FR2467793A1 - Packaging of self supporting containers in wrapped in film - using offset necks supporting hollow cover to maximise load resistance - Google Patents

Abstract

Packs of gps. of containers which derive most of the strength of the pack from the strength of the containers are assembled by using a flat base to support containers having offset necks surrounded by a flat land. A double-walled cover is fitted to enclose the container necks and rest on the lands. Automatic equipment manipulates the containers into gps. so that the necks are positioned nearest to the corners and edges of the pack for max. strength. The cover and base are then bound together by enclosing the pack in shrink-wrap film. Uses min. of ancillary materials to produce stable, stackable packs.

Description

The present invention relates to a package formed by caring for a batch of juxtaposed containers and by a packaging making it possible to secure said containers so as to obtain a compact assembly whose mechanical resistance is mainly ensured by the containers themselves.

 It more particularly relates to the production of packages containing containers having, on their upper face, a projecting neck, off-center with respect to the vertical axis of symmetry of the container, these packages having to be able to be juxtaposed and stacked for their storage.

These packages must therefore include planar and parallel upper and lower faces. Furthermore, the structure must be such that the mechanical stresses exerted on the upper face, for example when the packages are stacked, affect the body of the containers and not their stopper or their neck due to their fragility.

It is also necessary to uniformly distribute these stresses on the body of the containers, so that the crushing resistance of the package is substantially constant, in particular at the upper face, in particular in order to eliminate any deformation. may affect the stability of the battery.

The invention achieves this result. To this end, it offers a package essentially comprising
- a bottom formed by a plate of a rigid or semi-rigid material, for example of compact cardboard,
- at least one batch of juxtaposed containers resting by their base on said bottom, said containers having, on their upper face, an off-center projecting neck,
- A cap disposed on said containers and which comprises at least two parallel planar elements, secured and kept apart from one another at a distance at least equal to the height of said necks, the lower element being provided with a series of recesses through which the necks pass respectively, so that the lower element comes to rest on the upper face of the container surrounding the neck, and
- An element to connect, under tension, said bottom and said cap and maintain the assembly formed by (or) lot (s), the bottom and the cap.

 The package according to the present invention can be formed from one or more batches of juxtaposed containers.

 Of course, the shape of said bottom and of said cap must correspond substantially to the peripheral shape of the batch or batches (once the containers are juxtaposed).

It therefore depends on the shape of the containers and the manner in which the juxtaposition is carried out. Likewise, the arrangement of the recesses provided on the lower element of the cap depends on that of the receptacles inside the batch and on their orientation.

 It is therefore possible, by modifying the orientation of the containers, to choose, for avoidance, locations allowing a mocking distribution of the stresses on the body of the containers.

 To this end, in the case where the peripheral shape of the batch is a polygonal shape, the invention provides a recess in each of the angular parts of the lower element of the cap.

 It is clear that, for many reasons (production, storage), the most practical form of the package is the parallelepiped shape generated by the juxtaposition of containers of square or rectangular section.

 Thus, in the case where it is desired to produce a batch of four containers, the cover will have a square or rectangular shape and provision will be made, in the angular parts of its lower element, for four respective recesses.

In the case where it is desired to produce a batch of six containers, arranged in two rows of three containers c8te to cZt-, there are provided, in each of the angular parts of the element of the cap, four respective recesses, which correspond to the necks of the two pairs of containers located at the ends of the lot. The necks of the two other containers are then oriented towards the inside of the batch.

 In. one embodiment of the invention, the containers have a tubular shape, of square section, the upper face of which comprises, in an angular part, a flat portion parallel to the base and from which the neck of the container starts. This flat portion is extended in the direction of the other angular parts by a portion of concave section slightly inclined downward. In this case, the lower element of the cap comes to bear on said flat portion.

