GB2269365A - Protective packaging - Google Patents

Abstract

Protective packaging far delicate items comprises several sheets (40) of material to be inserted into a given case, each sheet having a number of holes (34) each of a profile for receiving an item. The pattern of holes in any one sheet is such that, with respect to the neighbouring sheet or sheets, the hole centres in said sheet are aligned with hole-free portions of the neighbouring sheet or sheets; in a preferred form, the pattern in each sheet is identical and such that, when each sheet in the case is either inverted with respect to the neighbouring sheet or sheets or, when each sheet in the case is rotated relative to its neighbouring sheet or sheets and in its own plane, said alignment is obtained. <IMAGE>

Description

PROTECTIVE PACKAGING The present invention concerns the packaging of delicate items such as fruit. Hitherto, in order to protect apples and other top fruit it has been known to wrap each individual fruit item in a paper cover before placing it into a case for transit. The wrapping helps to prevent abrasion damage but the crop may still suffer bruising because individual fruit items rest against each other at random in the case. It is known to provide transit cases with moulded trays in which a number of depressions are formed, each for the reception of an individual fruit. Such trays help to reduce bruising as well as abrasion but are relatively expensive to produce.

The present invention provides protective packaging for delicate items and comprises a sheet of material to be inserted into a case, the sheet having one or more through holes each of a profile for receiving an item therein, the sheet holding individual items in place in the case in use.

The protective packaging is easily and relatively cheaply produced, for example from corrugated board. Each hole may be surrounded by a collar of material folded from the sheet.

This helps to spread the contact loads imposed on the items.

Preferably the collar is formed as a number of resilient tabs whose deflection is adjustable to compensate for variations in item size. The resiliency also helps to cushion the items from externai shocks.

Several sheets may be inserted into a case, each one being loaded with items in turn. For convenience of manufacture and stock control, the holes in each sheet are preferably formed in an identical pattern. The pattern may be one that allows the hole centres in one sheet to be aligned with hole-free portions of the neighbouring sheet or sheets, by inverting each sheet or alternatively by rotating it in its own plane, with respect to its neighbour or neighbours. In order to provide secure retention of the items, the holes are preferably shaped to receive a portion of the items of large cross-section relative to their largest cross-section. The items can also be retained in position by hole-free portions of adjacent sheets or on the walls of the case. Some or all of the weight of the items may be supported by the sheet rather than being imposed on the items below.The sheet may be provided with spacing and/or stiffening flaps. So that layers of items can be easily unpacked from the case, the sheet can incorporate a lifting hole or handle. The items are preferably held separated from each other in the case.

Embodiments of the invention are described below by way of example and with reference to the drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows in elevation a number of spheres in face centred cubic (FCC) arrangement; Figure 2a shows the lines of intersection between the spheres of Figure 1 and the perpendicular plane denoted by line A-A in Figure 1; Figure 2b shows the lines of intersection between the spheres of Figure 1 and the perpendicular plane denoted by line B-B in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows in elevation a number of spheres in body centred cubic (BCC) arrangement; Figure 4a shows the lines of intersection between the spheres of Figure 3 and the perpendicular plane denoted by C C in Figure 3; Figure 4b shows the lines of intersection between the spheres of Figure 3 and the perpendicular plane denoted by D D in Figure 3;; Figure 5 shows a number of spheres in hexagonal close packed (HCP) arrangement; Figure 6a shows the lines of intersection between the spheres of Figure 5 and the perpendicular plane denoted by E E in Figure 5; Figure 6b shows the lines of intersection between the spheres of Figure 5 and the perpendicular plane denoted by F F in Figure 5; Figure 7 shows a "squashed" HCP arrangement of spheres; Figure 8 shows the lines of intersection between the spheres of Figure 7 and the perpendicular plane denoted by G G in Figure 7; Figure 9 shows the lines of intersection between the spheres of Figure 1 and the perpendicular plane denoted by I I in Figure 1; and Figure 10 shows a preferred embodiment of a sheet according to the invention.

Figures 1, 3 and 5 illustrate three ways of packing together spheres 10, namely FCC, BCC and HCP arrangements respectively. By forming sheets of material (for example corrugated cardboard) with holes as represented by the circles 20 in Figures 2a, 2b, 4a, 4b, 6a and 6b and supporting them in a case at levels represented by the planes A, B, C, D, E or F respectively, the layers will form protective packaging for retaining spherical or nearspherical items in position in the case. Of course, in order to form practical packaging the circles 20 representing holes shown in Figures 2a, 2b, 4a, 6a and 6b would have to be spaced slightly further apart in order to leave bridging pieces to maintain the integrity of each sheet. The bridging pieces will also reduce or eliminate contact between the items as is desirable in order to protect them.

Although circular holes for approximately spherical items have been discussed and represented in the drawings, other shapes appropriate to other cross-sectional shapes of the items could be used.

Sheets positioned at the intersections between layers of items, e.g. planes A-A, C-C or E-E can also serve to support the items, relieving the items below of the weight of the items above. Each sheet can be used to lift from the case the layer of items which it supports. However, as the cross-section of the items where they contact the sheets is perhaps not very large, the degree of lateral stabilisation provided by the sheets may be small, particularly in the case of smaller than usual items.

Sheets positioned at the largest cross-sections of the items, as shown by planes B-B, D-D and F-F, provide good lateral stability but are unable to support the item weight.

Not only must an item support the weight of items above but also each sheet cannot readily be used to lift out of the case the layer of items passing therethrough.

