EP2268551A1

EP2268551A1 - Anti-shock packaging in particular for beverage dispensers

Info

Publication number: EP2268551A1
Application number: EP09722097A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Maria Katharina Tarcsay; Thomas Hodel
Original assignee: Nestec SA
Current assignee: Nestec SA
Priority date: 2008-03-20
Filing date: 2009-03-11
Publication date: 2011-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 2029-03-11
Also published as: WO2009115438A1; ES2390559T3; EP2268551B1; PT2268551E

Abstract

A packaging (10) for containing and protecting a good (1) comprising: a closable outer box (20,30) having a plurality of panels (25,26,27,28,30); and at least two generally facing deformable elongated inner spacers (40) for securing the good (1) within the box (20,30). Each spacer (40) comprises: peripheral portions (41) that are secured to different panels (25,26,27) of the box (20,30); and an intermediate portion (42) that extends between the peripheral portions (41) and that is spaced apart from all panels 25,26,27,28,30) of the outer box. The intermediate portions (42) of the spacers (40) facing each other in the box (10) when the box is closed so that the good (1) is secured inbetween the intermediate portions (42) by forcing them apart, whereby the intermediate portions (42) are deformed in elongation between their respective peripheral portions (41), the intermediate portions (42) forced apart by said secured good (1) remaining entirely spaced apart from all panels (25,26,27,28,30) of the outer box (20,30).

Description

ANTI-SHOCK PACKAGING IN PARTICULAR FOR BEVERAGE DISPENSERS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a packaging for a good, such as an electric appliance, in particular a beverage dispenser. The packaging is arranged to protect the good against shocks.

Background Art

There are various packaging systems for protecting goods, such as electric appliances. Typically such packaging systems include cardboard and/or plastic materials for protecting the goods against mechanical shocks.

For instance, EP 1586 509 discloses a packaging system having a cardboard tray for containing a good that is covered with a thermoplastic film that is welded onto the tray. The film is stretched and deformed over the upper part of the good that extends above the rim of the tray so as to secure the good against the bottom of the tray. Such a packaging system may provide some protection against the environment. However, it is not suitable to provide effective protection against shocks. JP11236036 discloses a similar packaging device.

DE 20 2006 015 075 discloses fitting a large good, such as television set, between inflatable cushions having a plat surface that face each other. A simpler system not requiring the maintenance of cushions in an inflated state, which is however less effective to protect goods against mechanical shocks, is disclosed in US 6,997,323. This latter patent discloses a packaging system made of an outer box that contains shock-absorbent tubular inserts. The inserts are corrugated and are hingedly coupled to a main cardboard panel. Even though such inserts spacing the goods apart from the outer box dampen shocks inflicted onto the box, they still directly transmit, perpendicularly to the surface of the packaging, such dampened shocks to the packaged goods. A variation of such a system is disclosed in US 6,904,734 disclosing a packaging box having a plurality of cushing stripes made of compressible resilient foam bonded and extending along the inner panels of the box to secure goods in the box.

The use of foams, such as expanded polystyrene packaging elements, to absorb shocks, typically within an outer cardboard box or plastic hood is well known. Expanded polystyrene packaging structures for electric appliances are for instance disclosed in greater details in EP1612159. However, with the trend towards environmental friendly technology, the use of expanded polystyrene, which is not easily recyclable because of its light weight and low scrap value and which takes a very long time for decomposing, is becoming a problem. Furthermore, legislative bills have been passed or are being adopted to ban the use of polystyrene for certain packaging applications in various places, in particular in the United States. There is therefore still a need to provide a simple economic packaging system with improved chock absorption capabilities and environmentally friendly.

Summary of the Invention It is therefore an object of the invention to alleviate the disadvantages of the prior art.

Hence, the invention relates to a packaging for containing and protecting a good, in particular for an electric appliance such as a beverage preparation machine. The packaging comprises: a closable outer box having a plurality of panels; and at least two generally facing deformable elongated inner spacers for securing the good within the box. Usually such an outer packaging box, which is well known in the art, encloses the good completely, over all sides of the good, to protect the good. The box can be made of or based on cardboard or similar structural rigid material.

