WO2008099438A2

WO2008099438A2 - High-strength packaging film

Info

Publication number: WO2008099438A2
Application number: PCT/IT2008/000087
Authority: WO
Inventors: Antonio Garegnani
Original assignee: Akro-Flex S.A.S. Di Garegnani Antonio & C.
Priority date: 2007-02-12
Filing date: 2008-02-12
Publication date: 2008-08-21
Also published as: WO2008099438A3; ITRM20070070A1

Abstract

A packaging film is made up of a number of longitudinal strips of film having the side edges partially overlapping those of the adjacent strips. According to a peculiar characteristic of the invention, by varying the width of the strips and/or the amount of stretching to which they can be subjected before being wound on the reel for storage and distribution, it is advantageously possible to obtain a film having the desired width.

Description

HIGH-STRENGTH PACKAGING FILM

*****

The present invention relates to the packaging sector and in particular regards packaging films, preferably (but not exclusively) polyethylene films.

Currently, it is well known to use extensible polyethylene films for packaging goods. According to the type of goods, the weight, and the overall dimensions, films of different thickness are used, and since said films are purchased by weight, it is evident that the costs for packaging increase proportionally to the thickness (and hence the weight) of the film used, and it is consequently useful to limit the thicknesses of the packaging films to reduce the production costs.

In addition to this, frequently reinforced films of limited width are required in order to carry out packaging of small dimensions without a useless waste of material.

The main purpose of the invention is thus to provide a high-strength film that, albeit having a limited thickness, will have a width suited to the type of goods to be packaged.

This has been obtained, according to the invention, by providing a packaging film made up of a number of longitudinal strips of film having the side edges partially overlapping those of the adjacent strips.

According to a peculiar characteristic of the invention, by varying the width of the strips and/or the amount of stretching to which they can be subjected before being wound on the reel for storage and distribution, it is advantageously possible to obtain a film having the desired width.

The above and further purposes will be better understood from the ensuing detailed description, with reference to the figures, which illustrate a preferred embodiment purely by way_, of non-limiting example. In the drawings :

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a part of the machine for the production of the film according to the present invention: in the case illustrated, the production of a film made up of six parallel longitudinal strips with overlapping edges is shown. The high-strength packaging film according to the invention is made up of a number of longitudinal strips S joined together by overlapping the side edges B with those of the adjacent strips S.

The number of the strips S that form the high- strength film that is described can vary, for example, from three to ten strips S having one and the same width or with different widths.

A preferred embodiment of the film according to the present invention, illustrated in Figure 1, is made up of seven strips S each 10 cm wide and the edges B of which preferably present an overlap of approximately

1 cm.

In this case, the film thus obtained is preferably stretched, before being wound on the reel for storage and distribution, to reduce to 8 cm the initial width of the individual strips S that make it up. In this way, a film is obtained the overall width of which is 50 cm.

It is to be noted that said strips S can all have the same width or have different widths. Advantageously, according to the invention, it is possible to produce reinforced films of any width, albeit presenting a single format for the raw material, thus simplifying drastically management of the warehouse. With reference to Figure 2, it is to be noted that, once the longitudinal strips S have been set alongside one another with the edges overlapping, they are coupled in a known way with coupling rollers (not illustrated) and are subsequently subjected to the possible desired stretching.

Finally, it is preferable to hem the free edges of the side strips, folding them on themselves in order to increase their resistance to tearing, which could start from outer edge. In conclusion, it should be noted that the strength of the film so far described is substantially guaranteed by the areas of overlapping of the edges B: the more overlaps there are, the more resistant the film. In other words, given the same thickness and stretching, a film made up of a number of strips has a strength greater than a film made up of a numbers of strips smaller than the previous one.

The present invention has been described and illustrated according to a preferred embodiment thereof, but it is clear that modifications and/or equivalent substitutions may be made thereto by a person skilled in the branch, without thereby departing from the sphere of protection of the present industrial patent right.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A high-strength packaging film, characterized in that it. is made up of a number of longitudinal strips (S) of film partially set on top of one another.

2. The film according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said longitudina'l strips (S) are joined together by overlapping their side edges (B) with those of the adjacent strips (S) .

3. The film according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said strips (S) have one and the same width or else have different widths.

4. The film according to Claim 2, characterized in that it is designed to undergo a stretching in a longitudinal direction before being wound on a reel for storage and distribution.

5. The film according to Claim 2, characterized in that the number of the strips (S) is comprised between three and ten.

6. The film according to the preceding claim, characterized in that is made up of seven strips (S) each 10 cm wide, the edges (B) of which overlap by approximately 1 cm.

7. The film according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it is designed to be stretched, before being wound on a reel for storage and distribution, until the initial width of the individual strips (S) that make it up is reduced to 8 cm.

8. The film according to Claim 4 or Claim 7, characterized in that the width of the strips (S) and/or the amount of the stretching to which they are subjected before being wound on the reel for storage and distribution is a function of the final width of the film itself.

9. The film according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the free edges (B) of the side strips (S) are folded back on themselves in order to increase their resistance to tearing that could start from the outer edge.

10. A high-strength packaging film, substantially as described and illustrated in the present description and in the annexed figures.