Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
CONTAINERS AND CONTAINER BLANKS, APPARATUS FOR AND
.
METHOD OF FORMING CONTAINERS AND CONTAINER BLANKS
Field of the Invention
7
< .
The present invention relates to an apparatus for and method of forming
containers for use in packaging articles, particularly the packaging of
irregular =
shaped articles or multiple flat articles, such as books or video cassettes
and disks
== such as LP records, CDs, CD-ROMs and DVDs packed together
in a container.
The invention is directed particularly to the use of standard retail sale case
and
rolled, slotted and creased or similar containers (hereinafter referred to as
a =
õ
standard retail container or RSC container), The invention relates most
particularly to a container blank and an apparatus and method of forming the
=
blank. The invention yet further relates to a container package (that is,
including =
packaged articles) constructed using the apparatus, method and/or blank of the
invention. The invention most particularly relates to the method and apparatus
used to form and handle a container blank and to shape the blank into a
package
for constraining at least one article therein for dispatch or storage.
The invention particularly relates to an apparatus for and method of modifying
container blanks made of card or similar material, the blanks being modified
to
include an article retaining means to secure articles therein and prevent
damage-
causing movement within the container formed from the blank. Additionally, the
invention relates to a container forming machine which takes container blanks
=
having an article reclining means and forms packaging contain.ers for
irregularly
shaped or particularly heavy articles, such as machine parts, and articles
having a
relatively large surface area as compared to the associated thickness or depth
thereof, such as books, video cassettes and discs of various formats. These
=
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
= -2-
articles need to be held securely within the container to prevent damage
thereof
during transit. A method of forming containers is also disclosed.
The methods, apparatus, blanks and final package as described hereinbelow are
described primarily with reference to flat articles such as those exemplified
above,
5 however it should be appreciated that no such limitation exists.
It will be appreciated by the skilled addressee that the invention may be
applied to
any three-dimensional object locatable within the container and is not limited
to
similarly shaped articles such as books and video cassettes.
Background to the Invention
= 10 Increasingly, customers are eschewing the time-consurning
routine of travelling to
purchase their shopping and/or business needs. It is now common for purchases
to be made by mail order, telephone and via the Internet and email. As a
= consequence, for goods to be received there is a market increase in the
use of
postal and courier serviceS to deliver the purchases.
15 The further involvement of postal services and other delivery systems is
different
=. from the traditional mode of shopping where the customer travels to
purchase
. articles over the counter and returns using public or
their own transport means. In
. this scenario, packing or packaging is done at the
counter or before the customer
leaves, after 'which responsibility for damage no longer resides with the
seller. As
20 most postal and courier services either limit their liability for damage
to articles
delivered by them or charge significant premiums for insurance against such
damage, it falls to the retailer, warehouseman or company dispatching the
purchase to ensure there is minimal risk of damage or loss during transit to
the
customer. The term "postal" as used herein is intended as a convenient
expression
25 of all local, national and international dispatch and courier services,
including
. drop-shipping services.
=
With., the increased popularity of Internet shopping and the dispatch of
ordered
articles via the postal system the requirement for packaging has increased
. ,
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. -
-3-
manyfold. The popularity of such websites as AntazonTM and eBayTm have
increased the postal traffic of common items such as books, CDs, CDROMs and
=
DVDs and less regularly posted items from vehicle and machine parts to laptop
computers and fragile ornaments. Due to the vast turnover of dispatched
articles
and the inherent risks associated with the bulk handling of goods, there is a
market
requirement for sturdy containers. Additionally, as the volume of mail order
'
catalogue business increases so to does the volume of returns. This has a
severe ,;.
consequence on the profitability of the mail order transaction and, where the
=
returned article is damaged, the customer must bear responsibility for the
damage.
,
This condition of sale often has repercussions for customer relationships,
. =
Additionally, if the article has sharp or irregular edges, it can damage the
container and, exceptionally, be lost or injure a package handler.
In other words, a fundamental requirement of any method of goods
transportation = <
is that the goods are not damaged during transport so that they reach their
=
destinations in a non-damaged state. : =
It has been found in practice, that the packaging of articles such as books,
records,
and similar articles having at least one surface with a relatively large
surface area .. =
in relation to depth or thickness of the article has presented, in terms of
packaging, A
a significant ongoing problem. This problem manifests itself particularly in
. .
situations where the articles are packaged on a production line basis by a
packaging method involving the folding of a card or the like blank into a
contaMer
for receiving an article to be packed. There are additional problems
associated
with the packaging of irregular shaped or heavy articles, as noted above.
Containers formed from blanks made of card and cardboard and other materials
suitable for dispatch through the postal services are well known in the prior
art.
Generally, the containers are formed from a relatively simple blank having
side
walls separated by fold lines and one or more base and lid portions connected
to
one or more of the side walls by cotTesponding fold lines. To construct the
container an end tab of one side wall is secured to an edge portion of another
side
wall and the or each base portion is folded and secured to form an open-
mouthed
container. When the or each article to be dispatched has been placed within
the
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container, the or each lid portion is folded and secured. The means of
securing the
portions to form the container is normally selected from gluing or stapling.
=
There are m,any exa.mples of the above types of container in the prior art, in
addition to the standard RSC type container, a modified arrangement of which
is
discussed hereinbelow with respect to the detailed embodiments of the present
invention.