In accordance with the invention, each spacer comprises: peripheral portions that are secured to different panels of the box; and an intermediate portion that extends between the peripheral portions and that is spaced apart from all panels of the outer box. The intermediate portions of the spacers face each other in the box when the box is closed so that the good is secured inbetween the intermediate portions by forcing them apart, whereby the intermediate portions are deformed in elongation between their respective peripheral portions, the intermediate portions forced apart by the secured good remaining entirely spaced apart from all panels of the outer box. Hence, the intermediate portions of the spacers that are stretched around at least part of the packaged good, maintain the good away from the panels of the box, at least in the region of the spacing intermediate portions. Furthermore, unlike prior art spacers for instance the cushioned packing stripes disclosed in the abovementioned US 6,904,734, the stretched intermediate spacer parts of the present invention are not urged between the packaged good and the box but stretched over the packaged good between panels of the box leaving a gap between the good and box in such a manner that a mechanical shock inflicted on the box to the spacer will merely affect the stretching of the spacer tangentially along the surface of the good but will not significantly communicate the shock therethrough to the good in the direction of the shock. It follows that the shock transmission from the outer box through the stretched spacer to the good will be substantially attenuated or even not transmitted to the good.

The box may comprise two shells, in particular hinged shells, with generally facing rims, typically generally arranged like shells of a suitcase. The peripheral portions of the spacers can be secured at the shell rims, a spacer extending across each rim.

In such a configuration, the packaging can be opened like a standing or lying suitcase, whereby the opening shells and spacers following their respective shell unveil the packaged good in the same movement. This constitutes a very simple and ergonomic integrated packaging system. The box may also comprise a base panel, the shells being preferably hinged to opposite sides of the base panel. The good can be placed directly onto the base panel or spaced apart therefrom by a stretched spacer. For example, the base panel has a recess for receiving the good.

The upper part of each shell may have a handle, the handles being usually side-by-side when the shell rims face each other, in the closed position. The handles may be juxtaposed or may be spaced by a gap.

The handles with the gap spacing them apart may serve to position a further element, such as a box of accessories for the good that is packaged.

Preferably, the spacers are made of memory material so that the good can be tightly wrapped therein. The spacers can be made of plastic material, in particular thermoplastic material. For instance, the spacer is made of polyurethane . For example, the spacer is made of flexible material having a high memory so that the material may resume to its original shape without loss of rigidity even upon significant stretching. Such materials can for instance be obtained from Emba-Protec GmbH.

The spacers may be in the shape of foils or films, stripes or strings. Advantageously, the spacers are foils or films arranged to envelope predominantly or completely the wrapped good. Such foils or films in addition to prevent the transmission of shocks to the goods may also serve for protecting the goods from the environment, for instance moisture.

The spacers can be welded and/or glued together along their peripheral portions.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be described with reference to the schematic drawings, wherein:

- Fig. 1 shows a good in a packaging according to the invention that is open;

- Fig. 2 shows the packaging of Fig. 1 in a closed state and contained in a soft or paper bag; and

- Figs. 3 and 4 are schematic views of the spacers stretched around a good inside the packaging. Detailed description

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a good 1, typically a beverage preparation machine, for instance a coffee or tea dispenser of the type using proportioned ground coffee or tea in an open packaging

10. Packaging 10 has an outer box formed of two shells

20 hinged to opposite sides of a base panel 30.

Furthermore, base panel 30 has a recess 31 for positioning good 1 therein.

An elongated spacer film 40, shown with hatching, extends over and across each shell 20. Each shell 20 has a rim 21 to which peripheral portions 41 of spacer film 40 are secured, for instance by gluing or welding, so that spacer film 40 extends between facing front, back and top panels 25, 26 and 27 of shell 20 over the shell's main side panel 28. An intermediate central portion 42 of spacer 42 extends between peripheral portions 41. This central portion 42 is spaced apart from all panels 25, 26, 27 and 28.

These panels 25, 26, 27, 28 are arranged to form a cavity for receiving good 1 when the hinged shells 20 are moved in an upright position to close packaging 20 around good 1. When the shells are urged together in their upright position to enclose fully good 1, spacer films 40 are brought into an upright position in which they face each other and are forced apart by the presence of good 1 between them. In such a configuration, the spacer films 40 are deformed and stretched tightly around good 1 to secure it.

Fig. 2, in which the same numeric references designate the same elements, is a front view of packaging 10 with its shells 20 upright in a closed configuration. Any appropriate attachment means known in the art is suitable to hold shells 20 urged together. For instance, peripheral potions 41 of spacer films 40, which are bonded to rims 21 of shells 20, may be sealed together. As shown in Fig. 2, packaging 10 may be carried in a bag 50 with handles 51, for instance a soft or paper bag, together with instruction or advertising leaflets 52. Furthermore, packaging 10 is fitted with handles 29 that are spaced apart on top panels 27 of shells 20 to maintain between handles 29 a box 53 of accessories for good 1, for instance a box of coffee capsules when good 1 is a coffee machine using such capsules.

