GB1587457A

GB1587457A - Packages and methods of and apparatus for manufacturing same

Info

Publication number: GB1587457A
Application number: GB4039177A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Bodet J A
Current assignee: Bodet J A
Priority date: 1976-09-28
Filing date: 1977-09-28
Publication date: 1981-04-01
Also published as: DE2743709B2; DE2743709A1; CA1137038A; DE2743709C3

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO PACKAGES AND METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SAME (71) I, JEAN AUGUSTIN BODET, a French citizen, of 42, Avenue du Marechal Douglas Haig, 78000 Versailles (Yvelines), France, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to packages intended to hold articles of all kinds, such as a plurality of solid objects of predetermined shape, for the purpose of keeping them tidy, storing them and, preferably, displaying them for sale.

The objects in question may be of any desired kind and may even be comparatively fragile, as is the case for example with lamp bulbs intended for fitting to motor vehicles or with glass phials containing pharmaceutical liquids.

The invention also relates to methods and apparatus for manufacturing such packages.

Attempts have frequently been made to produce packages which combine the characteristics of cardboard which include relative stiffness and indeformability, and an absorptiveness which enables any desired information, particularly of a practical or advertising nature, to be applied to it by printing in ink and the characteristics of thin sheets of thermoplastics material which include impermeability and ease of application by thermo-forming.

Particularly, the invention relates to packages of the kind which comprises a part made of cardboard and a part made of synthetic material, which are associated with one another to form at least one wall, such as a bottom wall, whose face which is to be in contact with the article or articles to be packaged is termed the "operative" face while its other face is termed the "outside" face. Hereinafter, such packages will be referred to as "of the kind described".

From a first aspect the present invention consists in a package comprising a cardboard base wall having side walls projecting therefrom and also having a plurality of openings therein, and an inner wall secured over the inner surfaces of said base and side walls, said inner wall being of a synthetic material which has been moulded over said base and side walls so as to have a plurality of upwardly extending projections or ridges, each of said projections or ridges being associated with one of said openings, and the projections or ridges defining therebetween at least one space in which, in use of the package, at least one article may be located.

From a second aspect the invention consists in a method of manufacturing a package comprising providing a cardboard blank having a plurality of openings therein, placing the blank on the base of a mould provided with reliefs which reliefs engage in each opening of the blank, the mould having side walls whereby the edge portions of said blank are caused to fold to provide side walls, placing a sheet of thermoplastics material over the blank, heating said sheet, and applying pressure to said heated sheet so that the sheet is moulded over said blank and said reliefs to provide a package provided with projections or ridges and side walls.

The invention also consists in apparatus for carrying out the above method, and comprising a mould having a recessed base provided with a plurality of reliefs and with one or more air outlets, and means for applying heat and an underpressure to the space above said recessed base.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show certain embodiments thereof and in which: Figure 1 is a view from below or part of a cut out and perforated sheet of printed cardboard intended to form a package according to the invention, Figure 2 is a vertical section through a mould used to produce such a package, at the end of the thermo-forming stage, Figure 3 is a vertical section through the said mould on line III-III of Figure 2 without its cover, Figures 4, 5 and 6 are a partly broken away side-view, a vertical section on V-V of Figure 4, and a partial plan view respectively, of a package according to the invention, Figure 7 is a sectional view on line IX-IX of Figure 8 showing another version of a package according to the present invention which consists of a compartmented tray, and Figure 8 is schematic plan view of part of the same compartmented tray of Figure 7.

Referring now to the drawings, in the embodiment which is to be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6, what has been adopted as an example, purely for the purposes of illustration, is the packaging of glass phials 1 (Figures 4 and 6) containing a pharmaceutical or cosmetic liquid, the phials being packaged for the purposes of displaying them for sale and so that they can then be stored tidily.