It will be appreciated that unless the container is designed to receive the
specific
article(s) to be dispatched, further packaging materials will be required to
prevent
the article(s) moving about within the container. This is particularly so with
respect to irregularly shaped articles and the use of polystyrene filling
material
= (sometimes referred to as "peanuts"). Small pieces of filler material
will not
however prevent heavy objects moving within a container. In the packaging
=
industry generally there is a move to obviate extraneous packaging materials
and
in some countries there are regulations and legislation to prevent wasteful
= 15 packaging practices.
,
The invention is directed to overcoming some of the established disadvantages
associated with prior art containers, particularly those realising a container
which
is adapted for encapsulating or otherwise securing one or more articles within
the
= container to prevent damage due to movement within the container during
transit
to its destination.
:
In an attempt to obviate some of the disadvantages highlighted above, a
solution
suggested in the prior art is to utilise a web of lining material to secure
the articles
within the container.
= One established solution is to place the articles for dispatch in a tray,
usually of a
cardboard material. The tray and articles are then wrapped by a web of
plastics
material which is subsequently heated to effect a shrink-wrapped package.
Alternatively, the web or film is tensioned around the article(s) by folding
= elements of the tray to which the web is attached. This package is then
placed
into a pre-formed container which is finally sealed and marked for dispatch.
This
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
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=
arrangement, however, has its own disadvantages including that, although the
articles are bound together, the tray will often move sufficiently in the
container to .
=
dislodge the articles from the tray. Furthermore, this arrangement does not
avoid
.
.
,
the use of unnecessary additional packaging materials and includes an extra
stage
in the packaging process.
In another solution proposed by the Applicant in United Kingdom Patent No.
GB 2 343 885 there is described a container blank to which a sheet or web of
lining material is secured. This lining material is shrink-wrappable so that
articles
may be placed directly into the container and secured in situ.
;..
Although providing significant improvements over the prior art, the container
and
container blank disclosed in GB 2 343 885 is not suitable for machine forming
into a container. While there is significant demand for containers which are
manually formed (particularly for low volume operation), high volume dispatch
centres or drop-shippers, for example, require fully automated systems. The
=
advantages of machine forming of a container from a blank will be apparent to
the =
skilled addressee.
For cost reasons and to adhere to requirements, in particular those relating
to crush =
resistance, it is desirable to make use of the inherent strength provided by
the
"nape" of corrugations formed within the cardboard material, It is for this
reason,
together with the low failure rate of such material, that multi-ply, high-
grade
cardboard materials are considered despite their relative expense and the
accuracy
=
to which the blanks must be formed. Where inexpensive materials are used, the
= proportion of failures and machinery wear increases, consequently machine
downtime and process stoppages deleteriously affect efficiency.
From reading the prior art, it is known that container blanks are usually
formed
using a die-cutting technique which includes stamping of fold lines. A range
of
standard retail sales case are fora:led using large knife beating rollers into
which
cardboard material is fed to be 'rolled, slotted and creased" to form
container
blanks, The blanks are then introduced to a folding station where a container
is
formed. The open-mouthed container is then filled and sealed for dispatch. In
an
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alternative prior art arrangement, the article(s) to be packaged isfare placed
onto a
blank and passed to a sealing station where the container is formed around the
.
.
article(s) and sealed ming hot-melt glue.
=
It is an object of the present invention to provide a packaging system that
seeks to
alleviate the disadvantages associated with the prior art and seeks to
minimise(s) = .
the risk of damage to an article during post, packaging, handling and during
transit.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a container blank
suitable
for machine forming and to provide a container so formed for receiving
articles to =
be secured therein prior to dispatch.
,..4
It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus for and method
of =
forming container blanks of the invention.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a container blank
suitable for
containers which may be formed, filled and sealed at high speed.
=.
Summary of the Invention
Accordingly, the present invention provides a container blank comprising:
a pair of opposed side wall portions and an opposed front wall portion and
. .
rear wall portion, each wall portion being connected to a base portion at a
fold line
and at least one opposed pair of walls being provide with a lid section; and
,: o.
at least one portion having attached thereto a web of material adapted to
line the blank and, in an erected configuration, retain an article under
tension
within a container formed from the blank,
=
wherein the material web is secured to the at least one portion using adhesive
: A
applied in a direction consistent with the direction along which tension is
applied
to retain an article within the container,
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
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= and wherein the material web does not extend beyond the fold lines of the
base
portion adjoining the side walls to overlie said side wall portions.
In one arrangement of container blank:
'
= "
the side wall portions and front and rear wall portions are connected to a
.
common base portion at respective fold lines;
= .
each side wall portion has inner and outer sections, separated by a fold
land, the sections being adapted for folding about the fold land to assume a
position overlying one another, the outer section including locking means
=
engagable in the base portion to secure said overlying position; and
. =
,
the front and rear wan portions each have a riser section and a lid section.
In another arrangement of container blank, each wall portion ha.s a base
portion
and lid section attached thereto at fold lines and is connected to at least
one
adjacent wall portion at a fold line disposed perpendicularly to the base or
lid fold
lines.
õ
Advantageously, the material web is secured to the at least one portion using
adhesive applied in a direction consistent with the direction in which the web
is
applied.
Preferably, the adhesive is selected from hot melt glue, cold-seal contact
adhesive,
double-sided adhesive tape or like material.
