Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Hollow or container type article – Polymer or resin containing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-11
2001-07-10
Pyon, Harold (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Hollow or container type article
Polymer or resin containing
C428S035200, C428S035500, C428S192000, C383S003000, C206S522000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06258424
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a process for production of packaging for articles with a hollow body.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Usually the intermediate space between a packaged article and its packaging which usually has a geometrically defined unit shape (prism, cylinder, etc. or combination thereof) is filled to prevent shifting of the article in the packaging and to ensure uniform protection around the article.
Here plastic foams are being used more and more. These plastic foams can be for example foamed saddle bodies as filler or plastic foam moldings which are shaped according to the articles to be packaged, between which the article is held as in a casting mold. The foam moldings either themselves form the entire packaging or are surrounded with an outside shell. This packaging and packaging which uses loose filler material are bulky in storage and disposal and are usually a problem with regard to disposal. Packaging which has air cushions usually consists of composites and are expensive to produce. Furthermore, composites require expensive operating techniques in proper disposal.
FR 1 443 340 A and U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,556 shows packaging with an inflatable hollow body which is a double-walled, tubular formed body. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,556 the hollow body which forms the packaging is closed simply on one end by a weld line.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to make available packaging which is simple to produce and handle.
With regard to the process, this is done as claimed in the invention by the hollow body being produced from a flat film by double folding in different directions and accordingly airtight sealing on its face edges.
With respect to packaging itself, the object is achieved in packaging for articles comprising an inflatable hollow body which is a double-walled, tubular formed body (U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,556) by the double-walled, tubular formed body being open on its two ends, and by the film which forms the inner layer and the film which forms the outer layer being joined to one another along a seam which runs in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the tubular formed body, i.e. from one terminal opening to the other terminal opening.
With the invention, packaging and a process for production thereof are proposed in which the article to be packaged is held by the packaging having an inflatable hollow body with an inside wall which adjoins the article which has been inserted into the packaging and which is to be packaged during inflation so that the article is fixed and surrounded by an elastic protective zone. The packaging as claimed in the invention requires low material cost. It can be used efficiently both in terms of economics and ecology and by reuse or simple recycling does not permanently burden the environment.
The tightness and resistance of the hollow body provided in the packaging as claimed in the invention is selected depending on the materials used and is matched to requirements. Materials are available which due to their specific properties can be returned after their use in an energy saving manner to granulate form which can in turn represent the initial material (flat film or tubing) for the packaging as claimed in the invention. In the least common cases year-long storability is necessary or there are extreme temperature fluctuations with circumstances which could impose a high demand on the material and the processing technique.
The hollow body used as claimed in the invention for packaging purposes is preferably produced by corresponding folding of a film and tight connection of the edges thereof (existing tubular films can likewise be used). In doing so a hollow cylinder open on both ends is formed. Conventionally this hollow body consists of preferably thermoplastic so that the cut edges can be welded, otherwise cemented, to one another, for which they are preferably overlapped.
The choice of folding technique and the dimensions of the blank of flat film used are decisive for the size of the hollow body produced. The basis for computing the protection zone is the dimensions of the article to be protected and packaged.
Selectively the hollow body of the packaging as claimed in the invention can be formed from a section of endless tubing with edges which are tightly joined to one another. If the endless tubing consists of thermoplastic, the cut edges can be welded to one another, otherwise they are cemented, for which they are preferably overlapped on one another.
Also other pocket-like or bag-like hollow bodies can be produced very easily, for which at least one insertion opening must be present for the article to be packaged; both ends are open in the method of production from endless tubing.
The hollow body can generally form the packaging alone or can be loosely inserted into an especially cylindrical or prismatic protective shell. The inflated hollow body with the inserted article then has a defined, outside geometrical shape so that the articles can be stacked and also the insertion of several hollow bodies into a geometrically defined protective shell (for example, outside carton) is easily possible.
The packaging as claimed in the invention is also an advantageous approach for small sensitive parts. The parts packaged in this way can be transported as bulk material in a protective shell, for example a bag or carton.
Sealing of the hollow bodies after insertion of the article to be packaged and inflation of the hollow bodies takes place in small units, for example by cementing or, with thermoplastics, also by welding. For larger units, especially those which are not intended as disposable packaging, there can be (known) valves.
Hollow bodies which themselves form the packaging, therefore do not bear any protective shell, preferably consist of an elastic or elastoplastic material with reusable, mechanically highly loadable properties, which forms the outside skin film, and a corresponding, more flexible, usually thin-walled inside skin film which are joined to one another by corresponding placement on top of one another in the above described manner. Inflation takes place here preferably via the inside skin film, this in turn consisting preferably of elastic or elastoplastic material, especially a plastic film. By corresponding folding and welding techniques, with the stiff outside skin film geometrical shapes (for example, prisms) can be formed which in turn enable easier stacking of the units packaged in this way. The materials used should be chosen such that they can be supplied as a unit to a recovery system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2344369 (1944-03-01), Salfisberg
patent: 3346101 (1967-10-01), Pestka
patent: 4240556 (1980-12-01), Field
patent: 4969312 (1990-11-01), Pivert et al.
patent: 5272856 (1993-12-01), Pharo
patent: 1 443 340 (1966-05-01), None
patent: 2 121 977 (1972-08-01), None
patent: 776893 (1957-01-01), None
patent: 776 893 (1957-06-01), None
Chevalier Alicia
Pyon Harold
Young & Thompson
LandOfFree
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