GB2229710A - Packages formed from blanks - Google Patents

Abstract

A single piece generally rectangular blank for packaging article(s) includes two pairs of parallel spaced apart fold lines 20, 26; 21, 31 located at each end of a portion 7 of the blank that is to provide the major panel of the container to be formed from the blank. The regions 10, 11 of the blank extending away from the outer ones of said pairs of fold lines 26, 31 serve as flaps intended to overlie said major panel 7 when folded into the container, whilst the material 8, 9 located between the lines of each pair defines the depth of the end walls of the container; at least one further fold line 36, 40 located along each marginal edge region of the blank is so relatively spaced from the associated marginal edge that the material therebetween serves to define side walls for the container and fastening or closure flaps 16 for sides of the container. <IMAGE>

Description

APPARATUS FOR AND METHODS OF PACKAGING ARTICLES This invention is concerned with apparatus for and methods of packaging articles.

It is well known to package articles by making use of a container folded from a blank of sheet material which has been suitably scored or otherwise weakened along predetermined directions so as to facilitate the subsequent folding of the sheet material about said predetermined directions to form the package containing the article.

Many of the known packaging arrrangeents make use of more than one piece of sheet material. Whilst adequate and satisfactory containers can be produced it is regarded as being more useful to be able to produce a container from a single piece of material such as fibreboard card. As a result it has been proposed to produce containers from a single sheet of such material such by folding the card about prelocated fold lines and securing overlapping marginal regions of the folded sheet by adhesive, staples or by the application of a binding tape or the like.

It has been found that the known arrangements inherently involve certain problems, for example, the resulting containers may well not exhibit adequate stiffness in a direction diagonally from corner to corner in the case of a rectangular container, may not be able to hold positionally a packaged article in a required position with respect to the boundaries of the container, whereby the thickness of the material required for the container may well be unnecessarily thick.

As will be well appreciated when packaging large numbers of articles the thickness of the sheet material becomes a matter of considerable importance in terms of packaging costs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an inproved method and apparatus for the packaging of articles in such manner as to avoid or at least reduce problems such as above mentioned.

Broadly, according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a a single piece generally rectangular blank of material in sheet form for subsequent deformation to provide a container for packaging article(s), including two pairs of parallel spaced apart fold lines located in the blank intermediate of opposite ends of the blank and at each end of a portion of the blank that is to provide the major panel of the container to be formed from the blank, and such that the regions of the blank extending away from the outer ones of said pairs of fold lines serve as flap like regions intended to overlie said major panel when folded into the container, whilst the material located between the lines of each pair defines the depth of the end walls of the container; at least one further fold line located along each marginal edge region of the blank that is transverse to the blank ends, each such further fold line being so relatively spaced from the associated marginal edge that the material therebetween serves to define side walls for the container and fastening or closure flaps for sides of the container.

Preferably, the end walls are so formed as to provide at at each end thereof a portion that cooperates with the end regions of the adjacent side walls the arrangement be such as to effectively totally close-in the interior of the container.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention a blank as previously defined is formed into a container by a method including the steps of deforming the blank about the innermost ones of said first and second pairs of fold lines such that the folded regions are arranged transverse to said panel portion; applying adhesive to the marginal edges of the blank that are transverse to said pairs of lines; folding over the flap like regions extending outwardly from the fold lines pairs so that each flap like region portion overlies a corresponding region of said blank portion about the first pair of fold lines such that the two areas of the blank positioned between the lines of each of the pairs of fold lines form the end walls to the container; cramping said fastening flaps towards each other to form the closed container walls; and causing the adhesive applied to said marginal edge regions to produce adhesion between the marginal edges.

A further aspect of the invention provides apparatus for folding a blank to achieve a container as hereinbefore discussed.

Thus in accordance with the invention the apparatus includes means for advancing the blank to be deformed into a container along a predetermined direction in such manner that said flap portions are located one behind the other along the direction of feed; guide means for engaging with the leading flap to fold the latter against the direction of advance of the blank along said direction so as to overly the panel; means for ensuring that the trailing panel is displaced towards the panel in advance of the displacement of the leading .flap; means for applying adhesive and/or activating adhesive to/at those parts of the blank that are brought into contacting relationship as a result of the folding operation; and means for subjecting the folded blank to a pressure/heating regime to activate the adhesive.