The invention also relates to a method for producing the packages described above, consisting successively:
To introduce into a feeding area, in a single file, a number of containers corresponding to that of the batch of objects that one wishes to carry out and whose necks have the same orientation, to transfer them as a whole, by removing them , at an orientation station, to orient the containers, by rotating them, so as to bring them each to the orientation that they must have in the batch, to transfer them then, without modifying their orientation, on a conveyor which routes them to the feeding area of a batch training station, to carry out a batch in said station by transferring the containers without changing their orientation, to push the batch back onto a bottom, to place a cap on the upper part of the batch so that the necks pass through recesses made on the lower element of said cap, and to maintain the assembly thus produced using an element connecting said bottom under tension and said cap.

 The invention further relates to an apparatus for producing a package according to the method described above.

Such an apparatus essentially comprises:
- a conveyor associated with a counter intended to convey on a single file, on a feeding area, a number of containers equal to that of the batch, these containers having the same orientation,
a pusher element, intended for transferring the containers under the rotators, spreading them apart, arranged in a line parallel to said supply area,
- said rotators intended to drive at least part of the containers so as to give them the orientation which they will occupy in the batch,
- a shooter for transferring the containers, after their rotation, onto a second conveyor parallel to the feed conveyor,
a distributor intended to constitute the batch, the line brought by the second conveyor is split by pushing and juxtaposing the lines thus split,
- at least one pusher to take the lot to a bottom,
- a cap fitting member, and
- an apparatus for adjusting on the whole an element to maintain the lot (s), the bottom and the cap.

The element for holding the lot (s), the bottom and the cap can be produced in a variety of ways. These may be straps, for example.

It can advantageously consist of a sealed envelope made from a sheet of heat-shrinkable plastic.

Embodiments of the invention will be described below, by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows, in schematic perspective, a package of containers;
Figure 2 is a schematic partial section, at the cap, of the package shown in Figure li
Figure 3 is a plan view of the underside of the cap used in the package shown in Figures 1 and 2;
Figures 4 and 5 show, respectively in perspective and in top view, a container of the above package;
Figure 6 is a theoretical diagram of the apparatus used for the realization of the package;
FIGS. 7 and 8 schematically represent, in plan view and in vertical cross section, the pusher, rotator and shooter assembly of the canister orientation system forming part of the apparatus represented in FIG. 6;
Figure 9 is a schematic view of the rotational drive system of the rotators.

It will be noted that, to clarify the drawing, the envelope of heat-shrinkable weldable plastic sheet and the two central rows of containers have not been shown in the package shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1.

 This package first comprises a bottom 1, substantially rectangular, made of compact cardboard and on which are arranged two lots 2 and 2t of containers 3, whose peripheral shape corresponds substantially to that of the group formed by the two lots.

In the example shown, these containers 3 consist (FIG. 5) of tubular canisters of substantially square cross section. The upper face of these cans comprises, in an angular region, a flat part 4 from which a neck 5 starts. This flat part 4 is extended, in the direction of the other angular regions, by a concave part 6 slightly inclined downwards.

On lots 2 and 22 of cans 3 is placed a cap 7 produced by folding a blank of corrugated cardboard.

This cap 7 comprises a lower planar element 8, provided with a series of holes 9, through which the necks 3 of the cans pass.
This element 8 therefore rests on the flat part 4 of the upper face of the cans 3 and is extended on two of its opposite lateral sides 10, 11 by two folded strips 12, 13, of width slightly greater than the height of the necks 5. These the strips are themselves extended by two substantially rectangular areas 14, 13, parallel to the lower planar element 8 and the extreme edges 16, 17 of which juxtapose in the upper media portion of the cap 7. By their juxtaposition, these areas 14, 15 thus form the upper planar element of the cap 7.

 These areas 14, 15 are also extended, beyond the edges 16, 17 by two strips of cardboard 18, 19 folded at right angles. These bands 18, 19 are laminated and are fixed in the lower planar element 8 by means of lugs 20 passing through corresponding recesses made in the lower planar element 8.

The free lateral edges 21 of the cover 7, as well as those of the bottom 1, have a contoured profile, of suitable shape to avoid tearing of the plastic sheet enveloping the assembly formed by lots 2 and 2 ', the bottom 1 and the cap 7, and to allow this sheet to closely match the lateral shapes of the assembly after retraction.

 Lots 2 and 2r shown in Figure 1 each include six cans. A vertical cardboard wall, not shown, can be interposed between the two lots 2 and 2 '.

