FR2761053A1 - RELATIVELY INVIOLABLE THERMOPLASTIC PACKAGING ARTICLE, ITS MANUFACTURE AND USE - Google Patents

Abstract

Packaging article comprising two relatively rigid sheets (1 and 4), made of thermoplastic material, and which can be assembled after having introduced one or more objects in a space provided for this purpose on at least one of the two sheets. These sheets are characterized by the presence of peripheral deformations (2 and 5) capable of engaging one in the other and ensuring locking of the two sheets. The manufacture of at least one of the sheets involves uses positive thermoforming. Use of the assembled article for the relatively tamper-proof display of trade items.

Description

The invention relates to a packaging article made of

  plastic container allowing the packaging of various products while allowing their visual presentation, this article being characterized by the difficulty of ensuring the opening once it has been sealed, and therefore by its re-

  lative inviolability. The invention also relates to the fa-

  brication of this article and its use for the condi-

  operation and presentation of various objects.

  We know that the theft of objects in commerce, and no-

  especially in large areas, is a source of

  financial for the operators of these businesses. Theft is even easier when dealing with small items

  dimensions that can be easily hidden.

  Traders therefore turned to packaging.

  relatively clear transparent plastic beams

  eyelashes to be opened and often larger than the object to be protected. The packaging may also contain a notice

  advertising or employment, visible or not from the outside.

  Another reason for wrapping objects

  is inviolable to prevent customers from easily removing them from their packaging, which can lead to the deterioration or loss of all or part of the parts

contained in the packaging.

  We already know packaging made of

  generally transparent, relatively hard thermoplastic

  gide, and made up of two superimposed sheets of such a material, connected to each other at their periphery, for example by high frequency welding, and which trap the object or objects to be presented to the consumer. In some cases, one

  sheets, or both sheets, are shaped

  to marry at least roughly the shape of the object to be wrapped, for example a photographic film, a pair of scissors, a light bulb or any other object. This guy

  packaging, often called "blister", usual presents-

  lie a good degree of inviolability, higher than that 'obtained

  by laminating or tight packaging, that is to say by

  place the object on a sheet of cardboard or the like and re-

  covering of the whole by a sheet of plastic material

  that, or even by heat sealing, that is to say sealing

  a thermoformed shell on a cardboard support.

  The aforementioned relatively inviolable packages formed by two sheets of relatively rigid transparent plastic material, heat-sealed at their periphery, are relatively expensive to produce, because they require

  a large workforce and the use of support machines

  which are not always available from the user

  ie the packaging company which will put the objects to be protected in their packaging and then close it. An object of the present invention is to produce packaging that is both inexpensive and relatively inviolable and that does not require specialized equipment for

  their sealing. The objective is in particular to carry out

  ballages which cannot be opened easily by the sole use of the fingers, so that the wrapped object cannot

  not be easily removed from its packaging and stolen or sim-

badly deteriorated.

  These packages may contain useful objects

  res, such as those mentioned above, or else

  all kinds of fertilizers, chemical agents

  intended for industry, agriculture or domestic uses

  ticks, without this list being exhaustive.

  Another aspect of the invention relates to the fa-

  brication, by thermoforming of sheets or strips of ma-

  thermoplastic, preferably transparent, parts

  these constitutive of the packaging article of the invention.

  This manufacturing must be inexpensive and the thermoforming mold must easily adapt to the change in shape of the object to be packaged, in order to avoid having to create a mold for each particular object or each dimension of the same object. ''

  By sheet, in what follows, we mean any material

  riau of relatively low thermoplastic material

  thickness, whatever its extent. This therefore includes our-

  especially sheets, strips, thin plates. The packaging article of the invention comprises two

  assembled sheets of thermoplastic material, preferably

  Transparent, relatively rigid:

  a) a first leaf (or female leaf) in la-

  said relatively rigid material is shaped to have on at least part of its periphery a deformation which is itself relatively rigid in the form of a channel, narrower at its birth (its entry) than at least one other zone situated more deeply, b ) a second sheet (or male sheet) of said relatively rigid material is shaped so as to have, on at least part of its periphery, a deformation which is itself relatively rigid in the form of a channel, narrower at its birth (its entry) than at least one other zone situated more deeply, said deformation being, with respect to

  the deformation of the first leaf, of the same general shape

  rale than this one and of smaller dimensions although suf-

  so that when you bring the second sheet under

  the first leaf, we have to exert a no-

  table to penetrate the peripheral deformation of the

  second leaf in the peripheral deformation of the first

  leaf and that after this effort the peripheral deformation

  risk of the second sheet is firmly held in the peripheral deformation of the first sheet, at least the first sheet further having at least one other deformation, in a non-peripheral area and not contiguous to the peripheral deformation, intended to

  receive the object (s) to be packed.