:
Conveniently, the material adapted to retain an article within a container
formed
from the blank is a shrink-wrappable material.
Optionally, the material adapted to retain an article within a container
formed
from the blank includes an adhesive coated section having an adhesive material
adapted to adhere substantially exclusively to like coated sections.
. = ,
,
Advantageously, the material web includes at least one adhesive coated section
to
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=
-8-
which a removable liner is applied.
Conveniently, the material web includes a release coat.
Advantageously, at least the side, front and rear wall portions are so sized
and
shaped as to be machine foldable.
= 5 Preferably, the container blank is cut from a card
material having a nape oriented
to add to the strength of the container or container formed from the blank.
In one construction, the web is applied discontinuously. This construction
utilises
a plurality of discrete lengths or patches of article retaining material
positioned on
=
a container blank so as to secure effectively articles for dispatch placed in
a
10 container formed from the blank.
The present invention further provides an apparatus for forming a container
blank
=, = of the type having an article retaining means comprising a web of
material
adapted to line the blank and, in an erected configuration, retain an article
under
tension within a container formed from the blank and is applied to an inner
suiface
15 thereof, said inner surface being defined between fold lines of a base
portion
adjoining opposed side wall portions of the container blank, the apparatus
= comprising:
means for dispensing onto a feed conveyor a substantially continuous
supply of open container blanks, the blanks being of a desirous pre-formed
profile
20 having a plurality of foldable sections so shaped and sized as to form a
container;
= means for applying adhesive in a direction consistent with the direction
= along which tension is applied to retain an article within the container;
= . means for dispensing a web of a retaining material and laying a
length of
said web onto the inner surface of said open blank, whereby the material web
does
25 not extend beyond the fold lines of the base portion adjoining the side
walls to
overlie said side wall portions;
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= -9-
= cutting means to slice the web to define the length of web adhered to the
= blank; and
=
conveying means to carry the blank thus formed to a stacking station, a
storage station or for further processing.
. =
Advantageously, the apparatus includes a pressure applying means for bonding
the web material to the inner surface of the blank.
Conveniently, the means for dispensing a supply of blanks comprises a support
table having a vacuum operated picker mechanism which individually selects a
blank from the base of a magazine of blanks and introduces the blank to an
adhesive application station.
= Advantageously, the table includes a blank edge support means for
retaining the
blanks within the magazine, the picker mechanism engaging the base portion of
the selected blank and deflecting it to disengage said edge support means.
Optionally, the means for dispensing a supply of blanks comprises a means for
= 15 conveying a stack of blanks to a vacuum operated picker
mechanism which is
adapted to select individually the trailing edge region of a blank and
introduce the
leading edge thereof to an adhesive application station.
= Ideally, the vacuum picker mechanism is mounted on a carriage adapted for
parallel movement with respect to the direction of travel of the blanks,
whereby
,
successive blanks are peeled from underlying blanks in a stack of blanks,
In an alternative construction, the means for dispensing a supply of blanks
comprises a pair of lift tables mounted on a carriage adapted for lateral
movement
= with respect to the direction of travel of blanks within the apparatus,
the
dispensing means including a vacuum operated picker mechanism which
=
individually selects a blank from the top of a magazine of blanks and
introduces
= .
= the blank to an adhesive application station.
Preferably, the means for applying adhesive comprises a plurality of nozzles
for
_
_
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
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applying at least one strip of a flowable adhesive to an inner surface of the
blank.
Alternatively, the means for applying adhesive comprises a tape dispenser for
applying double-sided adhesive tape to a length of said web or to the inner
surface
of said blank.
In one arrangement, the cutting means defines first and second lengths of web
=
material adhered to the blank.
Conveniently, the conveying means includes a forming station adapted to fold
the =
blank into a profile suitable for stacking or as an intermediate container
forming
stage.
= 10 Preferably, the forming station includes as adhesive
application station.
Additionally or alternatively, the forming station includes a stapling means.
The present invention yet further provides a method for forming a container
blank 7
= of the type having an article retaining means comprising a web of
material
adapted to line the blank and, in an erected configuration, retain an article
under
tension within a container formed from the blank and is applied to an inner
surface
thereof, said inner surface being defined between fold lines of a base portion
adjoining opposed side wall portions of the container blank, the method
comprising:
. dispensing onto a feed conveyor a substantially
continuous supply of open
container blanks, the blanks being of a desirous pre-formed profile having a
plurality of foldable sections so shaped and sized as to form a container;
applying at least one strip of adhesive for bonding a web of retaining
material to inner surface of the open blank, said adhesive being applied in a
direction consistent with the direction along which tension is applied to
retain an
=
= 25 article within the container,
dispensing the web of a retaining material and laying a length of said web
_ .
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
-11.
onto the inner surface of said open blank, whereby the material web does not
=
= extend beyond the fold lines of the base portion adjoining the side walls
to overlie
said side wall portions;
= cutting the web to define the length of web adhered to the blank; and
5 conveying the blank thus formed to a stacking station, a storage
station or
for further processing.
Preferably, the method includes applying pressure to the inner surface of the
blank
. == to bond the web material thereto.
In one arrangement, first and second lengths of web are cut and adhered to the
10 blank.
. .
.= In another arrangement, the or each strip of adhesive is
applied to the web of
= retaining material.