The orientation of these cans 3 is such that the necks 5 of the cans arranged in the corners of the lots 2 and 2 ′ can pass through recesses 9 arranged in the angular regions of the lower planar element 8 of the cover 7. Furthermore, the orientation of the cans 3 located on the periphery of lots 2 and 2 is such that the necks can pass into corresponding recesses 9 located near the periphery of the lower planar element 8. The necks 3 of the cans 3 of the two central rows are oriented so as to pass into respective recesses 9 located on either side and near the two laminated strips 18 and 19.

 With reference to FIG. 6, the apparatus for producing the package described above firstly comprises a conveyor 23 associated with a counter (not shown), which is intended to convey to the supply area 24 'doun pusher 24 a line of six jerry cans next to each other a, b, c, d, e f. The pusher 24 is for its part intended to carry out simultaneously the transfer of each of these six cans to the corresponding work area of a set of rotators 23 to 28. These work areas are aligned parallel to the supply area 24 'and are spaced from each other by an interval allowing the rotation of the cans and the passage of the claws 31 of the rotators. Consequently, the displacement of the cans carried out by the pusher consists of the product of two translations, namely a translation perpendicular to the axis of the supply area 24 'and a translation parallel to this axis.

 The purpose of the rotators 29 to 28 is to cause the cans a, -d-, e and f to rotate about their green i-axis of symmetry so as to give them the orientation which they will subsequently occupy in the batch (it should be noted in this regard that, in FIG. 6, the position of the necks of the cans is marked with a cross).

More precisely, to obtain a configuration similar to that of the cans contained in the package shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, under the effect of the rotator associated with it, the can has been rotated 90- to the right, canisters d and e are rotated 180 and canister f is rotated 90th to the left.

Canisters b and c keep their position and are not requested by a rotator.

Once properly oriented, the canisters a, b, c, d, e and f are transferred simultaneously, by a shooter 32, to a conveyor 338 which brings them to a distributor 33 'intended to constitute a batch.

 This distributor includes a first pusher 34, which offset, in the direction of arrow 35, the cans a, b and c, parallel to the initial file, by a distance substantially equal to the dimension of a c8té can. A pallet cat 36 then brings by an axial displacement (in the direction of arrow 37) these three cans a, b, c, against the line formed by the cans d, e and f.

We thus obtain a batch of six cans, which will form half of the package. This batch is then pushed back laterally; t (arrow 38), by means of a pusher 39, on a regrouping area 40, where it will be associated with the following batch a ', b', ct, d ', and, f' to form the complete package. This group of two batches will then be transferred, by means of a set comprising two pushers 41, 42 with perpendicular travel (arrows 43 and 44) on a distribution area 43 of the bottom 1. It will be noted that in addition to their function of transfer, these two pushers 41, 42 are used to compact the lots.

 The group of two batches thus formed then receives a cap 7 coming from a distributor not shown, then is transferred (arrow 46), by means of a pusher 47, to the supply area of an apparatus (not represeated ) used to wrap the whole of a sheet of heat-shrinkable plastic material.

With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the orientation system of the cans comprises the pusher 24 whose role is to transfer, by moving them apart, the cans a, b, c, d, e and f coming from the conveyor 23 onto the working area 30 of the rotators 25 to 28. This pusher 24 consists of a carriage 31 slidably mounted on two lateral slides 52 carried by a fixed frame 53 perpendicular to the axis of the conveyor 23.

This carriage also carries two slides 54 parallel to the conveyor 23 and on which can slide six structures 35 serving to support a block 56 provided with two suction cups 37 arranged one above the other,
The support structures 55 each carry in their rear part a roller 59 cooperating with a slide 160 secured to the fixed structure 53, this roller-roller assembly requiring, during the translation of the carriage 31, a lateral displacement of the structures 33 and, consequently , suction cup blocks 36.

 The movement of the carriage 31 is controlled by a connecting rod-crank system comprising a disc 60 driven by a rotary actuator 61. On this disc 60 is articulated by one of its ends a connecting rod 62i teeth the other end is articulated on the structure of the carriage 31.