When an article to be packed is, for example, a bottle or bottles, a pot of flowers etc., the situation arises that at least a part of the article needs to project from the container. In order to accommodate this situation in accordance with a further aspect of the invention the formation of the blank is such that when folded into a container, the resulting container incorporates at least one article receiving aperture into which an article for which the aperture is intended may be introduced.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how to carry the same into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan elevation of a blank from which a container is to be produced formed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention; Figure 2 is an oblique view of the blank of Figure 1 when formed into a container; Figure 3 is a part sectional view to an enlarged scale of an article packaged in accordance with the proposals of the invention; Figure 4 very schematically illustrates in side view apparatus for forming the container of Figure 2 from the blank of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of a detail of the apparatus of Figure 3; and Figures 6A to 6D schematically illustrate various stages in the formation of the container from the blank of Figure 1 and by means of the Apparatus of Figures 4 and 5.

Before considering the formation of the blank and apparatus of the invention it is convenient to mention the object or intended requirements for the container to be produced by the concepts of the invention. In simple terms it is often required to be able to enclose or otherwise package an extended area article such as a book, panel, door, record sleeve etc., in such manner that the formation of the container serves to hold the article being packed i.e., book against movement when within the container without it being necessary to secure the article to the interior of the container. It will be understood that the use of constraints such as cord, adhesive bindings or the like could blemish the surface of the book or produce indentations in the cover.

In other words it is required to provide a container which effectively produces a cramping force which holds the article against undesired displacements within the container. Furthermore, when relatively slim articles, such as records or the like, are packed the packaging of the invention provides stiffness so that the packed record is protected against twist at least whilst it is in transit.

Referring now to Figures 1,2 and 3 the blank 1 shown in Figure 1 is of a rectangular form and has longer edges 2 and 3 and shorter edges 4 and 5.

For the purposes of being able to deform the blank into a container 6 of a predefined shape such as shown in Figure 2 score or like fold lines are provided on the blank in such positions that the resulting container has a base 7, end walls 8, and 9, top flaps 10 and 11, and side wall formations 12 and 13 the latter including side wall forming regions 14 and 15 and flap like portions 16 and 17 which can be conveniently regarded as the container fastening flaps.

The physical size of the base 7 is defined by score lines 18 and 19 entending parallel to the longer edges 2 and 3 of the blank and spaced inwardly from these longer edges (by a distance 'D' which* as will be discussed in detail hereinafter, is related to the height or thicknes 'H' of a product or products to be packed) and by further score lines 20 and 21 extending parallel to the shorter edges 4 and 5 and joining with the score lines 18 and 19.

The points 22, 23, 24, and 25 where the various score lines 18, 19, 20 and 21 meet define the corners of the base 7 of the resulting container.

A score line 26 running parallel to the score line 20 is of the same length as the score line 20 and terminates at points 27 and 28. The blank material between these two score lines 20 and 26 defines the major portion of the end wall 8. Score lines 29 and 30 connect the points 27 and 28 respectively to the shorter blank end 4. These lines 29 and 30 are arranged parallel to the longer blank edges 2 and 3. The formation of the lines 29 and 30 in conjunction with the score line 26 effectively defines the area of the flap 10. The end wall 9 and the other flap 11 are similarly formed by providing a score line 31 running parallel to the score line 21, and terminating at points 32 and 33, and score lines 34 and 35 running parallel to the edges 2 and 3 from the points 32 and 33.

A score line 36 extending parallel to and for the full length of the longer edge 2 is spaced inwardly from the edge 2 by an amount considered necessary for the formation of sealing or connection flaps 37, 38, and 39 on the flap 10, the base 7, and the flap 11 respectively.

A further score line 40 extending to and for the full length of the longer edge 3 is similarly spaced inwardly by an amount considered necessary for the formation of sealing or connection flaps 41,42 and 43 on the flap 10, the base 7 and the flap 11 respectively.

