Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02499252 2008-05-20
TEMPORARY PACKAGE
Background Of the Invention
Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to a method for package assembly, and more
particularly to a method for briefly stabilizing containers on a flat base
member by
temporarily bonding the containers to the base member with a hot melt adhesive
that
releases the container from its bond to the base member soon after the
handling and
packaging process is complete, and a package which consists of a rigid base
member,
containers temporarily bonded with hot melt adhesive to the base member, and a
plastic
shrink film encapsulating the base member and containers.
Description Of The Related Art
Prior art packaging methods and packages do not address the special need of
stabilizing containers on a flat base member during the brief period of
package assembly by
forming a ternporary adhesive bond between the containers and the base member.
Placement of a group or pack pattern of containers on a flat base member
poses a stability problem as the base member with containers is transported
through a
packaging or handling process. This is particularly a problem for intermittent
motion
packaging or handling systems, but is also a concern for continuous motion
equipment.
Even the machine vibration on a continuous motion machine can result in
movement of
containers on the flat base member, which can negatively effect the completed
package, or
the effectiveness of the packaging or handling system.
To avoid this instability with containers on a flat base member, many
packaging or handling systems use a corrugated box or tray with four side
walls. The box
or tray forms a containment boundary so that movement of the containers during
the
handling or packaging process minimizes the stability problem.
A need exists for a temporary packaging method and package so that
containers are restricted from movement when placed on a flat base member
during the
packaging or handling process, yet upon completion of the packaging or
handling, the
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CA 02499252 1999-05-11
containers are free of this movement restriction.
Summary Of The Invention
Accordingly, the present invention provides a temporary packaging method
and package which briefly bonds a group or pack pattern of containers to a
flat base member
to stabilize the containers during the handling or packaging process, and
these containers
release from this adhesive bond soon after the handling or packaging process
is completed
by plastic shrink film encapsulation of the base member and containers. The
method
comprises the steps of providing a base member, providing adhesive to the base
member,
placement of containers to base member resulting in a temporary bond,
advancing the base
member with bonded containers through the handling or packaging process,
encapsulation
of base member and containers with plastic shrink film, and release of
containers from bond
to base member within minutes after the encapsulation by shrink film, with
adhesive
remaining bonded to base member.
The method of the present invention eliminates the instability of the
containers on a flat base member during the handling or packaging process,
thereby
permitting a wide range of movement and handling to occur. The present
invention permits
the group of containers which are bonded to the flat base member to be
aggressively handled
by inclines, declines, side transfers, abrupt starting and stopping, equipment
vibration,
stacking, etc.
The temporary bond effectively locks the containers in place during the
handling or packaging process. This temporary bond is defined herein as a bond
that
releases by itself over time. It is required to hold the containers in place
during the handling
or packaging process, and within minutes after the base member and containers
are
encapsulated by film, the container releases from the base member with the
adhesive residue
remaining on the base member.
This novel packaging method dramatically simplifies the packaging and
handling process for packaging containers on a flat base member. By
temporarily
stabilizing the group or pack pattern on the base member during the packaging
or handling
process, this invention offers an effective alternative to the traditional
corrugated box or tray
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with four side walls.
This invention utilizes less packaging materials than boxes or trays, is more
cost efficient, and because there is no need to form boxes or trays, which
generate both
corrugated dust and spores, it is more sanitary. This invention also offers
greater efficiency
than current methods of packaging containers on flat base members because of
the increased
stability of containers on the base member during package assembly.
Brief Description Of The Drawin~s
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a grouping of containers of the present
invention showing a base member with containers adhered thereto;
Figure 2 is a plan view of a base member with continuous strips of a
temporary adhesive applied thereto;
Figure 3 is a plan view of a base member with intermittent strips of a
temporary adhesive applied thereto;
Figure 4 is a diagram of the apparatus and method for assembling the
package assembly of the present invention including encapsulating the
containers with
shrink film;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a package comprising a base member with
containers adhered thereto and a cover member encapsulated by a plastic film;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a base member with containers adhered
thereto and having a divider insert;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a grouping of containers of the present
invention temporarily bonded to a base member and traveling up an incline
prior to
encapsulation by shrink film, and
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a grouping of containers of the present
invention showing a base member with containers encapsulated with shrink film.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a grouping of containers of the present
invention showing stacked layers of base memebers with bonded containers
encapsulated
with shrink film.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a grouping of containers of the present
invention on a circular base member encapsulated with shrink film.
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Descrintion Of The Preferred Embodiments
While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there are
shown in the drawings and described in detail herein specific preferred
embodiments of the
invention. The present disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of
the invention
and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments
illustrated.