The starting material is a sheet 2 of cardboard (Figure 1) or a similar material which has a rectangular central bottom 3 which continues at the edges into four walls 4. Each wall joins the bottom at an indented fold line 5. The bottom is pierced with a series of openings 6 which in the present case take the form of narrow, elongated, mutually parallel slots which extend to one of the lines 5 in a direction perpendicular to the line.

The underside of the sheet 2 is preferably printed on, particularly in the area of the walls 4, which is made possible by the absorptiveness of the cardboard, cardboard being a material which will accept and retain printing ink, unlike normal thermoplastics materials. The printing 7 may be of any desired kind and in particular may be of a practical or advertising nature, relating for example to the use of the packaged objects or to their characteristics or qualities.

The upper side of the sheet 2 is covered with a heat-bonding preparation.

Use if also made of a thermo-forming former or mould 8 (Figures 2 and 3) whose general internal configuration is intended, and is of suitable dimensions, to allow it to be a close fit around the sheet 2 after the walls 4 of the latter have been folded up so as to form a rectangular trough or box.

The bottom of the mould is provided with ridges 9 which are capable of passing through the openings 6 in the cardboard sheet 2 with a small transverse clearance.

In the embodiment now being described, the said ridges are in the shape of parallel bars.

One end of each bar extends to a point close to one inside the lateral face of the mould 8 in a direction perpendicular to this face, from which it is separated only by a gap 10 of suitable width for a wall 4 to enter.

The other end of each bar joins up with the bottom of the mould via a slope 11 which is inclined to the bottom at an angle of 45" for example.

The bottom of the mould is pierced with a number of small holes 12 intended to allow air to escape during the thermo-forming.

To produce a package, the sheet 2 having been folded into the shape of a box or trough in the manner described above, is first placed in the mould 8 in such a way that the ridges 9 in the mould pass through the openings 6, when the line of gaps 10 along one of the inside faces of the mould all accept part of the bottom of one and the same wall 4 of the said sheet 2.

In order then, in a known fashion to thermo-form a web of synthetic material over the cardboard part which has been placed in position in this way, a sheet 13 of thermoplastics material is spread across the edges of the mould 8, the mould is closed by means of a cover 14 so as to clamp the margin 15 of the sheet 13 in a sealed fashion against the said mould edges, the said sheet is heated, in particular by means of electrical resistors positioned in the cover 14, and air under pressure is fed in above the sheet through passage 16 which pass through the cover 14. As is known it is also possible for suction to be applied to the holes 12 either instead of or in conjunction with the air under pressure.

In this way the combination formed by the cardboard part 2 and by the ridges 9 of the mould which pass through the openings in the bottom 13 is provided with a closefitting internal lining formed by a continuous thermo-formed web 17, the said web fitting closely to the ridges while forming complementary ridges 18.

The width of the intervals left at the gaps 10 between the cardboard wall 4 occupying the gaps and each facing ridge 9 is too small for the sheet 13 to enter them and fold up during the thermo-forming. The relevant areas of the web. thus simply form bridges which constitute a sealed connection between the virtually adjacent margins of these intervals without any particular deformation on a level with the margins.

Because of the presence of the heatbonding preparation on the internal faces of the box, the thermo-formed web 17 adheres tightly to the box, but not to the ridges 9.

The article produced by bonding the said thermo-formed web to the folded cardboard base can then be removed very easily from the mould after the cover 14 has been taken off.

This article represents the package.

The said package is thus in the form of a cardboard box 2 having a perforated bottom 3, which is lined on the inside with a continuous web 17 having hollow ridges 18 opposite the said openings.

In the embodiment illustrated, the phials to be packed have a cylindrical body 19 which continues into a narrower endportion 20 having an easily breakable neck 21.

If the diameter of the said body is D, the distance between two consecutive ridges 18 is made slightly less than D so that when each phial 1 is placed between two such ridges the ridges are forced slightly apart, which allows the phials to be held in place resiliently.