In an alternative arrangement, in which the or each strip of adhesive is
applied via
a tape dispenser.
- : ' 15 In the preferred arrangement, the or each strip of
adhesive is applied to the inner
= surface of the blank via a plurality of nozzles.
,=
Additional features of the invention and its advantages, together with further
objectives of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description of
the
= . preferred embodiments below, when read in
conjunction with the accompanying
== 20 drawings.
. .
. == Brief Description. of the Drawings
The invention will now be described more particularly with reference to the
== accompanying drawings which show, by way of example
only, constructions of
container blank, apparatus for forming a container blank, and method of
= 25 constructing a container blank, in accordance
with the invention. In the drawings:
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
:
= -12-
Figure 14 is a plan view of a prior art container blank suitable for packaging
.= ,
articles by manually folding sections of the blank about an article to form a
: =
container therefore;
Figures lb and lc are top plan views of a container formed from the prior art
,
blank of Figure 1 illustrating the fixing of a plastics material web or sheet
thereto
and the resultant tension or distribution of the holding forces applied to the
article
constrained within the container;
= =
Figure 2a is a plan view of a first container blank in accordance with the
= ,
invention, the container being both manually and machine foldable;
=
Figures 2b and 20 are top plan views of a container formed from the blank of
Figure 2a illustrating the fixing of a plastics material web or sheet thereto
and the . = 7
< ,
resultant tension or distribution of the holding forces applied to the article
constrained within the container;
Figure 3a is a plan view of an apparatus for applying the plastics material
sheet to
the pre-formed blank of Figure 2a; =
=
Figure 3b is a side elevation of the apparatus of Figure 3a having a first
arrangement of blank feeding mechanism for metering one blank at a time into
the
apparatus;
=
Figure 3c is a side elevation of the apparatus of Figure 3a having a second
arrangement of blank feeding mechanism;
, =
Figure 3d is a first arrangement of blank feeding mechanism comprising a
support
(
table for metering blanks to the lining apparatus;
Figures 3e(i) to 3e(v) are end elevations on Arrow X of Figure 30, showing the
second arrangement of blank feeding mechanism;
Figures 4a and 4b are top plan views of two arrangements of a second
µ. =
embodiment of container blank in accordance with the invention, illustrating
the , = 7
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
-13-
fixing of article retaining material webs thereto;
'
Figure 4c is a plan view of an apparatus for forming a container blank of
Figure
4b by applying lengths of material web to successive ones of a stack of
profiled
=
blank stock;
Figures 5a to 5c are a plan view, a side elevation; and an end elevation of an
arrangement of blank feeding mechanism for metering successive blanks into the
A
apparatus;
7
Figures 6a and 61, are a schematic perspective view and a schematic side
elevation
of the apparatus for forming the container blank of Figure 4b;
=
Figure 7 is a series of eight views or vignettes illustrating the sequential
steps
involved in conveying first and second lengths of article retaining material
to a
container blank; and
= Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 4c
having a
discharge conveyor which includes additional forming or folding stations.
=
Detailed DescriptmLaf the Drawings
In the description that follows, the terms "left", "right", "upstream" and
"downstream" should be regarded with respect to the drawings only and relate
to
the processing and conveyance of a blank and container formed from the blank
as
= it moves through the apparatus. In this arrangement, "upstream"
represents the
source of raw material or a yet-to-be-processed container blank and
"downstream"
=
=
towards the accumulation point for storage or dispatch.
The terms "side walls" and "end walls" are used conveniently to describe pairs
of
opposed walls and should not be considered as limiting. Certain portions or
tabs
are also described in a similar fashion, again only to assist the reader.
Referring now to the drawings, and initially to Figure la, a prior art
arrangement
of container blank 1, as disclosed in United Kingdom Patent No. 2 343 885, is
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
-14-
shown. The blank 1 is cut from craft card and includes a central land that
forms
the base 2 of a container formed from the blank. The central land or base 2 is
defined by base fold lines 3,4,5,6. Riser fold lines 3A,4A,5A,6A are formed in
. =
the blank to run parallel to but spaced from the fold lines 3,4,5,6,
respectively, to .2
define end and side walls 3B,511;4B,6B which in turn define the depth of the
.
.
container to be formed by the blank.
Referring specifically to each end wall 3B,5B, an over-tab fold line 3D,5D is
formed in the blank running parallel to the riser fold line 3A,5A. The
distance
between the riser fold lines and over-tab fold lines fold lines 3D,5D is
effectively = ,
.
7
twice the thickness of that of the card material from which the blank is
fonned, for
reasons to be mentioned hereinafter. The dimensions of the blank are such that
the portion thereof extending outwardly of the over-tab fold lines 3D,50
define .
.=
tuck-in flaps 7, each having short rectangular extensions 7A,7B that are
formed to
engage corresponding receiving slots 8Aõ8B disposed in the base 2 immediately
adjacent the end wall base fold lines 3,5.
- ,
=
A removable push-out portion 9 is disposed centrally along the outer edge of
each
end wall 3B,5B such that the push-out portion 9 includes a substantially
rectangular part 9A that bridges the space between the riser fold line 3A,5A
and
the over-tab fold lines 3D,5D and a semicircular part 9B opening into the end
wall
itself 3B,5B. End corner regions 7C of the tuck-in flaps 7 are angled to
facilitate
folding of the blank during the container forming process.
