FI56352C - STOETDAEMPANDE PAOSE OCH FOERFARANDE FOER FRAMSTAELLNING DAERAV - Google Patents

Description

I.-ΓβΊ ANNOUNCEMENT rCnr ^ [Β] OV UTLÄGGNINGSSKRIFT 56352 C (45) Patent patent tsyönnetiy 10 01 1930 Patent seddelat ^ ^ (51) K ».ik. * / Int.ci. * B 65 D 31/02 B 65 D 35/02 B 65 D 81/14 B 65 D 61/00 ENGLISH —FINLAND (21) P * t «nttlhak« mu * - PaMntanseknlng 3 months6 / 7h

(22) Htk * ml * cloud - Anteknfnpdtg 28.11.TU

(23) AlkupUvI - Glltlgheodtf 28.11.TU

(41) Has become stuck - Bllvlt offtntllg 30.05. T5

Patent-held and 44% Nihtiviktipuion | s kuL) foreign »New date__

Patent · och registerstyrelsen 'Ansökan utlagd och utl.ikrtften publlcend 28.09. T9 (32) (33) (31) Privilege requested — Buglrd prlorltut 29.11. T3 23.05.TU USA (US) U19923, UT3060 (Tl) Packaging Industries, Inc., Airport Road, Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA (US) (72) John D. Bambara, Osterville, Massachusetts, Dennis A. Knaus, Centerville, The present invention relates to an improved, shock-absorbing transport bag and its method of manufacture. Shock-absorbing or padded carrying bags are used for mailing or transporting goods, such as books, plastic products, and other items that can be damaged if not handled with care and safety.

In the past, a wide variety of shock-absorbing or padded transport bags have been developed and are used today. One such bag, known as an "air bubble bag," has a layer of relatively rigid paper material on the outside and two layers of thin plastic sheet material on the inside. Between the two layers of plastic material, several evenly distributed air bubbles are made and enclosed. The air bubble bag is relatively cheap and light, but it has many disadvantages that have been removed po. invention.

For example, during handling, it is relatively easy to puncture the air bubbles enclosed inside the plastic layers of the bag, leaving little or no protection for the objects in the bag. In addition, the air bubbles are broken along the edges, where the inner plastic layers are folded to form corners in the bag, and where the bag is closed along its edges, leaving little or no protection against damage.

In addition, the objects in the bag are provided with poor protection between the air bubbles of the thin plastic film. If, for example, an acute angle of a foreign object struck the bag in the space between the air bubbles, then the sharp object would penetrate directly against the objects inside the bag. In addition, the layer containing air bubbles is thin and flexible and the paper must be relatively thick on the outside of the bag, e.g. on the order of 27 kg / rice, so that the bag itself is relatively rigid and strong enough to handle it normally. Besides, it is relatively easy to tear a broken bag containing air bubbles. Once a rupture has occurred on the outer surface, this can easily spread through the bag, thus leading to possible damage or fouling of the objects contained in the bag.

Another currently used carrier bag uses paper waste, finely divided paper material, cotton waste, fabric waste, etc. as a shock absorbing material. The waste is used as a filler and is placed between two sheets of paper. The paper is then folded and the edges closed to form a bag. Again, this bag has several drawbacks that have been removed po. invention. The filling is, for example, relatively uneven and often the finished bag has a gray or wrinkled outer surface. In order to prevent the outer layer of the bag from bursting and the filler from escaping, this bag is also made of relatively thick paper, in the order of 27 kg / rice. The filler itself is kept loose between the layers of paper, and once the bag is punctured, it can easily drain out and cause an ugly mess. Certain waste fillers have a very fine structure, and if the bag is accidentally punctured and the filler falls on carpets or similar surfaces, cleaning is difficult.

A filler-type bag also tears quite easily, as does a bag containing air bubbles, so that its contents are often exposed to damage. In addition, when the filler-type bag is compressed at the edges to close them and form a finished bag, the shock absorbing agent becomes compressed to the extent that it acts only as a third paper layer, thus providing only limited protection at the corners and edges.

In another type of bag, one or more layers of corrugated paper are used as the shock-absorbing layer. The corrugated layers are placed between two layers of relatively thick paper and the bags are cut and shaped from the laminate. However, this bag has many of the disadvantages associated with a bag containing air bubbles and a filler type 3 S 6 3 5 2 passport. A wave-type passport is vulnerable to damage along its edges and its surfaces are easily punctured.

