AU2005100521A4 - Packaging assembly - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 SUD-CHEMIE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title.

Packaging assembly The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- Packaging assembly Field of the Invention This invention relates to a packaging assembly. The invention relates particularly, but not necessarily exclusively, to a packaging assembly for use with temperature-sensitive products.

Background to the Invention In the transportation of temperature-sensitive products, such as certain pharmaceuticals, use is made of gel packs which are chilled or frozen. The product to be transported is placed in an expanded polystyrene container and the gel packs are arranged in predetermined positions about the product.

The gel pack comprises a closed flexible pouch containing a substance which is a liquid at ambient temperatures. A problem with this arrangement is that, when substance within the gel pack freezes, it may freeze in an irregular shape. As a result, when the gel packs are packed about the product in the expanded polystyrene container, voids between the product and the gel pack or spacer elements used to space the gel packs from the product need to be filled with void fill material as the presence of air is such voids can adversely affect temperature regulation of the product.

This therefore necessitates the use of additional materials with the resultant additional costs and wastage of materials. Further, because of the irregular way in which the gel packs are arranged about the product, temperature regulation of the product is more difficult to achieve.

Summary of the Invention According to the invention, there is provided a packaging assembly which includes a sleeve of a substantially rigid material; and at least one bladder received in the sleeve, the at least one bladder containing a substance which is a liquid at ambient temperatures but which is able to be frozen and the at least one bladder and the sleeve being dimensioned relative to one another so that, when the substance in the at least one bladder freezes, the at least one bladder substantially adopts a shape of an interior of the sleeve.

The sleeve may be a rectangular parallelepiped having a pair of opposed, substantially planar surfaces and closed ends.

Further, the sleeve may be of a moisture absorbent material. More particularly, the sleeve may be of a cellulosic material. Thus, the sleeve may be of a cardboard material and may be of a corrugated cardboard material having folded, closed ends to retain the bladder therein.

The invention extends to a packaging system which includes a container of an insulating material; a plurality of spacer elements to be received in an interior of the container; and a plurality of packaging assemblies, as described above, to be arranged in the container and at least certain of the packaging assemblies being held in spaced relationship from a product to be transported in the container by the spacer elements.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention is described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic, sectional side view of a packaging assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and Figure 2 shows a three dimensional view of a packaging system including the packaging assembly.

Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiment In Figure 1 of the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally designates a packaging assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The assembly includes a bladder 12 containing a substance 14 which is a liquid at ambient or room temperature but which is able to be frozen. The bladder 12 is of a flexible material, such as a suitable synthetic plastics material.

The bladder 12 is received in a sleeve 16. The sleeve 16 is a rectangular parallelepiped having a pair of opposed planar sides or surfaces 18. In addition, the sleeve 16 has closed ends 20 which are formed by folding over end flaps of the sleeve and securing the flaps together.

The sleeve 16 is of a material which is sufficiently. rigid such that, when the substance 14 within the bladder 12 freezes, rather than causing bulging of the sleeve 16, the bladder 12 substantially adopts a shape of an interior volume 22 of the sleeve 16 and minimises distortion of the sleeve 16.

The sleeve 16 is of a cellulosic material. More particularly, the sleeve 16 is of a corrugated cardboard material. A benefit of the use of this material is that the corrugated cardboard material is moisture absorbent. Thus, moisture generated as a result of the substance 14 melting, whether due to condensation or seepage from the bladder 12, is, to a large extent, absorbed by the sleeve 16. This therefore obviates the requirement to use separate items of moisture absorbent material in a container in which the packaging assembly 10 is used.

The packaging assembly 10 can be provided in various shapes and sizes, depending on its application. For example, the sleeve 16 may have a length varying from approximately 150 mm to 450 mm, a width varying from approximately 150 mm to 300 mm and a height varying from approximately 35 mm to 60 mm.

Referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings, a plurality of the packaging assemblies 10 are shown in use in packing a product 30 to be transported. The product is transported in an expanded polystyrene container having a double skinned receptacle 32 and a lid 34.

The product 30 to be transported is a temperature sensitive product and needs to be transported under temperature controlled conditions. Examples of the type of product 30 which are to be transported in this way include medical products such as vaccines, blood products or other bio-materials. Such products need to be maintained within a predetermined temperature range for the duration of transportation. This temperature range means that the temperature of the product 30 must not drop below a certain minimum temperature and must not exceed a certain maximum temperature.

For example, a product may need to be maintained within a temperature range from about 2°C to 8 0 C for a period of time of about 24 to 48 hours while it is being transported. A plurality of the packaging assemblies 10 are used and are chilled or frozen depending on the location of the relevant packaging assembly 10 relative to the product The packaging assembly 10 is provided in the form shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. Thus, prior to use, a plurality of the packaging assemblies 10 are cooled to the required temperature. As indicated above, it is necessary that the temperature of the product 30 being transported be maintained above a certain minimum temperature.

Thus, some of the packaging assemblies 10 which are to be used in the packaging system 36 shown in Figure 2 of the drawings are only chilled and the substance 14 within the bladder 12 does not freeze. For example, those packaging assemblies 10.1 which are arranged in close proximity to the product 30 or are in direct contact with the product 30 are chilled to a temperature of, for example, approximately +5 0

C.

Additional packaging assemblies 10.2 are mounted in the receptacle 32 out of contact with the product 30 and maintained in spaced relationship relative to the product 30 by spacer members 38. The packaging assemblies 10.2 have their substance 14 frozen and are cooled to a temperature substantially lower than the minimum temperature, for example, a temperature of -20'C. .Conveniently, the spacer elements 38 are also of an expanded polystyrene material.

Once the packaging assemblies 10 have been packed about the product 30 to be transported, the lid 34 is placed on the receptacle 32 and the closed receptacle 32 is placed in a cardboard box 40 for transportation.

Because each packaging assembly 10 maintains, to a large extent, its shape even after freezing of the substance 14, fewer spacer elements 38 or other types of void filler material need be used. This therefore reduces the cost of packaging the product 30 for transportation and also reduces wastage of material.

Further because the bladder 12 does not adopt an irregular shape when it freezes, the size of the entire packaging system 36 can also be reduced. This allows more product 30 to be transported per cubic metre improving economies of scale.

Still further, the use of corrugated cardboard material for the sleeve 16 obviates the need to pack other moisture absorbent material within the receptacle 32 of the packaging system 36. Once again, this results in lower cost per unit of product transported.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims (4)

1. A packaging assembly which includes a sleeve of a substantially rigid material; and at least one bladder received in the sleeve, the at least one bladder containing a substance which is a liquid at ambient temperatures but which is able to be frozen and the at least one bladder and the sleeve being dimensioned relative to one another so that, when the substance in the at least one bladder freezes, the at least one bladder substantially adopts a shape of an interior of the sleeve.

2. The assembly of claim 1 in which the sleeve is a rectangular parallelepiped having a pair of opposed, substantially planar surfaces and closed ends.

3. The assembly of claim 1 or claim 2 in which the sleeve is of a moisture absorbent material.

4. The assembly of any one of the preceding claims in which the sleeve is of a cellulosic material. A packaging system which includes a container of an insulating material; a plurality of spacer elements to be received in an interior of the container; and a plurality of packaging assemblies, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, to be arranged in the container and at least certain of the packaging assemblies being held in spaced relationship from a product to be transported in the container by the spacer elements. Dated this twenty-third day of June 2005 Siid-Chemie Australia Pty Ltd Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: F B RICE CO.