4 ,
Referring now to the side walls 4B,6B, each end thereof is provided with a
tuck-in .
flap 4C,6C having the same height dimension as the side walls 4B,6B which
define the depth of the container to be formed from the blank. The tuck-in
flaps
4C,6C are foldable over the end-flap fold lines 4D,6D to be positioned
adjacent
the inner face of the end walls 3B,5B. Consequently, the tuck-in flaps must
be, in
its longest dimension, slightly less than half of the width (long dimension)
of the
end walls 3B,58 but sufficiently long to provide structural support for the
container thus formed without encroaching on the area adjacent to the push-out
portion 9. The tuck-in flap 4C,6C are parallel components that enhance the
overall strength of the finished container. At least one of the free comers of
the
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
.=
-15-
tuck-in flaps 4C,6C is tapered to facilitate easier folding.
A first lid forming portion 10 extends from one side wall 6B and is connected
=
thereto via the side wall riser fold line 6A. Each end of the first lid
portion 10
includes a fold-in flap 10B foldable around a lid-flap fold line 10C. As will
be
' 7
noted from Fig= 1a, a corner of the fold-in flap 108 is shaped to facilitate
the
manual folding or "tucking-in" of the lid end flap 10B.
=
The depth of the first lid portion 10, that is from the riser fold line 6A to
a free
edge 10G of the lid potion 10, the edge 10 G essentially comprising the
leading =
edge of the blank 100. It will be noted from Figure la that the width of the
first
lid portion, that is, the distance between the fold-in flap lines 10C, is less
than the
d.
distance between the adjacent side wall end-flap fold lines 6D. This is to
allow =
=
the lid flaps IOB to fold inside the end wall tuck-in flaps7 when an open-
mouthed
container is formed..
A second lid portion 11 extends from the other side wall 4B by way of the
corresponding riser fold line 4A. This lid forming portion 11 is deeper than
the
7
first lid forming portion 10 so that the second lid portion 11 partially
overlies the .
=
first lid portion 10 when folded over the open-mouthed container when formed.
Similarly to the first lid portion 10, each end of the second lid portion 11
includes
a pair of tuck-in flaps 11B that are foldable about lid-flap fold lines 11C
that align
=
with the inner long edge of the rectangular slot SA in the base 2_ Each end of
the
second lid part 11 also includes a second tuck-in flap 11D which folds about a
fold line 11E. These second flap fold lines 11E fold outside the lid flap fold
1Mes
11 e and are in line with the base fold lines 3,5 of the respective end walls
3B,5B.
=
= When folded into position, the second tuck-in flaps 11D engage the
aperture
defined by the rectangular part 9A of the removable push-out portions 9. The
two
flaps 11B and 11D are shaped to facilitate the actual tucking-in process.
To form a container from the prior art blank of Figure la, the side walls
4B,6B are
= folded through 900 at the base fold lines 4,6 into an upright position
relative to the =
base 2. The side wall tuck-in flaps 4C,6C are folded in at a right angle
relative to
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
=
-16-
the associated side wall 4B,6B and to align with the other base fold lines
3,5. The
end walls 3B,5B are folded to the vertical position relative to the base 2 and
the
,
associated outer flap parts 7 are folded inwards firstly over the
corresponding riser
fold lines 3A,5A and subsequently over the over-tab fold lines 3D,5D to form 8
. .
5 sandwich of the side wall tuck-in flaps 4C,6C between the inner surfaces
of the
end walls 3B,5B and their corresponding tuck-in flaps 7. It will he noted that
the
semicircular part 9B of the aperture formed by the removal of the push-out
portion
9 lies externally of -the thus formed end wall. The tuck-in flap extensions
7A,7B
are then pushed into engagement with the corresponding receiver slots 8A,8B,
.
10 This thus defines the form of the open-mouthed container.
,
=
= = The lid tuck-in flaps 10B,11B are folded to a
position perpendicular to their
respective lid portions 10,11. The shorter tuck-in flaps 11D of the second lid
portion 11 are turned to the positions in which they are able to engage the
rectangular part 9A of the removable push-out portion 9. The lid portion 10 is
= = 15 then folded along the side wall riser fold line 6A
to overlie the base part 2 and the
= tuck-in flaps 10B of the lid 10 are positioned to lie against the now
inwardly
facing surface of the end wall tuck-in flaps 7. The second lid portion 11 is
= subsequently folded along its riser fold line 4A to overlie the open-
mouthed
= container and a proportion of the first lid portion 10. The tuck-in flaps
11B of the
20 second lid portion 11 are also positioned adjacent the exposed surface
of the end
wall tuck-in flaps 7 and the shorter tuck-in flaps 11D of the lid 11 are
engaged in
the rectangular aperture 9A.
= . It will be found that thus folded blank provides a
stiff rectangular box-like
= container.
=
=
25 In practice, in accordance with the requirements of packaging method
involved
- the article to be packed (not shown) is required to be
placed at a required location
within the thus formed container, the location usually being syrnmetaically
positioned within the dimensions of the base. After such a placement, the
blank is
,
folded in the manner discussed around the previously positioned article.
30 This means that if the size of the article is such that
it effectively fills the container
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
-17-
.
the article when in the container is not likely to move about within the
container .1.
during prior transit. If, however, the article is smaller than the interior of
the .;
container it follows that the article would be at least relatively free to
displace = .
within the container and thus be prone to possible damage of the article or
exceptionally the container during transit. Damage to the container is most
likely
to occur with heavier objects, such as machine parts.
