FR2535689A1 - INSULATING PACKAGING - Google Patents

Abstract

THE PACKAGING IS CHARACTERIZED IN THAT IT INCLUDES, ON THE ONE HAND, A SEMI-RIGID COMPLEX1 TO WELL THE PRODUCTS TO BE PACKAGED AND, ON THE OTHER HAND, A CARDBOARD BOX4. COMPLEX1 IS COMPOSED OF A CLOSED-CELL MATERIAL2 AND OF A REFLECTIVE FILM3 PREFERABLY WITH BI-DIRECTIONAL EFFECT. AFTER FOLDING INTO FULL VOLUME, COMPLEX1 IS PUT INTO CARTON4 BOX, MATERIAL2 INSIDE AND FILM3 OUTSIDE. BOX4 IS TIGHTLY CLOSED AND MUST CONTAIN THE VOLUME OF NON-NEGLIGIBLE AIR LOCATED IN AND OUT OF COMPLEX1 TO IMMOBILIZE THIS AIR AND, THEREFORE, TO MAKE THE MOST OF ITS INSULATING POWER.

Description

INSULATING PACKAGING

  There are many cases where insulating packaging must be provided for the preservation of packaged products such as food and, in particular, ice creams, bottles of fresh drinks, etc. Until now, some of these products are kept cold in non-insulated packaging and placed in insulated containers for transport from the cold storage site to the place of consumption,

that is to say at the end customer.

  These insulating containers, to be effective must be obtained by molding in one piece of an insulating material

  such as a foam of synthetic material.

  The disadvantage of these containers lies in the fact that they are "by volume" and can not be stored at

  flat since they are not folding.

  Their size is therefore very large and the mani-

  conditioning powders can not be obtained from

automated way.

  The present invention overcomes these drawbacks by making it possible to provide a container which is

  both folding and insulating efficiently, such a

  can be used with automatic mechanized installations.

  For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a condition

  characterized in that it comprises on the one hand a semi-rigid complex composed of a closed-cell material and a reflective film and, on the other hand, a box which must contain the complex folded into complete volume around the products to be packaged and which must be closed as hermetically as possible to confine and

  immobilize a significant volume of indoor air.

  According to a particular embodiment of the invention,

  Since the box is parallelepipedal, the complex is provided with fold lines which determine six faces before constituting a shell, itself a parallelepiped, intended to circumscribe the products and to be circumscribed by the box.

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  According to an advantageous variant, the face of the complex which must be placed against the bottom of the box has a slightly smaller diameter than that of the opposite face so that the complex folded in a slightly reversed pyramidal truncum volume can easily be introduced into the preformed laboite in

parallelepipedal volume.

  The invention will be better understood by the description

  detailed below with reference to the attached drawing Well

  heard the description and drawing are given only as

  indicative and non-limiting example.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view

  of a complex according to the invention.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the profile of

this same complex.

  Figure 3 schematically shows the introduction

  complex folded in an outer box.

  FIG. 4 schematically shows the closed box over the complex folded and enveloping the product (no

represented) to condition.

  Figure 5 is a schematic view showing a

  example of hermetic closure of the box.

  Referring to the drawing, we see that a condition

  insulation according to the invention comprises a semi-complex

  rigid 1 made of a closed cell material 2 and a

  reflective film 3 advantageously bi-directional.

  The material 2 may, for example, be constituted by a foam of synthetic material such as polystyrene

  expanded and the reflective film can be obtained by metal-

  according to any method well known to those skilled in the art.

  Such a complex has the advantage, from a mechanical point of view, of being relatively rigid, that is to say very

  resistant to the forces presenting field.

  Thermally, such a complex is very effective on the one hand because of its innumerable closed cells each trapping a small amount of air and, secondly, because of the reflective film 3 which prevents

  radiation temperature exchanges.

  When it is bi-directional, it is opposed to

  from the inside to the outside and from the outside

towards the inside.

  This complex must be placed in a box 4 of

  cardboard in such a way that it circumscribes the folded complex in complete volume around the products with condi-

  while maintaining a play of cre-

stantiel.

  With the example shown, the box 4 is paralleled

  such that the complex is cut and marked fold lines 5 which determine six faces 6 to it deprived of any assembly tab so as to lie edge to edge with the adjacent face, after folding of the complex 1 according to the

lines 5.

  Ain-si ,, in all directions the complexelpresente at least one field that is particularly resistant to shocks

  and other mechanical efforts that may result from an

  crushing (vertical crushing) or lateral compressions

  The fold lines 5 are permanently marked with

  and the complex 1 is folded so that the insulating foam 2 is located inside and the reflective film 3 outside because, as can be seen in Figure 2, the marking of the lines 5 is more accentuated on the side of the foam

2 that on the side of the film 3 _ -

  The box 4, preferably made of cardboard, is of any known type and preferably obtained from a cut and grooved blank then

  folded and maintained automatically by means of an

mechanical installation.