A bag with an intermediate layer of foam has been introduced to the market, but without much success. To make this plastic bag, the paper shell raw material is cut from the raw material roll and a piece of foam plastic is cut from the plastic raw material. The two layers are then superimposed and attached to each other in some way, such as by gluing. The raw material of the bag is then folded to form the finished bag.

Such bags are not suitable for continuous mass production, as a result of which they are not commercially comparable to a bag containing air bubbles or a bag of a filler type. Moreover, their design difficulties result in an inconsistent appearance; the plastic material often protrudes beyond the edges of the bag, which clouds the bag. More importantly, these bags do not have protection along their bottom edge.

Objects hitting the bottom of the bag can therefore damage the contents of such a bag. In addition, the objects themselves can easily puncture at the bottom of the bag if the objects contained in the bag have sharp edges, leading to possible loss of or damage to the objects.

The object of the invention is to avoid these problems and the invention relates to a shock-absorbing multilayer bag with first and second outer sides formed of at least one outer layer of relatively thin, fibrous and flexible sheet material and an inner layer which mainly covers the inner surface of the bag and which comprises at least one foam.

The bag is characterized in that the bag has at least 1 edge seam from which two layers of foam have been withdrawn by heat and pressure applied to the seam to provide a thin edge area of outer layers where the sheets are bonded together mainly against the surface and that the heat and pressure are applied to the seam. decrease as they move toward the interior of the bag, thereby causing the bag to have a combined and uniform layer of foam located within and extending across the edge region.

The invention relates to a method of making a shock-absorbing bag of a multilayer material having first and second outer sides consisting of at least one outer layer of relatively thin, fibrous and flexible sheet material and an inner layer covering substantially the entire inner surface of the bag, comprising at least one foam sheet 4 S6352 the two long pieces of multilayer material are automatically brought together, the foam layers of the pieces of material are placed opposite each other as an inner layer, the thin, fibrous and flexible sheets of each piece of material forming an outer layer to form It is characterized in that in the joining step heat and pressure are applied to both pieces of material in said joining zones, as a result of which the foam is completely withdrawn from these zones and the outer layers of the thin, fibrous and flexible sheet are joined together a temperature and pressure which decreases from the joining zone towards the inside of the bag.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows a method of manufacturing a transport bag. Figure 2 shows a bag made in the manner of Figure 1. Figure 3 shows an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the edge of the bag. Figure 4 shows the bag of Figure 3 with the closed edge portion folded over the bag. Figure 3 shows a device for closing the edges of the bag.

Figure 6 shows another device for closing the edges of the bag.

Figure 7 shows a transport bag with stiffening ribs at the open end.

Figure 1 shows a way of making an improved mailing and transport bag. Here, two uniform layers 40 and 41 of plastic material and two uniform layers 42 and 43 of paper-like material are used. Each of the four layers may comprise approximately the length of the finished bag 30, because no folding step is required. If a shock-absorbing strip 35 'is to be used according to Figure 2, the two upper layers 40, 42 have the length of an approximately finished bag and the two layers 411 43 have a larger length to obtain the strip.

The layers of film and paper material are in pairs with each other, and in each pair of layers an adhesive 44 is applied between the different layers to form two laminates 45. The adhesive 44 is applied by a roller-type device, (46). The two rollers 47,48 are used to seal and laminate the pairs of materials together. In the structure shown in Fig. 1, the foam layer 40 is laminated with the paper-like layer 5 56352 42 and the foam layer 41 is laminated with the paper-like layer 43. As the laminates 43 advance through the device, they undergo heat sealing and cutting steps to obtain separate bags 30. If desired, a heat-meltable adhesive tape 27 and a pull-out cover 29 can be placed on the bag (Figure 2).

The material used in the layer 20 can be any foam material, but preferably it is a polyethylene foam which has given good results. The thickness of the foam plastic layer is 2.4 to 3.2 mm. The structure of the plastic material has a myriad of smaller entrapped air bubbles, which creates a shock-absorbing effect. The plastic layer itself is relatively rigid and provides the required rigidity and fit as a whole so that the finished bag can be handled and transported with little risk of damage.