The score lines 36 and 40 are located on the opposite side of the blank to those previously mentioned.

The adjacent ends of the flaps 37 and 38 are effectively separated by a cut 44 which is directed parallel to the blank shorter edge 4 and which intersects the score line 36. The cut is so positioned as to be located along the centre line (not shown) of the end wall 8.

Corresponding cuts 45, 46 and 47 are respectively provided between the flap pairs 38, 39; 43, 42; and 42, 41.

The respective points of intersection between the cuts 44, 45, 46, 47 and the adjacent score lines 36 and 37 are defined by the references 48, 49, 50 and 51.

The point 48 is connected to the corner 27 of flap 10 by a part slit part scored line 52, and by way of a part slit part scored line 53 to the base corner 22. In a similar manner the point 49 is connected by part slit score lines 54, 55 to the base corner 23 and the flap 11 corner 32; the point 50 is connected by part slit score lines 56, 57 to the base 7 corner 33 and to the flap 11 corner 24; and the point 51 is connected by part slit score lines 58, 59 both to the base corner 25 and the flap 10 corner 28.

The area of the between blank edge 4, the score line. 36, the score line 29 and the score line 52 defines the side wall portion 60A associated with the adacent end of the flap 10. Similarly the area between the line 36, the line 18, the score line 53 and the score line 54 defines tthe sidewall portion 61A associated with the adjacent end of the base 7. It will be understood that the remaining side wall portions 62A, 63A, 64A, and 65A may be similarly defined in relation to their associated score lines.

The respective remaining porti, 61B, 62B, 63B, 64B and 65B of the overall areas 37, 39, 41, 43, provide the fastening flaps 16, whilst the remainder of the overall area of the flaps 38, 42 provide the fastening flaps 17.

At this point it is convenient to note that an important consequence of the provision of the various score lines is that the end walls 8 and 9 have triangular extensions located in the regions of the side walls. As may be seen the wall 8 has triangular extensions 66 and 67, whilst the wall 11 has triangular extensions 68 and 69.

For example, the folding of the blank and the packing of a product or an article 70 could be wholly manual in the sense that an operative places a product 70 to be packed onto the base 7, then bends the walls 8 and 9 to a vertical position, folds the flaps 10 and 11 to overlay the article and then secures the fastening flap portions to each other as follows the securing flap portion 60B is secured to the flap portion 61B, the flap portion 65A is secured to the flap portion 64B, the flap portion 62B to the flap portion 61A and the flap portion 63A to the flap portion 64A.

Referring particularly now to Figure 3 which illustrates a book 70 located between the blank base 7 and an end flaps 10/11. It will be noted that the side wall forming portions 60A..,.. & A lie at corresponding angles t the planes of the base 7 and the flaps 10/11. It will also be noted that the flap portions 60B..,....65B are arranged in pairs i.e., 62B,61; 60B,61B; 63B,64B; and 65B,64B side-by-sdie close abutment.

By suitably selecting the length 'D'of the wall portions 60A..,...65A, the bonding together of the flaps portions 6OB ..65B the flaps/ll 10 and the base 7 towards each other therby cramping against the article 70 i.e., a book, being packed. This is exemplified by the height indication 'H'. In relation to this cramping effect it is to be noted that the tighening effect is being produced around the total periphery of the container.

The actual formation of the container from the blank can be achieved by varying degrees of automation according to specific requirements.

A fully automatic apparatus will be very briefly considered in relation to Figures 4 and 5.

In the apparatus schematically shown a major component is an endless conveyor drive system 75 which is provided with a number of locating devices 76 i.e, flights for positionally locating the blank 1 during the various stages of the folding of the blank into a finished container 6.

For reasons to be discussed hereinafter, the conveyor preferred comprises two endless chain pairs 73,74 and 75,76 arranged side by side and connected to receive simultaneous drive from a drive arrangement (not shown) by way of clutches (not shown) which are such that for adjustment purposes the clutches can be suitably operated to allow the chains of the pairs to be moved relative to each other.