  Complex 1 is folded to constitute a parallelepiped volume

  as sketched in Figure 1, then is engaged in the

  box 4 according to the arrows F as can be seen in FIG.

  So that this introduction is easy and can be performed by mechanical means 9 is provided that the face 7 of the complex 1 which must be placed against the bottom 4 of the box 4 -a perimeter a little smaller than that of the face-oppose 9 so that the complex 1 folded has a

  slightly inverted tran-pyramidal volume -

  The faces 6 and 8 then have the shape of a slightly marked trapezium and in FIGS. 1 4 the length difference between the two long sides of each trapezium has been deliberately exaggerated to make apt

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  appear on each of the short sides, 'da difference After removal of the mechanical elements of establishment, the complex l redeploys itself by natural elasticity as can be seen in Figure 4 where we note that

  the faces 10 and 11 of the complex are slightly apart.

  From this phenomenon it follows that at each corner of the

  volume created by folding complex%, there is a

  gel 3 of substantially triangular shape which communicates

  the interior and exterior space considered in relation to complex 1 but, of course, both

  inside the box 4 and substantial volume.

  These passages 13 let the air in from outside

  Inside the volume created by complex 1 folded.

  -But the insulation remains good thanks to the character

  hermetic closing of the box 4.

  In the example shown and particularly visible in Figure 5, the box 4 is made of cardboard and comprises a lid which consists of an upper face and three lateral flaps 4b, 4c and nest to be maintained on the body properly said box 4 by means of a tape of glue 14 which extends continuously on the three sides of the

body of the box 4.

  Thus, the right of the flaps 4b, 4c and 4d the box has a double thickness and no air passage can

  occur between the body of the boot and the flaps folded.

  All the means that have just been described makes it possible to confine and immobilize the volume of air located inside the box 4 while providing that this volume

  is not negligible since we know that the air is in itself

  even an insulation as soon as it is immobilized and therefore

do not carry calories.

  Between the product to be packaged and the external

  behind box 4, there are five insulation elements which are the air mass located inside the complex 1 around the product itself; 2 occluded air in the closed cells of the foam 2; the reflective effect of the film 3 which prevents radiation temperature exchanges; 4 The volume of air located outside the complex 1 but inside the box 4 and communicating with the volume of indoor air; The cardboard walls of box 4 which isolate for two reasons: a) because of the insulating nature of the cardboard itself, b) because the walls trap the volumes

of air inside the box 4.

  At the moment of consumption of the packaged product, the box 4 is opened by detaching the flaps 4b, 4c, 4d so that the box 4 is destroyed and can not serve a

second time.

  The product is then removed after lifting the face 9 of the complex 1 or after removing all of this

  complex 1 which is itself eliminated.

  The container according to the invention is therefore of the "lost packaging" type but its price is modest enough that the entire packaging is still a saving compared to the use of boxes "volume" and thick that must be stored in very large spaces and give rise to manipulations

impractical and unhygienic.

  The invention has been illustrated by an example that the wood

  te 4 is first put in volume to receive then the

  folded complex, but in practice it is also possible to

  see the simultaneous upgrade of box 4 and the

plex 1

  The main thing is to leave in the box 4 a significant volume of air, to immobilize it and to confine it to make the best use of its natural insulating power.

  in addition to the "barrier" effects of the materials themselves.

  The height h of the folded complex is advantageously less than the inner height H i of the box to create a higher clearance favorable to

  the presence of an insulating air space.

  The complex wraps the product and is itself wrapped

  of air except below because the face 7 rests on the bottom 4 a.

Claims (3)

  Insulating conditioning characterized in that it comprises on the one hand an iso 3 complex ant (1) c O-mposed a closed cell material (2> and, on the other hand, a box (4) which must contain the complex (1) folded in full volume around the products to be packaged and which must be closed as hermetically as possible to confine and immobilize a significant volume of indoor air. 2 Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the box (4) being parallelepiped, the complex (1) is provided with fold lines (5) which determine six faces (6 to 11) to together constitute an envelope itself parallelepiped designed to circumscribe the products and to be circumscribed by the box (4).   3 Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that the face (7) of the complex (1) which must   placed against the bottom (4 a) of the box (4) at a   meter a little smaller than the opposite one (9)   so that the complex (1) folded in a slightly truncated volume   reverse pyramid can be easily introduced into the   box (4) pre-formed in parallelepiped volume.