Bottles and jars – Multilayer barrier structure
Reexamination Certificate
1996-09-16
2001-10-02
Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Multilayer barrier structure
C215S012200, C215S246000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296129
ABSTRACT:
1. BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
1.1 Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of wrapping containers, and articles obtained by such a method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for shrink-wrapping two portions of a container simultaneously by using a wrapping material having a perforation thereon.
1.2 Description of Related Art
Heat-shrinkable films have been widely used to wrap containers. When a heat-shrinkable film is applied onto the body portion of a container, it usually serves several purposes. First, the heat-shrinkable film can be a protective means for the container preventing potential damage caused in handling the container. Second, it can be used as a label having a trademark or specification of the product printed thereon. When a film is formed on the neck portion of the container, it can also serve as a sealing means. This is needed especially when the container's contents are volatile or oxygen-sensitive, such as food and certain pharmaceutical products.
Conventional processes for forming a body wrap or a neck wrap generally involve forming the heat-shrinkable film into a sleeve slightly larger in diameter than the dimension of the portion of the container to be wrapped, placing the sleeve over the container, and heating the sleeve to shrink it onto the container. Typical wrapping processes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,013,496, 4,016,706, 4,983,238, and 5,240,529.
In such typical processes, only one of the body portion and the neck portion of the container are wrapped. If both the body wrap and the neck wrap are to be formed on the same container, one possible approach is to form the two wraps separately in a sequential manner. However, there is a problem that the earlier-formed wrap may be overheated as it would have to be exposed to the heat applied to shrink the wrap to be formed later. Efficiency of the procedures and ease of operation would also be an issue of concern. None of the above-mentioned patents recognized these problems inasmuch as they relate either to the formation of a body wrap or the formation of a neck wrap. Therefore, it would be highly desirable if the two wraps can be formed on the container simultaneously in the same procedure.
2. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient method for forming two heat-shrinkable wraps, one on the minor portion and the other on the major portion of a container simultaneously in a single procedure.
Another object is to provide an article comprising a container having a wrap on its minor portion and a wrap on its major portion formed by said method.
Yet another object is to provide a heat-shrinkable sleeve suitable for simultaneously wrapping the minor portion and the major portion of a container in a single procedures.
These and other objects of the present invention as well as the advantages thereof will be apparent from the following description and claims.
The present invention provides a method for wrapping a container having a minor portion and a major portion.
According to the method of the present invention, a heat-shrinkable sleeve having a perforation thereon is provided. The perforation is positioned such that, upon breakage of the perforation, the sleeve will be separated into a first subsleeve and a second subsleeve. The first subsleeve is adapted to wrap the minor portion of the container and the second subsleeve is adapted to wrap the major portion of the container. The perforation should be capable of breaking upon heating at a temperature to be applied to shrink the sleeve.
The sleeve is placed over the container in such a manner that, upon breakage of the perforation, the first subsleeve will encircle the minor portion of the container and the second subsleeve will encircle the major portion of the container.
Next, heat is applied to the sleeve sufficiently to cause the perforation to break due to shrinkage of the sleeve. The resulted first subsleeve and second subsleeve continue to shrink until they are in snug surface engagement respectively with the minor portion and the major portion of the container.
The present invention also provides an article obtained by the above method. The article comprises in combination a container having a minor portion and a major portion, and a first subsleeve wrapping the minor portion and a second subsleeve wrapping the major portion. The first subsleeve and the second subsleeve were connected as an integral sleeve through a perforation before being applied onto the container.
The present invention further provides a wrapping sleeve suitable for use in the above method. Accordingly, the sleeve has a perforation thereon positioned such that upon breakage of the perforation, the sleeve will be separated into a first subsleeve and a second subsleeve. The first subsleeve is adapted to wrap the minor portion of the container and the second subsleeve is adapted to wrap the major portion of the container.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the minor portion of the container is a neck portion and the major portion of the container is a body portion. Preferably, the neck portion and the body portion are cylindrical.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sleeve is made of a heat-shrinkable material.
In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first subsleeve and the second subsleeve is a preprinted label.
In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container is a plastic bottle or a glass bottle.
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American Fuji Seal, Inc.
Pennie & Edmonds LLP
Weaver Sue A.
LandOfFree
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