Referring now particularly to Figure 4 magazine arrangements 77 are provided for receiving a batch 78 of prescored blanks 1, as shown in Figure 6A in such manner that the blanks may be successively delivered at a blank delivery station 79 to the conveyor system 71 in a part folded state in which the side walls 8 and 9 and the associated flaps 10 and 11 have been deformed to the vertical position with respect to the base 7. That is to say the blanks 1 at the time they engage with the conveyor system 71 are of a channel like form i.e., as shown in Figure 6B. This initial bending is attained by pulling each initially flat blank through an opening 80 at the bottom of a magazine having resiliently loaded elements (not shown) which prevent two blanks 1 from moving towards the conveyor system simultaneously.The blanks can be removed from the magazine by a vacuum suction means 81 adapted to move upwardly between the conveyor chain pairs to engage with the next blank to be deposited upon the conveyor system and following such placement is retracted beneath the region of the moving conveyor to avoid any fouling thereof.

The conveyor system is provided with initially deformed blank engagement flights comprising upright elements 82 so separated as to be able to cooperate with the upstanding side walls and end flaps of the blank. The separation between these flights can be set by the relative displacement of the conveyor chains of the associated pairs. The separation between the elements 82 of an adjacent pair on the same conveyor chain defines the pitch of the conveyor system, whilst the separation between an adjacent pair formed by a flight from each conveyor chain of a pair determines the blank channel receiving space.

Following the initial placement stage the conveyor system 71 carries the part folded blank to the product placement station 83 at which the products 70 to be loaded are positioned upon the base area 7 of the part folded blank.

The products can be conveniently positioned by a pick and place arrangement (not shown). The products can be delivered from above, or from the side as thought convenient for the product(s) to be packed.

In a further arrangement (not shown) the articles to be packed can be conveyor fed in such mmanner that the articles are effectively merged with the part folded blanks so that a continuous process becomes involved.

Following placement of the product, by what ever means thought convenient the conveyor system advances the blank and product to an adhesive application station 84 within which adhesive is applied to the fastening flap portions 6OB .,65B of the blank. The adhesive can be of any type considered appropriate. For example, the adhesive can be ejected from a hot adhesive gun (not shown) which is adapted to feed a continuous, pulsed, or other supply to each flap as the blank is moved by the conveyor system through the adhesive application station.

The flaps 10 and 11 of the adhesive coated blank are then folded so as to overlay the base 7. This can be achieved in as variety of ways. For example, the adhesive coated blank is fed through a blank folding station 85 incorporating an inclined plate system 86 which folds the leading flap 11 rearwardly to overly the base region 7 and also the product being packed. The inclined plate system 86 is so constructed that as the blank is advanced through the station the leading flap 11 is progressively moved into the generally horizontal position.At the same time a movable arm or other means 87 is arranged to fold the trailing flap 10 forwardly so that by the time the leading edge thereof is at the mouth region 88 of the inclined plate arrangement 86 i.e., the blank shorter edge 4 has been displaced through such angle that it is-able to enter the mouth of the leading flap folding guide to be moved thereby to the fully horizontal position. The Figure 6C illustrates the folding of the blank at the stage in which the trailing edge has been effectively folded and the leading flap is in the process of being fully folded down at the station 85.

With this arrangement the continuing movement of the conveyor system is such that the now semi-formed container is continuously advanced through the folding guide which progressively tapers as at 89 to provide a nip 90 through which the fastening flap portions 60B.......,65B are caused to pass. Since the latter have had adhesive applied thereto they are caused to adhere one to the other as they move though the nip 90. Bearing in mind the dimensional relationships mentioned above in relation to the length of the side wall portions 60A.......,65A and the height of the product 70 being packed the flaps 10 and 11 are caused to pull down onto the product 70 which latter becomes cramped between the flaps 10 and 11 and the base 7.

In order to ensure that the adhesive has had time fully to set or to cure (depending upon the characterisitics of the adhesive being used) the now sealed package is moved to a second sealing or pressure station 91 in which the sealing flap portions 60B......*65B are subjected to a further sealing action.

Following the second sealing section the completed packages as illustrated in Figure 6D are moved to a delivery station.