  It is clear that the more the material of the leaves will be

  rigid and / or thick, or even more the difference in

  between the entry of the peripheral deformation and a

  other wider area located deeper in said de-

  the greater the peripheral formation, the more diffi

  cile of penetrating the peripheral deformation of the second leaf into that of the first leaf and more

  then it will be difficult to disassemble the two sheets.

  A compromise must therefore be found in each case, such that the effort to be exerted during the sealing is not excessive but is however sufficient for good maintenance, and therefore good inviolability of the assembly. In the case for example where the peripheral deformation takes the form of an inverted truncated cone, as a general rule, and subject to the above, the angle at the base of the inverted truncated cone,

  with respect to the portion of the sheet of thermo-material

  neighboring non-deformed plastic, most often

  between 60 and 89 degrees, preferably between 75 and 85 degrees.

  The sheets should therefore be relatively rigid

  but nevertheless have flexibility to allow

be the assembly operations.

  The embodiments indicated below are given by way of illustration and can be implemented

separately or in combination.

  In a preferred embodiment, the (or)

  deformation (s) intended to receive the object or objects to be

  baller is (are) performed only on the foil

  melle and its (their) orientation is in the same direction with respect to said sheet as the peripheral deformation of this

  leaf. The other (male) leaf has no deformation

  tion other than the peripheral deformation and therefore has no irregularity allowing it to be grasped with the fingers in an attempt to disassemble the two sheets, a

once the assembly has been completed.

  In another preferred embodiment, the peripheral deformation is carried out over the entire periphery of each of the two sheets and the sheets have no significant projecting part beyond the peripheral deformation in order to avoid being able to grasp ' such

  protruding parts and exert an increased effort which

  at the unwanted opening of the assembly once

  that it has been realized. This embodiment can be useful-

  must be combined with the previous one (male leaf without

  finger points).

  To allow the hanging of the wrapped article on a display rod, or other support, it is possible to have a common perforation of the two sheets in a different zone.

  that the deformation zones intended, on the one hand, for as-

  semblage and, on the other hand, to receive the object or objects to be presented.

  According to another preferred variant, the wall of the

  peripheral formation of the most external male leaf

  lower, wall which will be called return wall, is shorter than the wall of said innermost (most central) deformation so as to enclose the extreme rim of the male sheet inside the peripheral deformation of the female leaf and increase the difficulty of grasping it.

  In another embodiment, and to increase

  the degree of inviolability of the packaging article

  lage, we have at the bottom of the peripheral deformation of

  the female leaf and / or the external surface of the deformation

  peripheral tion of the male sheet an adhesion agent possibly protected by a sheet of paper or other easily peelable material. Before sealing both

  sheets, if a protective sheet is used,

  lift this protective sheet and proceed to assembly.

  The thermoplastic material may be of a kind

  conch as long as it is suitable for the thermo technique

  forming. It could be, for example, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), polystyrene, polypropylene or the like. We

  prefers a transparent material, which allows better visibility

  read the object enclosed in the packaging, only a translucent material or even an opaque material. Matter is not

  necessarily the same for both sheets, and this pre-

  feel a particular interest when the two materials do not weld by the usual welding methods such as high frequency welding. This is therefore an advantage

additional of the invention.

  Another important aspect of the invention is that relating to the process for manufacturing shaped sheets,

  know the female leaf and the male leaf. According to the invention

  tion, at least the sheet which receives the deformation intended to receive the object or objects to be packaged is manufactured by positive thermoforming, that is to say with the use of a plate comprising in relief, and not in hollow, the pattern

  (also called profile later) intended to create the

  peripheral leaf formation. It suffices to add, in the non-peripheral part of the plate, a removable shaping mass which can easily be changed to

  take the approximate shape of each object that we de-

  can be wrapped, for example a cylindrical or semi-circular shape

  lindrique if it is a photo film, a general shape of a pair of scissors, an eraser, a watch strap, a tool such as a screwdriver, hammer, etc. The process for manufacturing the shaped sheets will include the following steps: A) thermoforming of a first packaging sheet of relatively rigid thermoplastic material using

  a substantially flat thermoforming plate comprising

  both, in positive relief, (a) a pattern of the same general shape

  that the desired peripheral deformation for said pre-

  first sheet, namely a pattern narrower at its base than at least one other zone situated above, intended to create said peripheral deformation, and (b), inside the pattern (a), a pattern of configuration removable intended for

  create the deformation for housing objects to be

  baller, so as to form a female sheet, B) thermoforming of a second packaging sheet of relatively rigid thermoplastic material using a substantially flat thermoforming plate comprising a

  pattern of the same general shape as pattern (a) and of dimension

  weaker but the widest part of which is

  for wider than the base of the motif (a), so that a

  significant effort is required to penetrate the deformation

  peripheral mation of the second thermal packaging sheet

  moformed in the peripheral deformation of the first thermoformed packaging sheet, this so as to form a

male leaf.

