GB2180792A - Bubble packaging material - Google Patents

Bubble packaging material Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2180792A
GB2180792A GB08520072A GB8520072A GB2180792A GB 2180792 A GB2180792 A GB 2180792A GB 08520072 A GB08520072 A GB 08520072A GB 8520072 A GB8520072 A GB 8520072A GB 2180792 A GB2180792 A GB 2180792A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
packaging material
grid
bubble packaging
bubble
material according
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB08520072A
Other versions
GB2180792B (en
GB8520072D0 (en
Inventor
Geoffrey Leonard Arthur Sims
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
JIFFY PACKAGING CO Ltd
Original Assignee
JIFFY PACKAGING CO Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by JIFFY PACKAGING CO Ltd filed Critical JIFFY PACKAGING CO Ltd
Priority to GB8520072A priority Critical patent/GB2180792B/en
Publication of GB8520072D0 publication Critical patent/GB8520072D0/en
Publication of GB2180792A publication Critical patent/GB2180792A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2180792B publication Critical patent/GB2180792B/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32BLAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B3/00Layered products comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar shape; Layered products comprising a layer having particular features of form
    • B32B3/26Layered products comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar shape; Layered products comprising a layer having particular features of form characterised by a particular shape of the outline of the cross-section of a continuous layer; characterised by a layer with cavities or internal voids ; characterised by an apertured layer
    • B32B3/28Layered products comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar shape; Layered products comprising a layer having particular features of form characterised by a particular shape of the outline of the cross-section of a continuous layer; characterised by a layer with cavities or internal voids ; characterised by an apertured layer characterised by a layer comprising a deformed thin sheet, i.e. the layer having its entire thickness deformed out of the plane, e.g. corrugated, crumpled
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32BLAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B15/00Layered products comprising a layer of metal
    • B32B15/02Layer formed of wires, e.g. mesh
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65DCONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D65/00Wrappers or flexible covers; Packaging materials of special type or form
    • B65D65/38Packaging materials of special type or form
    • B65D65/40Applications of laminates for particular packaging purposes
    • B65D65/406Applications of laminates for particular packaging purposes with at least one layer provided with a relief other than corrugations
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65DCONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D81/00Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D81/24Adaptations for preventing deterioration or decay of contents; Applications to the container or packaging material of food preservatives, fungicides, pesticides or animal repellants
    • B65D81/30Adaptations for preventing deterioration or decay of contents; Applications to the container or packaging material of food preservatives, fungicides, pesticides or animal repellants by excluding light or other outside radiation
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32BLAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B2262/00Composition or structural features of fibres which form a fibrous or filamentary layer or are present as additives
    • B32B2262/10Inorganic fibres
    • B32B2262/103Metal fibres
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32BLAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B2305/00Condition, form or state of the layers or laminate
    • B32B2305/38Meshes, lattices or nets
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32BLAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B2553/00Packaging equipment or accessories not otherwise provided for
    • B32B2553/02Shock absorbing
    • B32B2553/026Bubble films

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Laminated Bodies (AREA)
  • Wrappers (AREA)