The foam material provides better shock absorption than that obtained with a bag containing air bubbles in filler and a-type bags. The plastic material also provides better insulation against temperature fluctuations to which the bag may be exposed during mail transport, has good tear strength and is substantially moisture resistant.

The paper-like material 21 is mainly kraft paper and can be relatively thin. Depending on the stiffness of the plastic foam material 20, the paper-like material 21 may be much thinner than the paper material used in the described air bubble-containing, filler and wave type bags. Po. for example, paper in the order of 13.6 kg / rice can be used in the invention. The invention thus provides a bag which requires less paper products and which is cheaper to manufacture.

Po. the invention provides strong, secure, shock-absorbing protection for items that need to be transported or mailed. The enhanced bag has a pleasing look and can be easily stamped with the manufacturer's name. Using the inner foam layer, a lightweight, shock-absorbing bag is obtained which is flexible, has good tear strength and uniform thickness throughout.

Figure 2 shows a bag 30 made by the method of Figure 1. The bottom edges of the bag 30 must be heat sealed or otherwise joined. The bottom edge 32 can be heat sealed in the same way as the side edges 31 are heat sealed. Closing the bottom of the bag 32 can be performed at a convenient time during the formation of the finished bags. For example, the base 32 may be heat sealed before forming or sealing the edges 31 (point A in Figure 1) before cutting the raw materials into separate bags (point B) or after the raw materials have been cut into separate bags 30. Closing the open end of the bag 30 is accomplished by removing a cover 29 on the top of the adhesive 27 before the strip 33 'is folded over the outer surface of the bag. This closes the open end of the bag 30 and provides a complete, closed shock-absorbing transport container.

6 56352

Although it is possible and in certain cases desirable to leave the edges of the bags in the shape shown in Figure 1, namely the closed edges approximately parallel to the outer surfaces of the bag, in certain cases it is desirable to fold the closed edges around to obtain a slightly smaller bag with rounded edges. Figures 3 and 4 show cross-sections of the edges of the finished bags 60 and 60. The closed edges 61 of the second bag 60 are not folded (Fig. 3) and the edges 61 'of the second bag 60' are folded (Fig. 4) · The beun folding procedure does not affect the size of the interior of the bag; it only affects the width (and possibly the length) of the outside of the bag. Any conventional folding device can be used to fold the closed edge portion 61 '. The heat-meltable or adhesive may be applied along one or both surfaces where the edge 61 'is to be folded, and by combining. The heat and pressure may be attached to the surface of the bag 60'.

The embodiments of both the folded and unfolded edges shown in Figures 3 and 4 achieve the basic advantages of the invention. Both provide additional protection at the edges of the bag against damage to the contents of the bag. In addition, the size of the folded bag 61 'is slightly smaller and thus takes up slightly less storage and transport space.

Figures 3 and 4 also show another advantageous feature of the transport bag. When the edges of the bag are closed by heat and pressure, the inner foam layers tend to fuse together to form rounded, inner corner areas 62 within the bag. This feature provides additional protection for bag objects because it makes objects with sharp edges less prone to puncture the shock absorbing bag. at edges and corners *

It also ensures a more complete seal to protect the contents of the bag from moisture and steam. If the plastic material is melted together on all sides of the bag, the inside of the bag is protected against most external weather conditions.

Figure 3 shows a sealing device, preferably used to eulkeir or heat seal the edges of the bags. The two rollers 70 and 71 rotate back and forth on the laminate and seal the laminate layers at predetermined distances from each other. The rollers 70, 71 rotate on shafts 72, 73 and are operated by conventional means (not shown).

56352 7

Because the bags are formed in a continuous manner, the rollers 70, 71 are designed to separate and return to the starting position or move transversely over the laminate and then back to complete the sealing step and then wait for the next movement of the laminate.

In order to provide a sufficient seal, it is also necessary for the rollers 70, 71 to be heated in order to fuse the foam layers together so as to achieve the improved feature described in connection with Figures 3 and 4. The rollers may be electrically heated by circulating the heating fluid therethrough or by other suitable means.

In order to ensure the correct and permanent sealing of the bags by means of rollers 70,71, it is preferred to place a strip of thermal melt or paste along the surface of the laminate between the plastic layers where the bag is to be sealed. By using a thermal melt, an improved barrier and a moisture barrier are provided because the paper layers 42, 43 become permanently fused together. The force of the rollers and the effect of heat cause the foam material to collapse along the closed areas.