It will be appreciated that as soon as a blank has been moved away from the blank delivery station a fresh blank is delivered from the magazine by means of the suction device to the converyor system. That is to say as soon as a blank leaves a particular station it is replaced by the next blank in the sequence so that an fully automatic system is achieved.

It will be appreciated that if a fully automated system is not thought necessary various sections thereof could be replaced by less automatic or manual arrangements.

For example, the products could be manually handled and placed, the flaps 10 and 11 could be manually folded to overlie the base; the adhesive could be manually applied.

Also, if desired, the adhesive could be replaced by a stapling or like sealing system.

Whilst the forgoing discussion has been particularly directed to the production of a container within which the product is totally enclosed the concepts of the invention could be utilised in situations in which it is desired to package products that part project outwardly of the container. To this end the blank can be modiified whereby suitable apertures are provided in the finished container into which the products to be'packed' can be located following production of the container. It will be appreciated that both or either the base or flaps can be modified to provide said apertures. For example, part apertures can be provided in the flaps so that on forming the container the part apertures 'combine to form full apertures in the finished container.

Also the containers produced by the concepts of the invention can be a tubular container.

If desired or otherwise thought convenient the score lines 36 and 40 can be omitted. With this arrangement the action of securing the side regions of the blank will effectively determine the shape and formation of the sealed sides of the container being formed from the blank 1.

Whilst the particular blank construction indicated shows the abutting of the shorter flap edges 4,5 it will be understood that, in practice, the edges could overlap or be separated in the finished container.

In the specification the arrangement provided for folding forwardly the trailing flap has been shown to be an arm pivoted about a horizontal axis. In a modified construction the arrangement for folding the trailing flap forwardly can be an arm or arms pivotable/rotatable about a vertical axis. Furthermore, the leading flap can be if thought convenient folded rewardly by an arm or arms likewise pivotable about a vertical axis.

If desired, the pressure plate sealing pressure arrangement can be replaced by what ever means for exerting sealing pressure on the contacting side flaps thought convenient. For example, the pressure could be produced by a pressure plate/conveyor belt arrangement which is such that the not only is the requisite sealing pressure produced but also such that the movement of the associated conveyor belt at least assists in advancing the containers being sealed.

In the forgoing reference has been made to the application of glue to the blank side flaps during the folding of the blank. It will be appreciated that the blanks could be preglued or otherwise provided with an adhesive facility.

Also in the forgoing specification reference has been made to the forming of score/fold lines; slits; and part slit/ part score lines. For convenience what ever the particular practical nature of the physical action i.e., creasing, cutting, scoring, taken to define a line about which two adjacent regions of a blank can be deformed/displaced relative to each other the line about which the deformation/displacement takes place will be referred to in the following claims as a fold line or slit in cases where a through cut is made in the blank.

It should be noted that the term blank is intended to relate to any single piece of material that is capable of being formed as discussed hereinbefore and which can be deformed in accordance with the concepts of the invention to provide a container.

From the forgoing it will be understood that the apparatus and methods of the invention are particularly suitable for packaging extended area articles such as panels, doors, books, records, calenders and many other extended articles for the purposes of transit.

Claims (21)

1. A single piece generally rectangular blank of material in sheet form for subsequent deformation to provide a container for packaging article(s), including two pairs of parallel spaced apart fold lines located in the blank intermediate of opposite ends of the blank and at each end of a portion of the blank that is to provide the major panel of the container to be formed from the blank, and such that the regions of the blank extending away from the outer ones of said pairs of fold lines serve as flap like regions intended to overlie said major panel when folded into the container, whilst the material located between the lines of each pair defines the depth of the end walls of the container; at least one further fold line located along each marginal edge region of the blank that is transverse to the blank ends, each such further fold line being so relatively spaced from the associated marginal edge that the material therebetween serves to define side walls for the container and fastening or closure flaps for sides of the container.

2. A blank as claimed in claim 1, and wherein two additional fold lines arranged parallel to said further fold lines are provided in the blank to provide with the associated further fold lines third and fourth pairs of fold lines which are so relatively spaced from each other and each from the associated marginal edge that the material therebetween serves to define side walls for the container whilst the material between the outer one of these pairs of fold lines and the associated marginal edge of the blank material provides fastening or closure flaps for sides of the container.