Abstract

A bubble packaging material comprises a front layer (12) and a rear layer (14) of respective plastics films, the front and rear layers being sealed together at zones (16), except for regions (17) at which individual sacs for bubble (18) are provided which contain air. The bubble packaging material comprises an additional rear layer (20), an electrically conductive metal grid (22) being provided between the layers (14) and (20), the grid (22) extending throughout the material. In particular the grid (22) is produced from continuous copper monofilaments which are regularly interwoven during manufacture. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Packaging material This invention relates to packaging material of the kind comprising front and rear layers of flexible plastics film, the front and rear layers being sealed together except at a plurality of regions at which the front layer protrudes from the rear layer so as to form respective individual sacs or "bubbles" generally containing air. Packaging material of this kind is known as "bubble packaging material" or simply "bubble packaging".
Such material, which is generally transparent or translucent, may be used for packaging a wide variety of goods, especially relatively fragile goods, since the air-filled sacs can provide better cushioning than conventional foam.
Where the material is to used to protect static sensitive devices (e.g. printed circuit boards, magnetic tapes or discs, computer equipment in general, or other electronic equipment), the plastics films may include antistatic additives rendering the material more electrically conductive than would otherwise be the case. A higher degree of antistatic protection may be obtained by using packaging material incorporating conductive carbon in polyolefin films, so giving the material still greater conductivity, but the presence of the carbon tends to render the material opaque. Other packaging materials, such as metalised polyester, which may be transparent or translucent, are available, having still greater conductivity so as to give very rapid static charge dissipation, but such other materials are very expensive.
It is an object of the invention to enable a more cost effective packaging material capable of protecting static sensitive devices to be manufactured on conventional plastics film and bubble packaging apparatus, with minimal modification to the apparatus.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided bubble packaging material comprising an electrically conductive metal grid.
The grid, by virtue of being conductive, renders the material especially suitable for packaging static sensitive devices (e.g. those identified above), since it enables rapid static charge dissipation to be achieved.
Preferably the grid is produced from continuous or substantially continuous monofilaments (e.g. of copper) which are either regularly interwoven or randomly interwoven/orientated during manufacture, each monofilament touching many others to enable the grid to provide a conductive screen.
Preferably, gaps between the monofilaments are sufficiently large, in relation to the thickness of the monofilaments, to render the material generally transparent or translucent.
Preferably, a typical gap between monofilaments is nonetheless smaller than about 1 or 2 mm, to enable the grid to afford an effective screen against extraneous electromagnetic radiation incident thereon having wavelengths greater than about 1 or 2 mm.
Preferably the monofilaments have thicknesses of the order of 10 to 50 micrometres, which renders the grid sufficiently flexible for handling on conventional manufacturing apparatus, or for conventional use. In general, randomly woven monofilaments would be chosen so as to be finer, and arranged so as to have a finer spacing, than those for a regularly woven grid.
If desired, the grid may be laminated between the front and rear layers of the material.
Alternatively, the grid may be laminated between the conventional rear layer of the bub ble packaging material and an additional rear layer which is secured to the conventional rear layer. If desired, the grid may first be adhered to the additional rear layer, before securing thereof to the conventional rear layer.
Preferably, however, the grid is incorporated into a coherent plastics film (e.g. polyolefin) which advantageously includes antistatic additives. Such incorporation may for example be achieved by bringing the grid and the film together at a stage of manufacture at which the film is molten or relatively molten.
Such a film incorporating the grid may if desired be used as the sole rear layer of the bubble packaging, in which case substantially no modification need be made to conventional manufacturing apparatus.
Alternatively, such a film may be used as an additional rear layer which is laminated onto the rear layer of conventional bubble packaging material, for example at the same time as, or immediately after, the conventional bubble packaging material has been formed. The bubble material may itself include antistatic additives.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing bubble packaging material wherein an electrically conductive metal grid is included in the material.
Preferably, the material so manufactured is in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.
Two embodiments of bubble packaging material in accordance with the invention, and a method and apparatus for manufacture thereof, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first example of bubble packaging material embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of a metal grid of the material of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of a metal grid of a second example of bubble packaging material embodying the invention; and Figure 4 illustrates a method and apparatus by which such material embodying the invention may be manufactured.
Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a first example of packaging material 10 embodying the invention comprises a front layer 12 and a rear layer 14, of respective flexible plastics films, the front and rear layers being sealed together (e.g. at zones 16) except at a plurality of regions 17 at which the front layer 12 protrudes from the rear layer 14 such as to form an array of respective individual sacs or "bubbles" 18, containing air. The material 10 is thus of the kind known as "bubble packaging material" or simply "bubble packaging", the layers 12 and 16 being generally transparent or translucent. The material 10 is intended for use in packaging a wide variety of goods, especially relatively fragile goods, since the air-filled sacs 18 can provide better cushioning than conventional foam.The plastics films include antistactic additives rendering the material more electrically conductive than would otherwise be the case, to render the material suitable for protecting static sensitive devices (e.g. as hereinbefore identified), for example.
The material 10 further comprises an additional rear layer 20 of antistatic plastics film, the layer 20 being adhered to the layer 14, with an electrically conductive metal grid 22 laminated therebetween. The grid 22 extends throughout the material 10, and by virtue of being conductive, increases the suitability of the material 10 for packaging such static sensitive devices, since it enables rapid static charge dissipation to be achieved. In the example of Fig. 1, the grid 22 is produced from continuous copper monofilaments which are regularly interwoven during manufacture, each monoflment touching many others to enable the grid 22 to provide a conductive screen.
In an alternative embodiment, the grid is produced from relatively fine monofilaments which are randomly interwoven/orientated during manufacture, such an alternative grid being depicted in Fig. 3.
For each such grid, a typical gap between the constituent monofilaments, in relation to the thicknesses of the monofilaments, is sufficiently large to render the material generally transparent or translucent.
For the grid of Fig. 2, the typical gap between monofilaments is less than about 1 or 2 mm, to enable the grid 22 to afford an effective screen against extraneous electromagnetic radiation incident thereon and having wavelengths greater than about 1 or 2 mm.
For the grid 22, the monofilament thickness is of the order of 50 micrometres, which still renders the grid sufficiently flexible for hand ling on conventional machinery or for conventional use. For the grid of Fig. 3, the monofila ments are finer, of the order of 10 micrometres in thickness, correspondingly finer spacings also being present between the monofilaments. For any such grid, the monofilament thickness is preferably in the range from about 10 micrometres to about 50 micrometres.
In order to manufacture the material 10, the apparatus of Fig. 4 may be used. This apparatus is very similar to conventional apparatus for manufacturing bubble packaging. A vacuum roller 30 of the apparatus rotates in a generally anti-clockwise direction, and is supplied with plastics film material, which will afford the front layer 12, via a feed roller 32. At this stage, the plastics film material is in a hot, relatively molten state, having been obtained from a molten supply thereof by extrusion, which state facilitates subsequent vacuum forming thereof on the roller 30, as will hereinafter be described. A heated guide/nip/feed roller 34 is driven clockwise, substantially against the roller 30, the layer 12 passing between these rollers.In operation, as the layer 12 is drawn between the rollers 30 and 34, vacuum-suction means 38 is operative to create a vacuum in orifices 36 in the surface of roller 30 adjacent to the layer 12. The orifices 36 are distributed so as to correspond to the array/pattern of bubbles desired for the material 10. Due to this vacuum, respective regions of the layer 12 are sucked, and stretched irreversibly, into the respective orifices 36, so forming the bubbles, air outflow means 40 being operative to expel the layer 12 from the roller 30 on the right hand side of the roller 30 after bubble formation. A further hot, relatively molten, extruded web of plastics material forming the layer 14 is supplied to the roller 30 and thence to the nip, and another web comprising the rearmost layer 20 with the grid 22 pre-secured thereto, is fed to the nip via a roller 44.At the nip between the rollers 30 and 34, the layers 12 and 14 bond firmly to each other, and the layer 20 becomes adhered to the layer 14, so sandwiching the grid 22 between the layers 14 and 20. The finished material 10 emerges from the right hand side of the nip, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and ceases to be molten as it cools.
By using such a technique, the material 10 may be produced in a more cost-effective manner than conventional conductive packaging: the apparatus described is substantially conventional bubble packaging manufacturing apparatus, except for the provision of extra apparatus to supply the additionally rear layer 20 carrying the grid 22, and so minimal modification to existing machinery will be required.
The apparatus of Fig. 4 will be suitable for production of the material 10 using either regularly woven, or randomly woven, grids. If desired, the bubble material may be formed substantially conventionally, the grid and additional rear layer being secured thereto after the conventional manufacturing processes have occurred.
Although in the above examples, the grid is sandwiched between respective conventional and additional rear layers of the material 10, if desired, the grid may be laminated directly between conventional front and rear layers of such material, provided that a sufficiently good seal may still be obtained between the front and rear layers 12 and 14.
In another embodiment, which is to be preferred where feasible, such a grid or grids is or are incorporated into a coherent plastics film (e.g. polyolefin) which itself advantageously includes antistatic additives. Such a film incorporating the grid may be used as the sole rear layer of such packaging material or as an additional rear layer which is laminated onto the rear layer of conventional bubble packaging material. Where such a film incorporating the grid is to be the sole rear layer, this may be achieved by omitting the layer 20 and incorporating the grid 22 into the layer 14 by bringing the grid 22 against the surface of the layer 14 (still relatively molten) which will face the layer 12, prior to receipt of the layer 14 by the roller 30. The roller 44 could then be omitted.
The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (15)