  In the case where it is desired that the object is partly in a housing of the first sheet and partly in a corresponding complementary housing of the second

  sheet, a mo-

  positive tif for one of the deformations (that of the deformation

  peripheral or housing of the object) and a negative reason for the other. However, it was found in this

  case, that it was more advantageous to realize the pattern of-

  keen to create additional positive housing and

  tif intended to create the peripheral deformation in negative, however, preferably using a greater thickness of the thermoplastic material, C) cutting of the first and second thermoformed sheets by eliminating any portion of sheet external to the peripheral deformation. Simultaneously one can drill a hole intended to suspend the article on a display.

  Preferably the outermost wall of the

  peripheral formation of the male leaf is cut shorter than the corresponding wall of the peripheral deformation of the female leaf, so, as indicated

  previously, that it is more difficult to grasp the re-

  edge in the relatively narrow space of the entrance to the

Peripheral training.

  By positive relief is meant that the relief protrudes above the plate, as opposed to a negative relief in which the relief is hollow relative to the

surface of the plate.

  Figures 1 to 7, given as examples, illus-

  trent the invention without wishing to limit it in any way.

  Figure 1 shows in perspective a packaging article according to the invention, before its assembly. The

  thermoformed "female" sheet has a sensitive portion

  completely flat, non-deformed 1, a peripheral deformation 2 in elevation over the entire periphery of the sheet which is here rectangular but which could have any other shape, such as circular or polygonal. We have designated by 2a, 2b,

  2c, 2d the four lateral portions of this deformation.

  3 shows an elevation portion which is the deformation intended to receive the object to be packaged (during

  filling it is more convenient to turn the foil over

  melle so that the deformation 3 can receive the object, in the manner of a cut, without risk of falling of the object). The "male" sheet also includes a substantially flat, non-deformed portion 4, which preferably occupies the entire space between the peripheral deformations. Furthermore, it comprises a peripheral deformation 5a, 5b, 'c, 5d substantially identical to that of the female sheet.

  and intended to come and engage in this latest deformation

  tion when closing. We can take advantage of the filling

  to also insert an advertising or informative notice.

  Both sheets may have recessed perforations

  gard such as 12 and 12 'intended for the attachment of

  the article on a display in the shape of a horizontal rod.

  Figures 2a and 2c show an enlarged section

  die an embodiment of peripheral deformations

  corresponding, for example 2b and 5b (the demonstration se-

  would be the same for the other sides of the article which cor-

  correspond and are intended to fit together). Before assembly, the male sheet 4 is brought with its peripheral deformation 5b under the female sheet 1, and after having loaded the object

  to be wrapped in the corresponding part 3, we force the

  peripheral formation 5b in peripheral deformation

  2b by removing the entry thereof to force the passage.

  Simultaneously one engages the other deformations, on the

  IS other sides, of the male leaf in the cor-

  of the female leaf. After switching on we have

the arrangement of Figure 2b.

  FIG. 3a represents an assembly in which the

  shape of the peripheral deformation, seen in section, is felt

  significantly more rounded, which facilitates embolism. We prefer however the arrangement in inverted truncated cone

  Figures 2a and 2b due to its better inviolability -

  lity. Note that if the peripheral deformations 2

  : and 5 have little different dimensions, the lower border

  the deformation of the male leaf may not

  fully penetrate the deformation of the foil

  which is a disadvantage as it can help unseal the item. It is therefore preferred, as in FIG. 3b, for the external wall of the deformation of the male sheet to be substantially shorter than that of the sheet.

  female, so as not to overflow and, better, not to

  appear at the introductory slot. It is clear that the same arrangement can be made whatever the

  form of peripheral deformation.

  Figures 4a and 4b show in cross-section

  dirty according to X1X2 and X3X4 respectively the female sheets

and male.

  FIG. 5 shows by way of example a thermoforming plate of the female sheet, for example made of metal, the flat part of which is designated by 6. It includes in elevation a profile (pattern) generally designated by 7 which can take any appropriate form to create the

  desired peripheral deformation of the thermoplastic sheets-

  ticks. In the case of FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the profile is of inverted frustoconical section, wider at the top 8 than at the

  base (not shown). 9 designates the wall of this profile.

  This plate also has a shaping mass

  , preferably removable, adapted to the shape of the deformation

  mation 3 that we want to create. Mass 10 can easily be replaced by a mass of different shape

  which will create the female receptacle intended to receive

see other types of objects.

  Figure 6 shows a thermoforming plate

  of the male leaf, the flat part of which is designated by 6 ′.

  It has in elevation a profile (pattern) designated by 7 '

  and who will, if he must cooperate with the profile 7 of the

  gure 5, the same general shape but light dimensions-

  for the reasons given above.

