JPS5914384Y2 - tennis ball packaging - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tennis ball package having a substantially airtight container configured to enclose a tennis ball in at least two sections.

Traditionally, the internal pressure of tennis balls decreases during the so-called storage period from production to use in a game, and in order to prevent the specified internal pressure from being achieved during play, pressure is applied inside a metal pressure vessel. A pressurized tennis ball was placed inside a pressure vessel and the inside of the vessel was pressurized to form an airtight seal.

However, this type of method requires high production costs because metal is used for the pressure vessel, and in order to indicate to consumers what the contents are, it is necessary to print directly on the pressure vessel or to display the contents. Labels and the like must be attached to indicate items, which also increases production costs.

Furthermore, since the pressure vessel must be sealed by welding or the like while the inside of the pressure vessel is pressurized, manufacturing is very time-consuming and costly.

Furthermore, compared to plastic containers, these metal containers have problems in terms of where and how to dispose of them if the balls become empty after being taken out.

It is also known to store tennis balls in cardboard boxes.

This is certainly cheaper than the metal pressure vessel mentioned above, and if it is properly stored by the manufacturer and transported to the user (player), satisfactory quality is guaranteed. If the period from when the tennis ball reaches the user's hands is long, the pressure of the tennis ball will decrease during the process, resulting in poor quality and making it impossible to play satisfactorily.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a simple packaged tennis ball product that is manufactured at low production cost, does not deteriorate in quality even when stored for a long period of time, is easy to handle, and can be sold separately. There is a particular thing.

This objective is further accomplished by sealing the container by fusion, made of a substantially air-impermeable plastic material and having a pressurized tennis ball inside.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the containers each contain at least one
It consists of two plates of plastic material with two part-spherical bulges.

The plastic plates are fused together to form at least one space within which each tennis ball is housed.

The bulging part of the plastic plate is in the shape of a hemisphere and
Preferably, the two plates are fused together along at least one annular seam.

Further, it is preferable that the inner diameter of the hemispherical space defined by the bulging portion of the plastic plate is dimensioned so that a slight gap is formed between the hemispherical space and the tennis ball when the tennis ball is housed therein.

Thereby, the ball can be easily taken out after opening the container, and the amount of overpressure of the ball can be reduced by taking into consideration the diffusion of air from the ball.

Preferably, the container tearing device is provided within the annular fused seam.

This tearing device, which is also of ring-shaped design, is particularly convenient because it simplifies the opening of the container.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the bulges of the plastic plate are shaped so that they fit into each other when forming the receiving space for the ball.

In this way, the pressure created between the ball and the container does not pull the plastic plates apart in the area of the fused seam.

In addition, the ball storage space is slightly overpressurized, and after the ball is stored in this storage space, the internal pressure of the ball decreases due to air diffusion (pressure diffusion) from the ball, and the internal pressure of the ball decreases. The volume is such that when the pressure difference between the pressure in the space between it and the container disappears and the ball reaches an equilibrium state, the internal pressure of the ball will be approximately equal to the normal pressure of the ball, that is, the nominal pressure required at the time of pre-filling. It is preferable that the

However, the volume of the space between the ball and the container should actually be very small so that the tennis ball is only slightly overpressurized.

It is actually pressurized to about 1.3 atmospheres (gauge pressure).

Because of this somewhat higher pressure, air (pressure) leaves the ball,
It diffuses into the space between the ball and the container, but because the volume of this space is small, the pressure inside the ball decreases relatively quickly to approximately 1.2 to 1.25 atm (gauge), which corresponds to the nominal pressure. pressure).

This means that a tennis ball suitable for play is obtained.

In this regard, the gas permeability coefficient of the plastic material container is approximately the third power of that of the tennis ball, so that the packaging according to the invention can ensure long-term preservation of tennis balls suitable for play.

Preferably, two plastic plates connected to each other are provided with several aligned bulges, and a dividing aid is arranged between the respective containers containing balls.

In such an embodiment, each half of the packaging container can be produced endlessly in one roll and, for example, always with two bulges next to each other.

A dividing aid provided between individual packaging containers or pairs of packaging containers allows single-unit sales, allowing consumers to purchase only the number of balls they really need.

Preferably, the plastic material used for the container is transparent, such as glass.

Since the tennis balls already have the company name engraved on them, this also saves money by eliminating the need for special printing or labeling on containers.

Suitable plastic materials are, for example, polyethylene or the like, which have sufficient impermeability to gases.

Thus, the present invention provides a tennis ball package that is extremely simple to manufacture, does not suffer from deterioration in quality due to pressure loss caused by cardboard containers, and can be manufactured without the high manufacturing costs of metal containers. provided.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to representative embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

The packaging container 1 shown in FIG.
, 5, preferably made of glass-transparent plastic material.

The superposition of these plates with flange portions defines a spherical space that receives the tennis ball.

The size of this spherical space is such that each tennis ball can be easily removed after opening, and the volume between the ball and the packaging container is minimized.

The tennis ball is placed in a spherical space defined by the respective bulges 4, 5 of the two plastic plates 2, 3, and then sealed hermetically around this spherical space.

For example, the ball to be accommodated has a pressure of 1.3 atmospheres (gauge pressure)
It is pressurized to a somewhat high pressure.

At the moment the ball is contained, the pressure in the space between the ball and the container is zero atmospheric pressure (gauge pressure), but the pressure inside the ball gradually decreases due to air diffusion from the ball (pressure diffusion). On the other hand, the pressure in the space between the ball and the container gradually increases until the pressure in the ball and the pressure in the space are equal, for example, 1.2 to 1.25 atmospheres (gauge pressure). Equilibrium.

Since the plastic plate is gas-tight, no air diffusion out of the container from the space between the ball and the container occurs, and this equilibrium state is maintained until the container is opened.

As a result, the ball remains suitable for play for a long period of time.

A tear seam 7 with a suitable tear member 8 is arranged within the annular airtight weld seam 6 .

This tear seam 7, which is also airtight, allows the respective package to be opened easily.

As is clear from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, the two hemispherical bulges 4 and 5 are arranged in such a way that the overlapping portions formed in their connecting regions are located in the center, in other words, one bulge overlaps to some extent the other bulge. This ensures that even if pressure builds up in the space between the tennis ball and the container, the fused seam will not rupture and the container will not open.

Further, since the two bulging portions are overlapped and folded, mutual positioning is performed firmly and reliably, the formation of the fused seam 6 can be easily performed, and the packaging operation can be performed smoothly.

FIG. 3 shows one of the plastic plates used in another embodiment of the package with multiple containers.

Container halves of this shape can be endlessly molded using one roll (embossing machine).

In this case, the two hemispherical bulges 4 are preferably molded in mutually aligned positions.

A dividing auxiliary hole 9 for distributing balls is provided between the two bulges 4.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tennis ball package according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the packaged product in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the packaged product in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one container half of another embodiment. 1: container, 2, 3 niblastic material plate, 4, 5: hollow part, 6: fused seam, 7.8: tearing device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] consisting of at least one tennis ball pressurized to a pressure equal to or higher than the pressure required during play and at least two parts containing one of said tennis balls and fused together A tennis ball package having at least one hermetically sealed container, the package comprising:
A tennis ball package, characterized in that said portion is made of a substantially air-impermeable transparent or translucent plastic material, and a tearing device is provided at the fused portion of said portion.