In an alternative embodiment, handles 29 are juxtaposed and can be used to carry packaging 20, for instance when packaging 10 is not intended to be carried within a bag.

Figs 3 and 4, in which the same numeric references designate the same elements, show in greater details spacer films 40 around good 1 in packaging 10 when the packaging is in its closed configuration. Specifically, Fig. 3 schematically depicts a front view of the cavity formed in-between shells 20 behind front panels 25. Fig. 4 schematically shows a top view of this cavity underneath top panels 27.

Good 1 rests on base 30 in its recess 31. Spacer films 40 extend over each side of good 1 on its entire upper part above base 30. As can be seen, especially in

Fig. 4, intermediate portions 42 of spacer films 40 are forced apart and deformed in elongation between the corresponding peripheral portions 41 by the presence of good 1 between them.

Spacer films 40 secure good 1 in-between facing shells 20 at a distance from all panels 25, 26, 27, 28 of shells 20. It follows that good 1 is spaced apart from shells 20 by a gap 45 above base panel 30. As can be seen from Figs 3 and 4, gap 45 between shells 20 and good 1 is essentially empty and contains no rigid compressed or compressible component likely to noticeably and directly transmit a shock inflicted onto shells 20 to good 1. A shock inflicted to any panels 25, 26, 27, 28 of shell 20 would merely slightly release or stretch spacer films 40 around good 1 and would essentially be absorbed in shells 20 and in the deformation of spacer films 40 along a direction that does not noticeably lead through the good that packaging 10 is intended to protect. Whereas packaging 10 shown in Figs 1 to 4 has a base panel 30 with a recess 31 in which good 1 is positioned, the upper part of good 1 being spaced apart from shell panels 25, 26, 27, 28 by spacer films 40, it is possible to cover a good completely, even at its bottom, in spacer films to space the good from all surfaces of the box. For instance, such a box can be formed of two generally cup-like shells that are directly hinged together, each shell being covered with a respective spacer film that extends over its entire opening (mouth) . In such a configuration, a good wrapped in such a packaging is secured and suspended in-between the spacer films when the shells are in a closed position, whereby the good is spaced apart from all inner surfaces of the outer box.

In a further variation, the good may be supported by a generally horizontal spacer element and secured between two generally upright facing spacers that extend across the box and that are forced apart by the good as discussed above. The generally horizontal spacer may be secured to the generally upright spacers or to facing panels of the box. In such a configuration, the good is spaced apart from all panels of the box that may still be formed by two shells, with or without bottom panel, configured to be opened in an upright or lying position.

Claims

1. A packaging (10) for containing and protecting a good (1), in particular for an electric appliance such as a beverage preparation machine, comprising: a closable outer box (20,30) having a plurality of panels (25,26,27,28,30); and at least two generally facing deformable elongated inner spacers (40) for securing said good (1) within the box (20,30), characterised in that each spacer comprises: peripheral portions (41) that are secured to different panels (25,26,27) of the box (20,30); and

- an intermediate portion (42) that extends between the peripheral portions (41) and that is spaced apart from all panels (25,26,27,28,30) of the box (20,30), the intermediate portions (42) of the spacers (40) facing each other in the box (10) when the box is closed so that said good (1) is secured inbetween the intermediate portions (42) by forcing them apart, whereby the intermediate portions (42) are deformed in elongation between their respective peripheral portions (41), the intermediate portions (42) forced apart by said secured good (1) remaining entirely spaced apart from all panels (25,26,27,28,30) of the outer box (20,30) .

2. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the box comprises two shells, in particular hinged shells, with generally facing rims when the box is closed.

3. The packaging of claim 2, wherein the peripheral portions of the spacers are secured at the shell rims, a spacer extending across each rim.

4. The packaging of claim 2 or 3, wherein the box comprises a base panel, the shells being hinged to opposite sides of the base panel.

5. The packaging of claim 4, wherein the base panel has a recess for receiving said good.

6. The packaging of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein an upper part of each shell has a handle, the handles being side-by-side in said closed configuration.

7. The packaging of any preceding claim, wherein the spacers are made of plastic material, in particular thermoplastic material.

8. The packaging of any preceding claim, wherein the spacers comprise foils and/or films.

9. The packaging of claim 8, wherein the spacers are welded and/or glued together along their peripheral portions so as to enclose entirely or predominantly said good in said closed configuration.

10. The packaging of any preceding claim, wherein the box is arranged to enclose completely said good in said closed configuration.