 Backstage 160 associated with different. support grooves 55 are arranged as a fan, so as to obtain a spacing at constant intervals of the canisters a, b, c, d, e and f.

 thus, in the retracted position of the carriage 51, the suction cup blocks 36 are located respectively at the right of the cans a, b, c, d, e and f arranged in contact with each other, which are retained by a stop 63 at l end of the conveyor 23.

During the first phase of advance of the carriage 51, the suction cups 37 are applied in the upper and lower parts of the body of the cans.

Under the combined effect of the translation of the carriage 51 and the lateral displacement of the support structures 53, the canisters a, b, c, d, e and o are brought to the work areas of the rotators 23, 26, 27 and 28 for canisters a, d, e and f and on waiting areas for canisters b and c.

 The rotators 25, 26, 27 and 28 comprise (FIG. 8) a test 63 comprising four claws 31 machined to the profile of the container intended to come to cap, by lenrs angles, the containers. Of course, these heads 63 are movable vertically.

The rotation drive of these fates 63 is obtained (FIG. 9) by means of pinions 64 meshing on a chain 65 driven by a motor element. This training will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 9.

 Thus, a liver the cans a, b, c, d, e and f put in place, the heads 63 of the rotators 25, 26, 27 and 28 come to cap the cans a, d, e, f, then are intrat- in rotation by means of the chain 65.

Once the orientation has been obtained, the heads 63 of the rotators 25, 26, 27 and 28 go back up, releasing the cans a, d, e, f, which are then transferred, with the cans c and d, by means of the shooter 32.

 This shooter 32 is made up, in a similar manner to the pusher 24, of a carriage 66 mounted sliding on two lateral slides 67 perpendicular to the axis of the conveyor 33. Unlike the pusher 24, on this carriage 66 are fixedly mounted six structures 68 each carrying a block provided with two suction cups 70.

These suction cups 70 are therefore applied to the body of the canisters a, b, c, d, e and f, and, thanks to the translation of the carriage 66, deposit the canisters a, b, c, d, e and f on the conveyor 33.

 As previously indicated, FIG. 9 makes it possible to highlight the device for driving the rotator heads in rotation using a single chain driven by a motor element, meshing with mounted drive pinions. on each of the rotator heads.

This drive device must therefore be provided in such a way that, for the same stroke of the chain:
- the pinion 64 driving in the head 28 turns 90 to the right,
the pinion 64 driving the head 27 rotates 180 to the right,
the pinion 64 driving the head 26 rotates 180 to the right, and
- the pinion 64 driving the head 23 turns 90 to the left.

To this end, the development of the pinions associated with tOtos 29 and 28 have a relationship. Furthermore, to take account of the direction of rotation, a set of free pinions is provided making it possible to drive on the same side the pinions associated with the heads 26, 27 and 28 and, on the other side, the pinion associated with the head 25.

Claims (12)

