GB2173174A

GB2173174A - Package

Info

Publication number: GB2173174A
Application number: GB08508473A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Norman Spary
Original assignee: EPS GROUP Ltd
Current assignee: EPS GROUP Ltd
Priority date: 1985-04-01
Filing date: 1985-04-01
Publication date: 1986-10-08
Also published as: GB2173174B; GB8508473D0

Abstract

A package for phials 24 comprises a block of shock-absorbent material such as expanded polyethylene formed with a plurality of parallel bores 12 extending therethrough from the upper face of the block to the lower face thereof, separately formed inserts 18 of resilient shock-absorbent material extending into said bores from the lower face of said block, a further separately formed piece 20 of shock-absorbing material adjoining the upper face of the block and extending across said bores 12 and a rectangular sleeve 26 of sheet plastics into which the remainder of the package is slid. The sleeve holds the block 14, the inserts 18 and the further piece 20 of shock-absorbing material in position relative to one another to define, in each bore 12, a closed cavity for the respective phial 24, between the respective insert 18 and the further piece 20 of shock-absorbing material. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Package This invention relates to a package particularly suitable for frangible items such as glass phials.

It is an object of the present invention to provide and improved package for such items which is simple to manufacture and assemble and is convenient in use.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a package for at least one frangible item such as a phial, comprising a block of shock-absorbent material formed with at least one hole extending therethrough from one face of the block to an opposite face thereof, a separately formed insert of resilient shock-absorbent material extending into said hole from said one face of said block, a further separately formed piece of shock-absorbing material adjoining the opposite face of the block and extending across said hole, and means holding the block, said insert and said further separately formed piece of shock-absorbing material in position relative to one another to define a closed cavity, in said hole, or a said frangible item, between said insert and said further piece of shockabsorbing material.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided the combination of a package according to the first aspect with, in the or each said cavity, an item or a respective item.

Preferably, in such a combination, the or each said item is a loose fit within the respective hole formed through said block, but is of such a length that the respective insert is resiliently deformed axially between one end of the item and the means for holding the shock-absorbing members together, whereby when the package is opened and said further separately formed piece of shock-absorbing material is removed, the or each said item is thrust axially by the respective insert so that the opposite end of the respective item is protected from the respective hole beyond said one face of the block.

An embodiment of the invention is described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an apertured block forming part of a package embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a cover sheet for the block, Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a sleeve forming an outer covering of the package, Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical section through the package in the closed condition, and Figure 5 is a corresponding view in vertical section but showing the position with the outer sleeve of the package removed and the cover sheet lifted.

Referring to the drawings, the package comprises a block 10 of relatively stiff foam plastics material such as expanded polyethylene, the block having the overall form of a right parallelepiped and having a plurality of parallel bores or holes 12 therethrough each extending from the upper face 14 of the block to the lower face 16 of the block 10.

Received within the lower end of each bore 12 is a respective insert 18 of resiliently deformable foam plastics material, such as polyurethane foam. In the arrangement shown, each bore 12 is cylindrical and each plug 18 is likewise cylindrical and is a light interference fit in the respective bore 12. Each plug 18 has a planar lower face flush with the lower face 16 of the block.

The package also includes a rectangular sheet 20 of plastics foam which, in the completed package, is placed on the upper surface 14 of the block 10, the shape and size of each major face of the sheet 20 being the same as the shape and size of the upper and lower faces 14 and 16 of the block so that in the completed package the edges of the sheet 20 are flush with the side faces of the block 10.

The holes 12 are preferably formed in the foam material of the block 10 by boring or routing, since it has been found impracticable to form the block 10, with the holes 12, by moulding. However, it will be appreciated that there is no reason in principle why a moulded block 10 with moulded holes 10 should not be used if a practicable and economical method of so forming the block should become available.