An arrangement in which the sheets provide good lateral stability as well as support for the item weight is diagrammatically illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. These figures show an HCP arrangement of spheres 10 "squashed" in the vertical direction so that the holes in plane G-G are more widely spaced than those of plane F-F (compare Figures 8 and 6b). This enables items from the adjacent layers to contact the sheet at plane G-G so that the items in the layer above G-G are supported by the material of the sheet. A similar arrangement is obtained by placing sheets at planes as denoted by I-I in the FCC arrangement of Figure 1. The corresponding arrangement of holes is shown in Figure 9. As will be readily apparent, it is also possible to produce a "squashed" BCC arrangement (not shown) in which a layer also supports items from the adjacent layer above.

Figure 10 shows a preferred embodiment of a sheet 30 according to the invention. It is used to form a substantially HCP arrangement of items in a case and is positioned relative to a layer of items in the plane represented by J-J in Figure 5. This provides good lateral stabilisation as the cross-section of the items embraced by each sheet is relatively large. At the same time, the sheets can still support the weight of the items. Each hole 32 in the sheet 30 is surrounded by a collar 34, comprising eight tabs 36 resiliently connected to the remainder of the sheet at a circular hinge line 38. Besides increasing the contact area between the sheet 30 and the items, thus reducing applied pressure, the tabs 36 also cushion the items from external shocks and help to compensate for variations in item size.The long edges of the sheet are provided with flaps 40 which are folded downwardly before each sheet is placed into the case. These flaps 40 serve to space the lowermost sheet 30 in the case so that the lowest points of the items projecting through the sheet 30 are supported just clear of the base of the case. The short edges of the sheet 30 are provided with flaps 42 which are folded upwardly before the sheet 30 is placed in the case. The flaps 42 are of a width such that they support the next sheet in the case at a level just clear of the tops of the items below. This next sheet and the cup-like depressions formed by the collars 34 co-operate to restrain the items which remain supported in the collars 34 of the first sheet. Flaps 40 and 42 also serve to stiffen the sheets.

The items supported by the next sheet hang partly through it to nest between items supported in the first sheet. Each sheet is identical but hole-free areas of the first sheet are arranged vertically below the hole centres in the next sheet by inverting every second sheet before folding its flaps 40 downwardly and its flaps 44 upwardly. None of the items supported in the case contact each other and all are restrained by the resilient tabs 36 If the items are fruit this results in protection from bruising and abrasion.

Should a fruit item become rotten, the spacing of the items helps to prevent the rot from spreading.

A layer of items may readily be removed from the case using hand holes 44 formed in each sheet. Should protection for particularly delicate items be required, each item can be supported by more than one sheet, optionally with collars being provided on the sheet or sheets where an item passes through them.

Claims (9)

CLAIMS:

1. Protective packaging for delicate items comprising a sheet of material to be inserted into a case, the sheet having a number of holes each of a profile for receiving an item therein, the sheet holding individual items in place in the case in use.

2. Packaging as claimed in claim 1 wherein each hole is surrounded by a collar of material folded from the sheet in use.

3. Packaging as claimed in claim 2 wherein the collar comprises resilient tabs.

4. Packaging as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein several such sheets are inserted into a given case in use and wherein the holes are formed in each sheet in an identical pattern.

5. Packaging as claimed in claim 4 wherein the pattern is such that when each sheet in the case is inverted with respect to the neighbouring sheet or sheets, the hole centres in one sheet are thereby aligned with hole-free portions of the neighbouring sheet or sheets.

6. Packaging as claimed in claim 4 wherein the pattern is such that when each sheet in the case is rotated relative to its neighbouring sheet or sheets and in its own plane, the hole centres in one sheet are thereby aligned with hole-free portions of the neighbouring sheet or sheets.

7. Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the holes are shaped to receive a portion of the articles of relatively large cross-section.

8. Packaging as claimed in claim 7 wherein the articles are maintained in position by a hole-free portion of an adjacent sheet or a wall of the case in use.

9. Protective packaging for delicate items, substantially as described with reference to or as shown in the drawings.

9. Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sheet comprises spacing and/or stiffening flaps.

10. Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sheet includes a lifting hole or handle.

11. Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the items are held separated in the case.

12. Protective packaging for delicate items, substantially s described with reference to or as shown in the drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. Protective packaging for delicate items comprising several sheets of material to be inserted into a given case, each sheet having a number of holes each of a profile for receiving an item therein, the pattern of holes in any one sheet being such that, with respect to the neighbouring sheet or sheets, the hole centres in said sheet are aligned with hole-free portions of the neighbouring sheet or sheets; whereby, in use, individual items can be held in place in the case.

2. Packaging as claimed in claim 1 wherein the holes are formed in each sheet in such an identical pattern that, when each sheet in the case is inverted with respect to the neighbouring sheet or sheets, said alignment is obtained.

3. Packaging as claimed in claim 1 wherein the holes are formed in each sheet in such an identical pattern that, when each sheet in the case is rotated relative to its neighbouring sheet or sheets and in its own plane, said alignment is obtained.

4. Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the holes are shaped to receive a relatively large cross-section portion of the item.

5. Packaging as claimed in claim 1 wherein the items are maintained in position by a hole-free portion of an adjacent sheet or a wall of the case in use.

6. Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sheet includes spacing and/or stiffening flaps.

7. Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sheet includes a lifting hole or handle.

8. Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the items are held separated in the case.