1. Bubble packaging material comprising an electrically conductive metal grid.
2. Bubble packaging material according to Claim 1 wherein the grid is produced from continuous or substantially continuous monofilaments.
3. Bubble packaging material according to Claim 2 wherein the monofiliaments are interwoven, and/or random.
4. Bubble packaging material according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the spacing between elements of the grid is less than 2 mm.
5. Bubble packaging material according to Claim 5 wherein the spacing is less than 1 mm.
6. Bubble packaging material according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the elements of the grid have a thickness in the range 10 to 50 micrometres.
7. Bubble packaging material according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the grid is laminated between front and rear layers of the bubble packaging material.
8. Bubble packaging material according to any one of Claims 1 to 7 is laminated between a rear layer and an additional rear layer.
9. Bubble packaging material according to any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein the grid is incorporated into a coherent plastics film.
10. Bubble packing material according to Claim 10 wherein the plastics film includes antistatic additives.
11. A method of manufacturing bubble packaging material wherein an electrically conducted metal grid -is included in the material.
12. A method according to Claim 12 wherein the material so manufactured is in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 11.
13. Bubble packaging material constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompany drawings.
14. A method of manufacturing bubble packaging material when carried out substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
15. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or as shown in the accomapnying drawings.
GB8520072A 1985-08-09 1985-08-09 Packaging material Expired GB2180792B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8520072A GB2180792B (en) 1985-08-09 1985-08-09 Packaging material