  We find the top 8 'and the wall 9' of the profile.

  Many other variations can be made

  to the invention, and for example the fact of having a deformation-

  peripheral device whose two walls (external and internal) do not have the same shape or the same orientation, subject to the maintenance of an enlarged area in at least part of

  this deformation beyond its entry.

  For example, if we want to further strengthen the assembly-

  two or more peripheral deformations may be provided

  successive risks on the two sheets, the perimeter of the second being greater than that of the first. So we will have

  double engagement and enhanced security.

  When it is desired that the external wall of the deformation

  tion of the male leaf is shorter than that of the female leaf, we can have for the 7 'profile of the

  platinum intended for the male leaf the shape drawn in the fi-

  gure 7. The cutting can then be done at the

point 11.

Claims (10)

-R E V E N D I C A T I ONS-   1. Packing item comprising two sheets as-   similar in thermoplastic material, preferably trans-   parent, relatively rigid, characterized in that it comprises   takes a) a first sheet, or female sheet (1), of said relatively rigid material, which is shaped to   have a deformation on at least part of its periphery   itself relatively rigid in the form of a channel (2), this deformation being narrower at its entry than at least one other zone situated more deeply, '   b) a second leaf, or male leaf (4), in la-   said relatively rigid material which is shaped for   have a deformation on at least part of its periphery   relatively rigid, channel-shaped (5),   narrower at its entrance than at least one other area if-   killed more deeply, said deformation being, by comparison   wear to the deformation of the first sheet, of the same general shape as this one and of smaller dimensions although sufficient so that, when bringing the second sheet under the first sheet, one is obliged to exert a notable effort to make penetrate the peripheral deformation of the second leaf into the peripheral deformation of the   first leaf and that after this effort the deformation peri-   the second leaf is firmly held in the peripheral deformation of the first leaf, at least the first leaf further having   minus another deformation (3) in a non-peripheral zone   that and not contiguous to the peripheral deformation, intended   to receive the object or objects to be packaged.   2. Packaging article according to claim 1, in   which the peripheral deformation is performed on the tota-   lity of the periphery of each of the two sheets and the   sheets have no significant projecting part above   beyond said peripheral deformations.   3. Packaging article according to claim 1 or 2,   in which the deformation intended to receive the object (s)   jets to be packaged is only present on the female sheet, the male sheet having no deformation or any irregularity other than its own peripheral deformation.   4. Packaging article according to any of the   previous vendications, in which the outermost wall   of the peripheral deformation of the male leaf   (back wall) is shorter than the innermost wall   of said peripheral deformation, so as to enclose   sea the extreme edge of the male leaf inside the   peripheral deformation of the female leaf and increased be the difficulty of grasping it.   5. Packaging article according to any of the   vendications 1 to 4, in which the section of the peripheral deformation of each of the sheets is that of an inverted truncated cone of angle at the base relative to the neighboring portion of non-deformed sheet, between 60 and 89 degrees,   preferably between 75 and 85 degrees.   6. Packaging article according to any of the   Vendications 1 to 5, in which the two sheets have a common perforation intended for attachment, in an area other than the deformation areas intended on the one hand for assembly and on the other hand for receiving the object or objects to present.   7. Packaging article according to any of the   claims 1 to 6, in which a membership agent is available   placed at the bottom of the peripheral deformation of the sheet   female and / or on the external surface of the peri- male leaf spherical.   8. Method of manufacturing a packaging article   according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized   by the following steps: A) thermoforming of a first packaging sheet of relatively rigid thermoplastic material using a substantially planar thermoforming plate (6) comprising, in positive relief, (a) a pattern (7) of the same general shape as the peripheral deformation desired for said first sheet, and (b), inside the pattern (a), a removable conformation pattern (10) intended to create the deformation intended for housing the objects to be packaged, so as to form a female sheet, B) thermoforming of a second packaging sheet of relatively rigid thermoplastic material using a substantially flat thermoforming plate (6 ') comprising a pattern (7') of the same shape general than the pattern (a) and of smaller dimensions but the widest part of which is however wider than the base of the pattern (a), so that a significant effort is necessary to penetrate the peripheral deformation of the second thermoformed packaging sheet in the peripheral deformation of the first thermoformed packaging sheet, so as to form a male sheet, C) cutting of the first and second sheets   thermoformed by eliminating any portion of outer sheet   less than peripheral deformation.   9. The method of claim 8, wherein the cutting is carried out so that the outermost wall of the peripheral deformation of the male sheet   is shorter than the corresponding wall of the deformation   peripheral tion of the female leaf.   10. Use of a packaging article according to one   any of claims 1 to 7 or manufactured in accordance with   the method of any of claims 8 and 9 for   package one or more objects for presentation.