3. A blank as claimed in claim 1 or 2, and wherein the outermost ones of the first pairs of fold lines are so located in the blank that the flap regions overlap when folded to overlie the said panel the flap regions abut, overlap or are separated by a predetermined gap.

4. A blank as claimed in claim 1,2,or 3, and wherein the the interelationship between the junctions of the fold lines of each first pair and the lines of the said second pair are such as to define a Y formation intersection with the stem of each Y parallel to the lines of the first and second pairs and midway between the lines of each such pair.

5. A blank as claimed in claim 4, and wherein the stem of each of said Y formations is cut-though to facilitate on folding, relative displacements of regions of the side wall and flap formations.

6. A blank as claimed in any of the preceding claims, and wherein the separation between the lines forming said first and second pairs of lines is set according to the expected depth of the articles to be packed.

7. A blank as claimed in any of the preceding claims, and wherein the fold lines of said first and second pairs of lines defining said end walls are so located and arranged as to provide at at each end of the end walls a shaped portion that cooperates with the end regions of the adjacent side walls.

8. A blank as claimed in claim 7, and wherein the shaped portions are such, when the blank is deformed to provide the container effectively defined by the inter-relationships of the fold lines , that they effectively totally close-in the interior of the container.

9. A blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A method of forming a container from a blank as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, including the steps of deforming the blank about the innermost ones of said first and second pairs of fold lines such that the folded regions are arranged transverse to said panel portion; ;applying adhesive to the marginal edges of the blank that are transverse to said pairs of lines; folding over the flap like regions extending outwardly from the fold lines pairs so that each flap like r-egion portion overlies a corresponding region of said blank portion about the first pair of fold lines such that the two areas of the blank positioned between the lines of each of the pairs of fold lines form the end walls to the container; cramping said fastening flaps towards each other to form the closed container side walls; and causing the adhesive applied to said marginal edge regions to produce adhesion between the said marginal edges.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, and wherein when the article to be packaged is introduced prior to the folding over of the flaps, the flap fold is such as thereby to grip the article between the folded over flaps and the base.

12. A method of forming a container as claimed in claim 11, and wherein the blank is deformed to provide the container as a continuous sequence of operations.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1O,11,or 12, and wherein the formation of the container is a two stage operation in which the blanks are iniially part folded in such manner that the flap regions are preset to extend perpendicularly to the said portion; and the thus part preformed blanks are subsequently deformed into the containers.

14, A method of forming a container from a blank as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, substantially as hereinbefore described with with reference to Figures 1,2,3,4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

15, Apparatus for folding a blank as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, including means for advancing the blank to be deformed into a container along a predetermined direction in such manner that said flap portions are located one behind the other along the direction of feed; guide means for engaging with the leading flap to fold the latter against the direction of advance of the blank along said direction so as to overly the panel, means for ensuring that the trailing panel is displaced towards the panel in advance of the displacement of the leading flap; means for applying adhesive to those parts of the blank that are brought into contacting relationship as a result of the folding operation; and means for subjecting the folded blank to a pressure/heating regime to activate the adhesive.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, and including means for folding the trailing flap along said direction so as to overly said panel,

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 or 16, and wherein the means for folding the leading flap incorporates a guide for preogressively moving the flap towards the panel and and means for moving the marginal edge regions of the blank into close contacting relationship and for eserting adhesive sealing pressure.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein adhesive is applied to the marginal regions imediately prior to thr blank flaps being deformed towards the panel.

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15,16,17 or 18, and wherein the sealing pressure is produced between the nip of a pair of rollers:

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15,16,17 or 18, and wherein the sealing pressure is produced by the interaction of a moveable surface cooperating with underside of the marginal regions and a the guide means; the arrangement being such that the advance of the lank automatically moves the parts of the bland to be adhered one to the other through the pressure zone.

21. Apparatus for folding a blank into a container, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 5 of the the accompanying drawings.