The present invention provides a temporary packaging method and package
which briefly bonds a group or pack pattern of containers to a flat base
member during the
handling or packaging process and releases this bond once the handling or
packaging
process is completed. The method comprises the steps of providing a base
member,
providing adhesive to the base member, placement of containers on base member
to form a
temporary bond, optionally adding a top cover member or divider, advancing the
base
member with bonded containers through the handling or packaging process so
that further
processing of the containers may optionally be effected, encapsulation of the
base member
with bonded containers by a plastic shrink film, followed by release of
containers from base
member soon after encapsulation of the shrink film, with adhesive remaining
bonded to base
member.
The method of the present invention provides a means for briefly bonding
containers to a base member so containers can be effectively controlled during
the handling
or packaging process. The optional top cover member adds extra strength and
protection for
certain container types such as those having foil or paper lids or a bottle
with a sport cap, the
optional divider insert adds extra protection for certain container types such
as glass bottles
or jars to avoid glass on glass contact.
Referring to Figure 1, an assembly of containers -of the present invention is
shown generally at 10 and comprises a flat base member 12, onto which
containers 10 are
adhered to temporary bonding adhesive strips 13.
Base member 12 may be made of any suitable material such as chip board,
paper board or corrugated board depending on the dimensions of the package and
intermediate steps which accompany the packaging method. Chip board, however,
possesses the minimum desired degree of stiffness according to the present
invention.
By means of appropriate adhesive dispensing equipment the nature of which
will be readily apparent to those familiar with the art, strips of adhesive 20
are placed on the
upper surface 21 of base member 12, as shown in Figure 2, adhesive strips 20
being
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disposed parallel to ends 22 and 24 of base member 12. The adhesive is a hot
melt
adhesive which may be applied by applicators situated above a conveyor (not
shown) along
which base member 12 is traveling during the packaging process. Both the
application
temperature and depth of adhesive strip should be consistent with the strips
of adhesive 20
on base member 12.
The timing between application of adhesive strips and placement of
containers should be substantially consistent, generally 2 to 3 seconds
between placement
of adhesive strips on base member and placement of containers on base member.
In order to form a temporary bond, the hot melt adhesive should have an
open time of approximately 30 to 45 seconds. The open time is defined as the
period
between application of adhesive on base member and solidification of adhesive.
During
the open time the elasticity of the semi-solid hot melt adhesive permits
aggressive
movement of the base member without movement of the containers from their
position on
the base member. As the adhesive begins to solidify the bond weakens and
within minutes
the container totally releases from the bond to base member, with all adhesive
remaining
on the base member.
An adhesive with this characteristic is commercially available from H.B.
Fuller as Product No. H.L. 7674. Depending upon the type of handling
contemplated,
however, the specific open time may vary. In general, an open time of between
20 seconds
to 1 minute is particularly well suited for the present invention.
The specific bonding strength between base member and container is
controlled by varying Ihe application temperature of the adhesive, and the
depth of the
adhesive strips (generally 1/16 to 1/8" i.e. 0.15875-0.3175 cm depth). A
higher application
temperature and deeper adhesive strips will increase the bonding, and a lower
temperature
and thinner adhesive strips will decrease bonding. In general, the hot melt
adhesive is
preferably applied within a temperature range of 270 degrees F to 340 degrees
F (132-171
degrees C).
Adhesive strips 20 hold containers 14 firmly in place on base member 12, as
shown in Figure 1. The adhesive is such that it will adhere to containers 14
to the extent
that containers 14 are secured to base member 12 firmly enough to resist
movement
relative thereto and provide stability during normal handling.
Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention, in which
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adhesive strips 20a are intermittent, so that the adhesive strips extend only
beneath the
individual containers and not between them.
Soon after the adhesive is applied to base member 12 (generally 2 to 3
seconds), containers are placed in an adjacent side by side relationship on
adhesive strips 20
on base member 12, as shown in Figure 1. Containers 14 may be positioned on
base
member 12 by equipment which feeds containers 14 in a direction
perpendicularly to the
direction in which base member is traveling, and then positions a pre-arranged
set of
containers 14 on base member 12 within a consistently short period of time
(generally 2 to 3
seconds). Containers 14 preferably touch the adhesive strip at two contact
points, or at four
contact points, as shown in Figure 2 at 26,28, 30 and 32, and in Fig. 3 at
26a, 28a, 30a and
32a in which strips of adhesive, after a container has been affixed thereto
and removed, are
shown for purposes of illustration.
The advantage of automatic loading of containers into a pack pattern and
bonding same to a base member is that a stable unitized assembly is placed on
the adhesive
strips at the same time. The time interval between application of adhesive and
placement of
containers should remain substantially constant to replicate the bonding
characteristics of
container to base member. For this reason, automatic loading equipment is the
most
preferred method.