As shown in Figure 4, in the completed package, individual items such as glass phials indicated generally at 24 are located within respective bores 12 with their lower ends resting on the inserts 18 and their upper ends engaged by the under surface of the sheet 20 which is held in contact with the upper face 14 of the block 10 by an outer covering provided, in the preferred embodiment, by a sleeve 26 (Figure 3) which is preferably of sheet plastics material. It will be appreciated that the block 10, with the cover sheet 20 fitted thereon, forms a composite rectangular body. This body is so dimensioned as to fit snugly within the complementary rectangular space formed within sleeve 26 which is open at each end thereof and is adapted to be slid longitudinally over said composite body.

The dimensions of the plugs 18 in relation to the length of the bores 12 and the length of the items 24 are such that, in the closed condition of the package, as shown in Figure 4, each of the inserts 18 is resiliently compressed so that the respective phial 24 is lightly clamped in its axial direction between the respective insert 18 and the cover sheet 20. When the sleeve 26 is removed and the cover sheet 20 lifted (see Figure 5) the inserts 18 expand resiliently upwardly, acting as springs and urging the phials 24 upwardly so that the upper end of the latter project above the upper face 14 of the block so that the upper ends of the phials are readily accessible for lifting the phials from the block.

For ease of manufacture and assembly, the individual inserts 18 may be held in place by a base sheet (not shown) engaging, and possibly adhesively secured to, the under-surface 16 of the block and the lower surfaces of the inserts 18. Alternatively, the inserts 18 may be formed as integral protrusions from a foam base sheet (not shown) adapted to engage the lower face 16 of the block 10 in much the same way as the sheet 20 engages the upper face 14.

It will be appreciated that the outer covering of the package need not be an open-ended sleeve but may be, for example, a conventional cardboard box or the like.

Whilst in the embodiment described, the package is used for glass phials, it will be appreciated that a similar package can be used for other delicate articles.

Claims

1. A package for at least one frangible item such as a phial, comprising a block of shock-absorbent material formed with at least one hole extending therethrough from one face of the block to an opposite face thereof, a separately formed insert of resilent shock-absorbent material extending into said hole from said one face of said block, a further separately formed piece of shock-absorbing material adjoining the opposite face of the block and extending across said hole, and means holding the block, said insert and said further separately formed piece of shock-absorbing material in position relative to one another to define a closed cavity, in said hole, for a said frangible item, between said insert and said further piece of shockabsorbing material.

2. A package according to claim 1, wherein said block has a plurality of holes extending therethrough from said one face to said opposite face thereof, each said hole having a respective said insert of resilient material extending into the hole from said one face, and said further separately formed piece of shock-absorbing material extending across each said hole, whereby there is defined within each said hole a respective closed cavity for a respective item.

3. A package according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each of said shock-absorbing materials is a foam plastics material.

4. A package according to claim 3 wherein said block is formed of a relatively stiff foam plastics material and the or each said insert is formed from a more readily deformable resilient foam plastics material.

5. A package according to claim 4 wherein said block is in the form of a right parallelepiped, said further separately formed piece of shock absorbing material is in the form of a rectangular sheet having major flat faces corresponding in size and shape to the respective said face of said block, and the each said insert has an outer surface with lies flush with said opposite face of the block, whereby the block, the further sheet and said insert or inserts form a composite rectangular body which is encompassed by an outer packing serving to hold the components of shock-absorbing material together in their desired position.

6. A package according to claim 5 wherein said outer packing is in the form of an open-ended rectangular sleeve of sheet material.

7. The combination of a package according to any preceding claim with, in each said cavity, a respective item.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein each said item is a loose fit within the respective hole formed through said block, but is of such a length that the respective insert is resiliently deformed axially between one end of the item and the means holding the shock-absorbing members together, whereby when the package is opened and said further separately formed piece of shockabsorbing material is removed, the item is thrust axially by the respective insert so that the opposite end of the respective item is projected from the respective hole beyond said one face of the block.

9. A package substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.