=
It will be appreciated that when, for example, a large number of similar
articles -
are to be packed, such as compact discs, books and other flat articles, their
thickness can vary within wide ranges. This is also true of single articles
selected
from a range of products or articles to be packaged and dispatched from a
single
location. At a retails outlet, for example, customers may request any
combination =
of their various purchases to be delivered.
Also, it is clearly not commercially possible to provide, for every
differently sized . 7
,
article, a precisely dimensioned container tailored for each such article so
that the
article is an exact fit in the container. In view of this it is conventional
practice to i. =
provide a range of differently sized containers, with each container of the
range
being intended to accommodate a range of possible sizes of articles. This
practice
has the result that if an article is an exact fit in the container relative
displacement =
is not likely to OCCUr. Whereas if the article is dimensionally smaller than
the . .
maximum size accommodatable by a container any such articles would be .
=
effectively free to move about within the container in a manner set by the
nature
of any post packaging handling.
:
In order to deal with this problem it is proposed accordance with an aspect of
the
invention to provide the container forming blank 1 with an auxiliarylinner
packaging for the article that is adapted to restrain the article against
movement
after it is placed at the requires location upon the container base. With this
;. , =
arrangement when the blank is folded into container form, the auxiliary
Packaging
is effectively automatically brought into its displacement restraining
condition.
...,=
In the above description of the prior art blank, no consideration has been
given to
the article retaining means which comprises a flexible lining material secured
to
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
..-õ
-18-
the base 2 of the blank 1. As schematically shown in Figure lb, a sheet or
film 12 =
of lining material is attached to the base 2 by two lines of adhesive 13
applied as
= A
continuous lines adjacent the side wall base fold lines 4,6. It will be
appreciated =
,;
by the skilled addressee that the adhesive may be applied as broken lines or.
over
an extended area of the base 2 depending on the attachment strength required.
=
The lining material sheet 12 is large enough to overlie the lid forming
portions
10,11 as indicated by the fihn flaps 14,15 of Figure lb.=
=
When packaging an article 16 it is placed on the lining material 12 and the
two =
flaps 14,15 are folded over the article 16. Depending on the nature of the
article = , 7
being packed, the overlying edge regions of the lining material flaps 14,15
are
stuck together to hold the article firmly in place. With a manually erected
container this can be done either prior to the container being formed from the
blank or after.
Figure 1 c sch.ematically illustrates a container of the invention in an. open-
= =
. õ
mouthed configuration in which one or more articles have been constrained
using
the lining material 12. The lining material covers the base 2 of the container
with
enough length to overlap each end thereof so as to allow the free ends of the
film
to be stuck together. Tension lines 17 indicate the restraining mechanism of
the
film 12. If thought convenient, lines of adhesive are provided around the four
sides of the base 2 to hold the lining 12. =
,
' 7
A first embodiment of machine¨foldable blank 100 of the present invention will
now be described with reference to Figures 2a to 2c. For the sake of
convenience =
and consistency of description like portions of the machine foldable blank 100
will be described with numerals common to those used with respect to the prior
art =
blank 1. In common with the prior art blank 1, as described with reference to
Figures la to lc, the blank 100 is cut from craft card and includes a central
land
that forms the base 2 of the container formed from the blank 100. The base 2
is
defined by fold lines 3,4,5,6 and riser fold lines 3A,4A,5A,6A are formed in
the
blank 100 to run parallel to but spaced from the base fold lines 3,4,5,6,
respectively, to define end and side walls 3B,5B;48,68 which in turn define
the
:
depth of the container to be formed by the blank 100.
=
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
=
-19-
Referring specifically to each end wall 3B,5B, an over-tab fold line 3D,5D is
.=
formed in the blank running parallel to the riser fold line 3A,5A, the
distance
between the riser fold lines 1A,5A and the over-tab fold lines 3D,5D being
effectively twice the thickness of the card material from which the blank 100
is =
cut, for the same reasons as described with respect to the prior art blank 1.
. = 7
The end walls 3B,5B of the blank 100 include tuck-in flaps 7 extending
outwardly
of the over-tab fold lines 3D,5D. The tuck-in flaps 7 each have short profiled
=
extensions 7A,7B which are formed to engage corresponding receiver slots 8A,8B
disposed in the base 2 immediately adjacent the end wall base fold lines 3,5.
=
=
It will be noted that the length of the over tab fold lines 3D,5D are
marginally ;
shorter than the adjacent riser fold lines 3A,5A so that a bevelled edge is
formed .
to facilitate smooth and rapid machine folding. Similarly, the extensions
7A,713
are profiled to facilitate smooth and rapid machine registration of the tabs
7A,7B
into their corresponding receivers 8A,8B. The modified profiles obviate the
requirement to profile the distal corners of the tuck-in flaps 7. The square
corners =
of the flaps 7 provide additional rigidity and strength to the container thus
forraed
and facilitates machine forming. More particularly, it should be noted that
the end =
. .
wall riser fold lines 3A,5A are formed using deeper and/or larger perforations
than
those of the corresponding over-tab fold lines 3D,5D to ensure that the riser
fold
lines 3A,5A fold before the over-tab fold lines 3D,5D. This is important not
only
to facilitate the correct formation of the container but also to correctly
position the
extension tabs 7A,78 for engagement into the corresponding receivers 8A,8B.