Figure 4 is a diagram of the apparatus for assembling the package assembly
and temporary packaging method of the present invention. Containers enter this
apparatus
on a single lane conveyor (A) and are channeled through lane dividers (B)
which separate
the containers into the appropriate number of lanes. A pack pattern of
containers is released
to collation area (C ). Simultaneously a base member is picked from the base
member
magazine (D) and placed on the conveyor bed (F ). As the base member indexes
forward on
the conveyor bed the adhesive unit (E) and adhesive applicator (G) place
strips of the
temporary bonding hot melt adhesive on the base member.
The adhesive unit and applicator apply a consistent strip or strips of
adhesive
to the base member (generally 1/16" to 1/8" depth i.e. 0.15875- 0.3175 cm) at
a consistent
application temperature (generally 270 degrees F to 340 degrees F i.e.132 -
171 degrees C).
Within a consistent time period after application of adhesive to base member
(generally 2 to 3 seconds), the pack pattern of containers (C ) are
transferred by the
apparatus for placement on the base member with temporary bonding adhesive.
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Once containers have been loaded onto the base member, the package
assembly is moved by a conveyor through a series of optional applications such
as
placement of cover member or divider insert (J), conveying on inclines,
declines or angled
turns (K), abrupt stopping and starting (L), and transfer into the apparatus
for encapsulating
the base member and containers with plastic shrink film (M), and ending with
the final
package with shrink wrap encapsulation (N). Within minutes after shrink
wrapping, the
containers will release from the bond to base member with adhesive remaining
bonded to
base member.
As shown in Figure 5, a flat cover member 40 may optionally be applied over
the containers. The cover member provides added strength to package and offers
top layer
protection for certain container types such as containers with paper or foil
lids, or bottles
with sport caps. Once cover member is in position, the package assembly is
encapsulated
with shrink film 11 such as commercially available from Armin Plastics as
Product No.
2304B. The tight film encapsulation thus provided keeps the top pad tightly
pressed to the
tops of the containers which increases package strength and protects the top
layer of
containers.
An alternative embodiment of a temporary package assembly according to
the present invention is shown at Figure 6. A divider 50 has been added to
avoid container
to container contact within package assembly. This has application for such
containers as
glass jars, bottles, vials, etc., in which container to container contact can
result in damage
during distribution. The divider (usually corrugated or chipboard) is placed
between
containers after containers are bonded to base member and prior to shrink film
encapsulation.
Referring to Figure 7, a schematic drawing of the temporary package
assembly according to the present invention is shown. Use of the flat base
member and
temporary adhesive bonding of containers to base member locks product
containers in place
and prevents individual movement of the containers until after the package
assembly has
been shrink wrapped. Within minutes the adhesive releases the containers from
the bond to
base member with the adhesive remaining on the base member. This temporary
package
assembly uses less packaging material than either a box or tray with four side
walls, is more
cost efficient, and because there is no need to form boxes or trays, which
generate both
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CA 02499252 1999-05-11
corrugated dust and spores, it is more sanitary.
The present invention provides a method for temporarily bonding containers
to a flat base member to restrict movement of containers on the base member
during the
handling or packaging process. This method of bonding the containers permits a
wide range
of movement and handling to occur without concern for container stability on
the flat base
member.
The present invention permits the group or pack pattern of containers to be
aggressively handled by inclines 16 as shown in Figure 7, declines, side
transfers, abrupt
starting and stopping, equipment vibrations, stacking, etc., without
individual movement of
container, and within minutes after the group or pack pattern of containers
and base member
has been encapsulated with plastic shrink film, the adhesive bond releases the
containers
from the base member with the adhesive residue remaining on the base member.
The
completed package assembly of the present invention is shown in Figure 8.
Additional embodiments of the invention are shown in Figures 9 and 10.
Figure 9 shows an embodiment in which multiple layers of base members with
bonded
containers are stacked. Figure 10 shows an embodiment in which a circular base
member is
used.
Other advantages of the method of the present invention are as follows. The
temporary bond effectively eliminates individual movement of the container on
a flat base
member during package assembly or handling, thereby greatly enhancing
stability of the
package assembly, which results in greater packaging efficiency. This improved
stability
increases the range of containers which are candidates for packaging by means
of a flat base
member, and it reduces the need for the packaging or handling equipment to
maintain
control of container movement after .h~g container has been placed on the flat
base member,
thereby reducing equipment costs.
Additionally, for containers that are placed into boxes or trays for conveying
through a heat transfer process, the present invention offers greater heat
transfer due to the
flat base member. The present invention permits greater airflow than a box or
tray, thereby
improving heat transfer.
This completes the description of the preferred and alternate embodiments of
the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents to the
specific
embodiment described herein which equivalents are intended to be encompassed
by the
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claims attached hereto.
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