It should also be mentioned that, given the method of producing the ridges by thermoforming, a technique which does not require taper to be provided for the purpose of mould-release, the sides of the said ridges may be made not parallel or convergent towards the crests of the ridges, but rather hollowed out to suit the shape of the objects which are to be held in position, which makes an effective contribution towards holding them in position.

In Figures 5 and 6 it can be seen that the end-portions 20 of the phials are situated in the package on the side of the package where the ridges cease, which makes it easier to take hold of the said end-portions between thumb and index finger for the purpose of removing the phials from the package.

The packages obtained may be closed by any desired cover, preferably one made of transparent material so that the contents of the packages remain visible from the outside.

In preferred embodiments, which are however in no way limiting, the cardboard part is formed from cardboard whose weight per square meter is between 100 and 1000 g/m2 and preferably between 200 and 500 g/m2, and the part made of synthetic material is formed by a sheet of polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyethylene or polypropylene whose thickness is between 100 and 1000 microns.

These packages have, in full measure, both the advantages of cardboard (in particular stiffness and the feasibility of printing on the outer faces of the sidewalls and the bottom of the package) and those of thermo-formed plastics materials (in particular continuity, which means there is no need for joints employing tabs, staples or bonding at the corners; impermeability, which in particular allows sterilised objects to be packed or foodstuffs to be preserved when the package is closed by an impermeable cover which is bonded or welded in a sealed fashion to its edges; ease of production; and resilience of the ridges which are intended to hold the packaged objects in place, the objects being held in place in this way in a particularly effective and resilient fashion with no danger of breakage).

As is self evident, and as is also apparent from what is said above, the invention is in no way limited to the applications and methods of production which have just been specifically mentioned. It does in fact cover all modifications and in particular: - those where the heat-bonding lacquer is applied beforehand to the lower face of the thermoplastics sheet 13 rather than being applied to the top of the cardboard sheet 2, which is perfectly feasible given that, when the plastics sheet is thermoformed, the adhesiveness of the lacquer into play between the plastics and the metal of which the ridges 9 in the mould are formed.

- and those where the ridges in the embodiment described and illustrated above are replaced by projections of a different shape, for example by isolated projections or even by protruberances of more or less complicated planform capable of fitting round at least part of the objects to be packaged. In this latter case, the group of protruberances in question could be considered as forming a sort of tray in the package, the seatings intended to receive objects to be packaged then being in the form of hollowed out recesses or compartments in the tray, the only condition which has to be met being, in the final analysis, that the cardboard extensions which form internal reinforcements for the bottoms of the various projections should be connected to them by cardboard flaps which form part, together with the extensions, of the same bottom surface which is perforated but in one piece.Such a modified package of the "compartmented tray" type can be used for widely differing applications such as the serving of cold meals, the packaging of cakes or chocolates, and for holding surgical equipment (which may possibly be sterilised) or first aid kits, as will be described in detail with reference to Figures 7 and 8.

There was described above a package comprising a part.made of cardboard and a part made of synthetic material which are associated in such a way that the part made of synthetic material forms reliefs on the operative face of the package and, to be more exact, an embodiment in which the package is intended for a plurality of solid objects of predetermined shape.

Thus, in this embodiment the reliefs are all identical and on a level.

The purpose of the following description is to demonstrate that other versions enable objects of all kinds to be packaged.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8 there can be seen a modification which allows a compartmental tray to be produced.

In this case the ridges are replaced by projections of various shapes.

The tray is formed by a part made of cardboard which has a bottom 30 and walls 31.

The bottom 30 is perforated to allow reliefs provided on the bottom of the mould (the reliefs are similar to the ridges 9 as regards their function but are of different shapes) to pass through. As a result of the reliefs there is situated opposite each opening or discontinuity 32 in the bottom 30 a projection 33 formed by the synthetic material 17.

Thus, in the example shown, there are four projections 33a each having an arcuate portion 33b to form retainers for a plate A.

There are also four projections 33c which have an angled portion 33d, to form retainers for a rectangular dish B.