Ideally, the perforations forming the over-tab fold lines 3D,5D extend 50% of
the
,
corresponding number, length or depth (as appropriate) of the perforations
forming the end wall riser fold lines 3A,5A.
.=.
In comparing the final folding stages of the container formed from the blank
100
of the present invention and that of the exemplifying prior art, as shown in
Fig la,
it will be noted that the shorter tuck-in flaps 11D of the second lid portion
11 have
= been removed to allow for machine closing of the lid and that the push-
out portion
9 is no longer required. As a consequence of obviating the push-out portion 9,
the
land formed between the end wall riser told lines 3A,5A and the over-tab fold
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
lines 3D,5D is continuous along the end wall, thereby strengthening the end
wall
portions of the container.
= Although the above modifications and many of those described hereinbelow
are
visually insignificant, it has been found that such changes aid folding and
forming
5 to a disproportionate degree and, more importantly, facilitate machine
folding.
Additionally, certain features of the prior art blank 1, particularly those to
aid
manual handling (such as the removable push¨out portions 9 and the flaps 11D
inserted therein), are now obviated.
=
Referring now to .each side wall 4B,6B each end thereof is provided with a
tuek-in
10 flap 4C,6C having substantially the same height dimension as the side
was
=
4B,611 which defines the depth of the container to be formed by the blank 100.
The tuck-in flaps 4C,6C are foldable over end flap fold lines 4D,6D to be
=
positioned adjacent the inner face of the end walls 3B,5B. Consequently, the
tuck-in flaps 4C,6C must be, in their longest dimension, slightly less than
half of
. 15 the width (long dimension) of the end walls 3B,5B and
provide significant
.
=
*= structural integrity for the end walls. At least one of
the free corners of the tuck-in
flaps 4C,6C is rounded to facilitate machine folding.
As before, a first lid forming portion 10 extends from one side wall 6i3 and
is
connected thereto via the corresponding riser fold lines 6A. Each end of the
first
20 lid forming portion 10 includes a fold-in flap 10B foldable around a lid
flap fold
line 10C. As will be noted from Figure 2a, the fold-in lid flaps 10B are
profiled
=
: so that machine folding is facilitated. A first leading
side edge 10E of each lid
flap 10B is bevelled to provide a straight edge which presents a parallel even
edge
= to the formed end walls 3B,7;58,7 as the first lid portion 10 is folded
towards the
25 now open-mouthed container. A trailing edge 1OF of each lid flap 10B has
a
rounded profile corresponding to the arc transcribed by the lid portion 10 as
it is
closed over said open-mouthed container.
. .
=
. .
. .
=
The depth of the first lid portion 10 is from the riser fold line 6A to a free
edge
100 of the lid potion 10, the edge 100 essentially comprising the leading edge
of
30 the blank 100. As such there is a registration shape 12 cut into the
free edge 100
=
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
=
= -21-
for positioning the blank within a forming machine. A corresponding
registration
shape 12 may be fonned on a trailing edge 11E of a second lid portion 11. The
registration shape assists with the automatic handling of blanks and allows
leading
= edge or trailing edge sensor registration.
= 5 The second lid portion 11 extends from the opposite side
wall 4B to that of the
= first lid portion 10, by way of a corresponding riser fold line 4A. This
lid portion
11 is wider, from the riser fold line to the trailing edge 110, than the first
lid
portion 10 so the second lid portion 11 partially overlies the first lid
portion 10
when folded onto the open-mouthed container.
Similarly to the first lid portion 10, the second lid portion 11 includes a
pair of
= tuck-in flaps 11B that are foldable about lid flap fold lines 11C. The
leading edge
11E of each lid flap 11B is bevelled and rounded to assure smooth machine
folding. Adjacent the trailing edge 110 of the lid 11, bevelled end portions
11F
r.
are formed to ensure that the glued-down trailing edge 11 G does not present
any
corners or portions which could be snagged or pulled when the container is
closed.
The blank 100 further includes a heat shrinkable lining material 12 which is
attached to the base 2, at least. Figures 2b and 20 illustrate the layout and
use of
the lining material or film 12 in conjunction with a machine foldable blank
100,
A length of lifting material 12, comprising a web or film of heat-shrinkable
= 20 plastics material, is laid onto the open blank and
secured thereto by lines of
adhesive 13 disposed on the base 2 of the blank 100, the lines being parallel
to the
direction of travel of the blank through a liner apparatus for producing
blanks
. .
having retaining means in accordance with the invention, as described in
detail
=
hereinbelow. The lines of adhesive extend from the side wall base fold lines
4,6
towards the central longitudinal axis of the base 2 of the blank 100. The
number
and position of the adhesive lines 13 is selected according to the use to
which the
:= container is to be put.
It will be appreciated by the skilled reader that by applying the glue lines
parallel
to the direction of travel of a blank through the apparatus applying the
liner, the
glue may be applied continuously and at high speed. The momentum of the blank
=
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
-22-
as it is processed need not be interrupted. Additionally, by applying the glue
in
this orientation, the shrink wrapping of articles within the container is
enhanced as
'.. 7
the film/lines can pull together between the glue lines to give a better grip
on the
articles contained.