 1.- Package formed by at least one batch of juxtaposed containers and by a packaging making it possible to secure said containers so as to obtain a compact assembly whose mechanical resistance is mainly ensured by the containers themselves, characterized in that it comprises ::  - a bottom formed by a plate of a rigid or semi-rigid material, for example of compact cardboard, - at least one batch of juxtaposed containers resting at their base on said bottom, said containers having, on their upper face, an off-center projecting neck,  - A cap disposed on said containers and which comprises at least two parallel planar elements secured and kept apart, one of a wall at a distance at least equal to the height of said necks, the lower element being provided with a series of recesses through from which the necks pass respectively, so that the lower element comes to rest on the upper face of the container surrounding the neck, and  - An element to connect, under tension, said bottom and said cap, and maintain the assembly formed by the (or) lotus), the bottom and the cap.  2. A package according to claim 1, characterized in that the element for connecting the bottom and the cap consists of an envelope of heat-shrinkable plastic sheet. 3. A package according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the shape of said bottom and said cap substantially corresponds to the peripheral shape of the batch, once the containers are juxtaposed. 4. Package according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, in the case where the peripheral shape of the lot is a polygonal shape, there is provided a recess in each of the angular parts of the lower element of the cap.  3.- Package according to one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a batch of six containers arranged in two rows of three containers arranged side by side, characterized in that one provides in each of the angular parts of the element of the cap four respective recesses, which correspond to the necks of the two pairs of containers located at the ends of the batch, and in that the necks of the other two containers are then oriented towards the outside of the batch.  6.- Package comprising two lots of six, containers, characterized in that the arrangement of the containers and their orientation are those obtained by the juxtaposition of two lots according to claim 4. 7.- Package comprising two lots of six containers, according to claim 6, characterized in that the said cap comprises a lower planar element provided with a series of holes, through which pass the necks of the cans, in that this element rests on the flat part of the upper face of the cans and is extended on two of its opposite lateral sides by two folded bands of width slightly greater than the height of the necks, in that these bands are themselves extended by two substantially rectangular areas parallel to the lower planar element and the ostrea edges of which are juxtaposed in the upper middle part of the cover, these areas are also extended by two strips of cardboard folded at right angles, possibly laminated and which are fixed in the lower plane element to the oyen of legs passing through corresponding recesses made in said plane. 8. Package according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the free lateral edges of the headband, as well as those of the bottom, have a contoured profile, of suitable shape to prevent tearing of the plastic sheet enveloping l 'assembly formed by the Wu les) iot (s), the bottom and the cap, and to allow this sheet to properly fit the lateral shapes of the package, after shrinking.  9. Package according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the containers have a tubular shape, of square section, the upper face of which comprises, in an angular part, a flat portion parallel to the base and from which the neck of the container starts, this flat portion being extended towards the other angular parts by a portion of concave section slightly inclined downward. 10.- Method for producing a package according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it consists successively in introducing into a supply area, in a single row, a number of containers corresponding to that of the batch d objects which one wishes to achieve and whose necks have the u8se orientation, to transfer them in a block sn apart them at an orientation station, to orient the containers, by rotating them, so as to bring them each to the orientation they must have in the batch, and then transfer the containers, without changing their orientation, on a conveyor which routes them to the feeding area of a batch training station, read a batch in said station by transferring the containers without changing their orientation, push the batch back onto a bottom, place a cap on the upper part of the batch, ensuring that the necks pass through the recesses made on the element lower of the said cap, and to maintain the assembly thus produced using an element connecting under tension said bottom and said cap. 11.- Apparatus for producing a package according to the method according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises  - a conveyor associated with a counter intended to convey on a single file, on a feeding area, a number of containers equal to that of the batch, these containers having the same orientation,  - a pusher intended to transfer, by moving them apart, the containers under rotators arranged in a line parallel to said supply area. - said rotators intended to drive at least part of the containers so as to give them the orientation which they will occupy in the batch, - a shooter for transferring the containers, after their rotation, onto a second conveyor parallel to the feed conveyor,  - a distributor intended to constitute the batch, by duplicating by pushing the line brought by the second conveyor and juxtaposing the lines thus split,  - at least one pusher to take the lot to a bottom,  - a cap fitting member, and  - a device for adjusting an element on the whole to maintain the batch (s), the bottom and the cap. 12. Apparatus according to claim 11, charac tersé in that the aforementioned pusher used to bring the batch on a bottom is replaced by a set comprising two pushers with perpendicular action, which further allows to compact the batch.  13.- Colon equipment uoedes claims 11 and 12, characterized in that the pusher whose role is to transfer the containers from the feed conveyor to the work area of the rotators consists of a sliding mounted carriage on two lateral slides carried by a fixed frame, perpendicular to the axis of the feed conveyor, in that this carriage carries at least one slide parallel to the conveyor and on which can slide six structures serving as support for two suction cups located one above the other, in that said structures each carry, in their rear part, a roller cooperating with a slide integral with the fixed structure, the various slides being arranged in a fan shape, and in that said carriage is mu by a reciprocating motor member.  14.- Apparatus according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the above rotators include a vertically movable head carrying claws intended to come to cap the containers, the drive of these heads being obtained by means of pinions of diameter appropriate to the desired angle of rotation and which are attacked, from the cat corresponding to the desired direction of rotation, by the same catne.