of different dimensions .

Furthermore, the use of cardboard boxes is not necessary. The invention has been described above with reference to some preferred embodiments thereof .

However, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but includes many embodiments, all falling within the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed in the appended claims .

Claims

1. A package for articles (1) of substantially parallelepipedal shape with three different perpendicular dimensions (D, W, H) , characterized in that the package comprises :

a polymer film (3) with air bubbles (4) , each of the air bubbles (4) having a predetermined degree of inflation, the polymer film (3) being wrapped around the article (1) along its largest dimension,

at least two shells (5) fitted on the two opposed smallest ends of the article (1) which are defined by the smallest dimension (D) and by the intermediate dimension (H) and are covered with the air-bubble polymer film (3, 4), the shells (5) extending on portions of predetermined extent of the opposed walls of the article which are defined by the intermediate dimension (H) and by the largest dimension (W) and which are also covered by the air-bubble polymer film (3, 4) ,

filling elements (4) inserted between the walls of the article (1) that are housed in each shell (5) and the internal side walls of the shell (5) , and

a film of heat-shrinkable material (8) covering both the air-bubble polymer film (3, 4) wrapped around the article (1) and the shells (5) which are fitted on the ends of the article (1) , the heat-shrinkable film (8) being in a thermally contracted condition.

2. A package according to Claim 1 in which the air-bubble polymer film (3, 4) has an extent (Z) , transverse the direction of wrapping of the article (1) , which is greater than the intermediate dimension (H) of the article (1) .

3. A package according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the filling elements are constituted by the air bubbles (4) which are interposed between the article (1) and the two shells (5) .

4. A package according to Claim 3 in which the air bubbles (4) which are interposed between the article (1) and the two shells (5) are inflated to a greater extent than the remaining bubbles of the polymer film (3) which is wrapped around the article .

5. A package according to Claim 1 in which the filling elements are constituted by a deformable polymer pad.

6. A package according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the polymer film (3) with air bubbles (4) is made of polyethylene . -

7. A package according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the shells (5) are made of a shock-absorbent material .

8. A package according to Claim 7 in which the material belongs to the group consisting of: wood, cardboard, polymer material .

9. A package according to any one of the preceding claims in which the packaged article (1) is an air-conditioning apparatus .

10. A package according to Claim 9 in which the air- conditioning apparatus is a convector heater.

11. A package according to Claim 9 in which the air- conditioning apparatus is a fan-assisted convector heater.

12. A method for the packaging of articles (1) of substantially parallelepipedal shape in which a first (D) of the three perpendicular dimensions is the same for each article (1) , the remaining second dimension (W) and third dimension (H) being variable within respective ranges defined between a minimum dimension and a maximum dimension, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:

i) wrapping the article (1) along the second, variable dimension (W) with a polymer film (3) with air bubbles (4) , each of the air bubbles (4) having a predetermined degree of inflation,

ii) fitting at least two shells (5) on the two opposed faces of the article (1) which have the two perpendicular dimensions corresponding to the first, non-variable dimension (D) and to the third, variable dimension (H) , and which are covered with the air-bubble polymer film (3, 4) , the shells (5) having a substantially parallelepipedal internal shape in which the three perpendicular internal dimensions are predefined in a manner such as to contain, after the wrapping step i) , the article (1) having the maximum permissible third dimension (H) , and

iii) filling the space which is present, after the wrapping step i) , between the portion of the article that is housed in each shell (5) and the internal side walls of the shell (5), with filling elements.

13. A method according to Claim 12, comprising, after the filling step iii) , the following steps in succession: iv) covering the intermediate assembly (la) obtained with a film of heat-shrinkable material (8) ,

v) putting the intermediate assembly (la) , covered with the film of heat-shrinkable material (8) , in a controlled- temperature oven (12) until the desired heat shrinkage of the heat-shrinkable film (8) is achieved.

14. An article (1) packaged in accordance with the method of Claim 12 or Claim 13.

15. Air-conditioning apparatus (1) packaged in accordance with the method of Claim 12 or Claim 13.