One unexpected and very advantageous feature of the improved bag is that the open end remains slightly open, which makes it easier to fill. Although the cause of this phenomenon is uncertain, it is assumed to be the result of a small elongation of the plastic layer relative to the paper-like material during lamination and its tendency to return to its original length once the bag is formed ("plastic memory"). However, for whatever reason, there is a po. a bag made according to the invention slightly open, as shown in Figure 2. This constant effect can be enhanced by deliberately stretching the foam sheet before laminating it with a paper-like material.

Since the improved bag remains open for easy filling, an improved method of filling the bags has been provided. If the bags are filled with a machine compartment, it is much easier and simpler to use bags that are already somewhat open so that the machine can open the bags more and put objects inside.

Figure 6 shows an improved way to heat seal a pouch laminate to ensure complete sealing of the foam material. The rollers 70 ', 71' are provided with lead edges 73, 76. When the laminate is closed and forms the raw materials of the bag, the top and bottom of the bag are joined at a slightly different angle and the roll overlap supplies heat to a larger β 56352 portion of the plastic material. This provides an improved attachment between the edges of the plastic material and is expected to contribute to the ability of the bag to flex open and remain in this state even after being stored in a closed state for a long time.

The invention further facilitates the placement of a company or firm name on bags. As the laninate passes through the device, the Logo or print provided by the company can be placed on the stamp or matrix and the company name can be printed continuously on the bag. This feature can be applied particularly well in those embodiments of the bag with one or more foldable or closable strips.

It is also possible to add stiffening ribs to the open end of the bag. Figure 7 shows this feature. As the paper-like material 21 is pulled from the roll, one or both edges thereof are folded around and secured by a thermal melt or glue. When the paper-like material 21 is then laminated with the foam layer 20, a stiffer, reinforced ram is formed. It is also possible that the foamed material 20 protrudes over the ribbed portion. However, the smaller the overlap used, the cheaper it will be to manufacture the bags because the amount of foam used in each bag decreases.

The invention has been described in terms of certain embodiments, but it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that many variations and modifications may be devised. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims (6)

1. Shock absorbing multilayer web having first and second outer sides formed of at least one outer layer (21, 42, 43) of relatively tufted, fibrous and flexible sheet material, an inner layer (20, 40, 41) which mainly lined the entire interior of the space and comprising at least one sheet of plastic foam, characterized in that the piece comprises at least one edge seam (51, 52), from which two thicknesses of the foam plastic have been removed by the action of heat and pressure to provide a thin border area of the outer layers. (42, 43), in which the sheets are bonded mainly face-to-face, and that the heat and pressure to which the seam is subjected diminish in the direction of the interior of the pass, causing the piece to have a joined and coherent layer (62). ) of the foam plastic which is located within the periphery and extends across it. 2. A phase according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer layer (21, 42, 43) is of relatively thin lightweight paper with a weight of not more than about 13.6 kg / rice, and the inner layer (20, 40, 41) which mainly coat the entire interior of the furnace comprises at least one sheet of foamed polyethylene having a thickness of 2.4-3.2 mm. A method of manufacturing a shock-absorbing plse of multilayer material according to claim 1, with first and second outer sides formed of at least one outer layer (21, 42, 43) of relatively thin, fibrous and flexible sheet material, an inner layer (20, 40, 41). ) lining substantially the entire interior of the space and comprising at least one sheet of foam plastic, comprising the steps of automatically assembling two long sections of the multilayer material, placing the foam plastic layers (20, 40, 41) of the material section adjacent to each other to form the inner layer wherein the thin, fibrous and flexible sheet (21, 42, 43) of the blended sections forms the outer layer, joining the two long material sections along transverse joining zones (51) spaced apart along its length to form coherent fits of the multilayer material, characterized in that in the joining step heat and pressure are applied to the bonded material sections at said junction zones, whereby the foam plastic is completely and the outer layers of the thin, fibrous and flexible sheet are mainly joined surface-to-surface (61) along the junction zones (51) and adjacent to the junction zones (51) to form a continuous layer (62) of the foam plastic (20). , 40, 41) by applying such heat and such pressure to the junction zone (51) which departs from the junction zone towards the interior of the space. 4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the contact zones (51) are provided by contacting a first surface of a first heated closure member (70 "") with an outer surface of the two long material.