It will be seen that two projections 33e each have an arcuate portion 33f to hold a glass C but that, symmetrically to the two projections 33e there is only a single projection 33g which is larger and which has a single arcuate portion 33h which is of greater extent than the previous ones. The same projection 33g has, on the other side from the arcuate portion 33h, a recess 33i to hold an object D (a bag containing cutlery for example).

There have thus been shown the various modifications which may be adopted either singly or in combination. All the projections may be independent and, as it were, pointlike (33a, 33c, 33e) or they may be associated to form a combination (33g) representing an at least double configuration (33h and 33i). Thus, the projection 33a which is situated at the lower right of Figure 8 could simply form one with the left two-hand projections 33c. A single projection could be formed by a combination of the two right-hand projections 33c, the two projections 33e and projection 33g, etc.

In Figure 7 it can be seen that the two projections 33e are lower than the others.

They could all be on a level or all different, depending upon the articles to be held.

Since the glass C for example is tall and unstable, in contrast to what is shown the projections which hold it could be made even higher than the projections 33a or 33c.

The tops of at least certain projections could be situated at the same level as the edges of the walls 31.

In this case the projections may be continuous ridges which extend from one wall 31 to the other or from one wall 31 to another projection, so as to form internal partitions which mark out sealed co mart- ments for loose objects, wet material (such as foodstuffs) liquid material, or doughy material, etc.

The tray may of course have a cover of any known kind. As stated above, such a tray may be used for serving meals, or for objects of any kind.

In addition, it can be seen that the bottom 30 has, opposite the projections 33a, flaps 34 which are folded towards the operative face and which are each attached to an extension 35. The extensions 35 are situated under the synthetic material 17 which forms the projections, parallel to the plane of the bottom 30 and of the openings 32. The object of this is to reinforce the reliefs of synthetic material and to increase overal stiffness.

In this case too, such a modification may be adopted for all the reliefs or only some of them.

When the reliefs are of a straight form (ridges) the cardboard flaps 34 and extensions 35 regularly form a lining for at least part of the synthetic material in the hollow in the lower face of the package.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A package comprising a cardboard base wall having side walls projecting therefrom and also having a plurality of openings therein, and an inner wall secured over the inner surfaces of said base and side walls, said inner wall being of a synthetic material which has been moulded over said base and side walls so as to have a plurality of upwardly extending projections or ridges, each of said projections or ridges being associated with one of said openings, and the projections or ridges defining therebetween at least one space in which, in use of the package, at least one article may be located.

2. A package according to claim 1, and comprising several projections which contribute to wedging a single object.

3. A package accokrding to claim 1 and comprising a series of ridges between which the articles may be located.

4. A package according to claim 3, wherein the ridges are separated from one another by a distance slightly less than the size of the articles intended in use to be inserted between them.

5. A package according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the projections or ridges have lateral bulges near their tops intended to cover at least in part the article or articles intended to be inserted between them, so as to resist too easy freeing of articles located therebetween.

6. A package according to claim 3 or claims 4 and 5 when dependent on claim 3 wherein the ridges are parallel.

7. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one projection or ridge extends from one side