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8520072A GB2180792B (en) 1985-08-09 1985-08-09 Packaging material

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8520072D0 GB8520072D0 (en) 1985-09-18
GB2180792A true GB2180792A (en) 1987-04-08
GB2180792B GB2180792B (en) 1989-08-02

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Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2225536A (en) * 1988-12-03 1990-06-06 Nisbet Baldwin Lillian Crackermat
US5175033A (en) * 1990-06-22 1992-12-29 W. R. Grace & Co.-Conn. Metallized bag with improved interlayer adhesion for static protection of electronic components
GB2274085A (en) * 1993-01-07 1994-07-13 Mandarin Bubblepak Limited Laminated bubble sheet for use as packaging material
EP1055611A2 (en) * 1999-05-25 2000-11-29 BP Europack S.P.A. Composite film for packages, and apparatus for the production thereof
WO2006023429A1 (en) * 2004-08-16 2006-03-02 Dow Global Technologies Inc. Reinforced polymer composites

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2225536A (en) * 1988-12-03 1990-06-06 Nisbet Baldwin Lillian Crackermat
GB2225536B (en) * 1988-12-03 1992-05-27 Nisbet Baldwin Lillian Cracker mat
US5175033A (en) * 1990-06-22 1992-12-29 W. R. Grace & Co.-Conn. Metallized bag with improved interlayer adhesion for static protection of electronic components
GB2274085A (en) * 1993-01-07 1994-07-13 Mandarin Bubblepak Limited Laminated bubble sheet for use as packaging material
EP1055611A2 (en) * 1999-05-25 2000-11-29 BP Europack S.P.A. Composite film for packages, and apparatus for the production thereof
EP1055611A3 (en) * 1999-05-25 2002-01-02 BP Europack S.P.A. Composite film for packages, and apparatus for the production thereof
WO2006023429A1 (en) * 2004-08-16 2006-03-02 Dow Global Technologies Inc. Reinforced polymer composites

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2180792B (en) 1989-08-02
GB8520072D0 (en) 1985-09-18

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19980809