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. Referring now to Figures 7 and 8 there can be seen a modification which allows a compartmental tray to be produced. In this case the ridges are replaced by projections of various shapes. The tray is formed by a part made of cardboard which has a bottom 30 and walls 31. The bottom 30 is perforated to allow reliefs provided on the bottom of the mould (the reliefs are similar to the ridges 9 as regards their function but are of different shapes) to pass through. As a result of the reliefs there is situated opposite each opening or discontinuity 32 in the bottom 30 a projection 33 formed by the synthetic material 17. Thus, in the example shown, there are four projections 33a each having an arcuate portion 33b to form retainers for a plate A. There are also four projections 33c which have an angled portion 33d, to form retainers for a rectangular dish B. It will be seen that two projections 33e each have an arcuate portion 33f to hold a glass C but that, symmetrically to the two projections 33e there is only a single projection 33g which is larger and which has a single arcuate portion 33h which is of greater extent than the previous ones. The same projection 33g has, on the other side from the arcuate portion 33h, a recess 33i to hold an object D (a bag containing cutlery for example). There have thus been shown the various modifications which may be adopted either singly or in combination. All the projections may be independent and, as it were, pointlike (33a, 33c, 33e) or they may be associated to form a combination (33g) representing an at least double configuration (33h and 33i). Thus, the projection 33a which is situated at the lower right of Figure 8 could simply form one with the left two-hand projections 33c. A single projection could be formed by a combination of the two right-hand projections 33c, the two projections 33e and projection 33g, etc. In Figure 7 it can be seen that the two projections 33e are lower than the others. They could all be on a level or all different, depending upon the articles to be held. Since the glass C for example is tall and unstable, in contrast to what is shown the projections which hold it could be made even higher than the projections 33a or 33c. The tops of at least certain projections could be situated at the same level as the edges of the walls 31. In this case the projections may be continuous ridges which extend from one wall 31 to the other or from one wall 31 to another projection, so as to form internal partitions which mark out sealed co mart- ments for loose objects, wet material (such as foodstuffs) liquid material, or doughy material, etc. The tray may of course have a cover of any known kind. As stated above, such a tray may be used for serving meals, or for objects of any kind. In addition, it can be seen that the bottom 30 has, opposite the projections 33a, flaps 34 which are folded towards the operative face and which are each attached to an extension 35. The extensions 35 are situated under the synthetic material 17 which forms the projections, parallel to the plane of the bottom 30 and of the openings 32. The object of this is to reinforce the reliefs of synthetic material and to increase overal stiffness. In this case too, such a modification may be adopted for all the reliefs or only some of them. When the reliefs are of a straight form (ridges) the cardboard flaps 34 and extensions 35 regularly form a lining for at least part of the synthetic material in the hollow in the lower face of the package. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A package comprising a cardboard base wall having side walls projecting therefrom and also having a plurality of openings therein, and an inner wall secured over the inner surfaces of said base and side walls, said inner wall being of a synthetic material which has been moulded over said base and side walls so as to have a plurality of upwardly extending projections or ridges, each of said projections or ridges being associated with one of said openings, and the projections or ridges defining therebetween at least one space in which, in use of the package, at least one article may be located.

edge to the opposite side edge of the base wall.

8. A package according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one projection or ridge extends from one side edge of the base wall to just short of the opposite side edge.

9. A package according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least some of the projections or ridges are of different heights.

10. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one of the projections or ridges is of the same height as the side walls of the package

11. A package according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base wall comprises a blank of cardboard.

12. A package according to claim 11, wherein at least one of said openings in said blank has been so cut out to create at least a flamp on a side of said opening, said flap being folded so as to extend in to the interior of the hollow defined by the ridge or projection associated with the or each opening.

13. A package according to claim 12, wherein the or each flap is solid with the projection or ridge which is associated with the opening in which the flap is formed, the flap lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said opening.

14. A method of manufacturing a package comprising providing a cardboard blank having a plurality of openings therein, placing the blank on the base of a mould provided with reliefs which reliefs engage in each opening of the blank, the mould having side walls whereby the edge portions of said blank are caused to fold to provide side walls, placing a sheet of thermoplastics material over the blank, heating said sheet, and applying pressure to said heated sheet so that the sheet is moulded over said blank and said reliefs to provide a package provided with projections or ridges and side walls.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said pressure is provided to mould said sheet either by providing an overpressure to the side of said sheet remote from said blank, or an underpressure to the other side of said sheet, or by a combination of overpressure and underpressure.

16. An apparatus for carrying out the method of claim 4, comprising a mould having a recessed base provided with a plurality of reliefs and with one or more air outlets, and means for applying heat and air under pressure to the space above said recessed base.

17. A package substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A package substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A method of manufacturing a package substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.