=
It will also be appreciated by the skilled addressee that although reference
is made
throughout the present description to glue lines being applied to the blank,
it is = .
also feasible to apply an adhesive film to the article retaining web or to
utilise
alternative means for securing the web to the blank, for example, double-sided
=
adhesive tape.
In the illustrated embodiment, four lines of adhesive are used to fix the
central =
portion of the film to the blank 100. Two flaps 14,15 of the material or fihn
12
are adapted to be folded over the contents of the container, however, during
= .
assembly of the blank and transport thereof, the flaps 14,15 are retained in
==
position by one or more "glue spots" 13a applied to the underside of the lid
7
portions 10,11. Advantageously, the blank can be machine folded to form an
. ;
open-mouthed container without risk of the film being dislodged or trapped by
=
folding portions during the container forming process or during automated or
f
manually filling the container. Additionally, by using simple glue spots to
retain
the flaps 14,15 to the lid portions, the -flaps can easily be tom away from
the lid = '
portions 10,11 when required to cover or overlie the contents of the
container. =
n
Figure 2c shows particularly the advantages of using a plurality of glue lines
13 to . = 7
retain articles 16 within the container formed by the blank 100. The flaps
14,15 =
are pulled away from the glue spots 13a on the lid portions 10,11 and laid one
end
over the other. Heat is applied, usually via a hot air stream or within a heat
chamber, and the heat-shrinkable material film 12 draws in around the or each
article 16. A plurality of tension lines are formed between the article(s) and
the
adhesive lines 13 to retain the article(s) in place.
=, =
. -
;
As discussed hereinabove, the orientation of the blank and the direction of
travel
of a blank through a machine is described with respect to the leading and
trailing
edges 100,110 of the blank 100 and the terms "upstream" and "downstream" are
=
defined with respect to the source of materials and the conveying destination,
=
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
-23-
=
respectively. The fact that materials may be sourced from different physical
direction is irrelevant to the above definition.
=
=
:
With reference now to Figures 3a and 3b, a first arrangement of apparatus 20
for =
forming blanks of the type having an article retaining means 12 thereon is
shown. =
Simply put, a stack of cut blanks 100 as described hereinabove are passed
through
the apparatus 20 which applies a sheet of lining material 12 thereto to form
the =
lined blank of the invention. The blank liner apparatus is controlled via a
central =
microprocessor-based controller unit (not shown).
hi the illustrated embodiment, the liner apparatus 20 comprises a first
arrangement
of blank feeding mechanism 22 comprising a magazine adapted to receive plain
=
blanks cut to the required specification. The mechanism, as is described in
more
detail hereinbelow, is provided at the upstream end of the liner apparatus 20
and
includes a vacuum circuit 24 and optionally a mechanical pusher 25 to
introduce
blanks individually to an adhesive applicator, in this case, a glue
application
station 26. Gripper or nip rollers 28 are used to guide the blank between top
and =
bottom feed belts 29 which carry the blank past glue applicator guns 30 at
which
tune hot melt glue is selectively applied to the blanks. The hot melt glue is
.
applied by four glue guns 30 fed via heated hoses 31 from a hot melt glue
storage =
tank 32 under microprocessor control. The hot melt adhesive is applied to the
blank by a reciprocating compressed air position pump to generate pressure and
= solenoid operated applicator guns 30 to open the pressure circuit to
atmosphere,
=
= thereby accurately firing the adhesive onto the board at points
controlled by the
,
central control unit in accordance with the requirements determined by the
shape=
and design of the blank 100. The blank is then fed to the liner application
station
35 where shrink-wrap material 36 is applied to the blank. The material is fed
to
the application station 35 from a film drive system 37.
The shrink-wrap material 36 is provided as a film web from a reel 38 mounted
for
rotation on a gravity axis 39 positioned towards the downstream end of the
apparatus. As a first reel 38 of the material is depleted, the gravity axis 39
moves
to activate a splicing mechanism of the type well appreciated in the art. An
. =
accu.mulator comprising a dancing arm roller 40 ensures that film is provided
to
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
-24-
= the apparatus during splicing so that an uninterrupted supply is
achieved. The
= film web is fed via a series of support rollers 42 through a non-return
gripper 43 to
a pressure roller arrangement 45 which adheres the film 36 to the blank 100
and
applies pressure to spread the glue between the blank and the liner 12 of film
5 material
36. A fihn web cutter 46 has a transverse cutter which operates "on the
fly" and cuts using a cold blade protected within a slotted anvil,
In an alternative arrangement (not shown), the web material is applied to the
blank
in two separate sections, whereby at least a central region of the base
remains
uncovered by the material. In such an arrangement the operation of the cutter
10 defines
the length and position of the web applied to the blank. If required, the
= base has no web material applied thereto and lengths of web material are
adhered
only to the end walls.
A transfer conveyor 47 moves the blank with liner 12 towards a. pair of
speeder
pinch belts 49 which accelerate the blank and liner onto a collating table 50.
15 When the
table 50 is full, a discharge transfer mechanism 51 moves the
accumulated stack of blanks to an ejector table 52, which comprises a conveyor
53
disposed at 90 to the direction of travel of the blanks through the apparatus
20.
Figure 3c illustrates a second arrangement of apparatus for forrniag blanks
which
. ,
=
features an alternative arrangement of blank feeding mechanism 70 but in all
other
20 respects is identical to the apparatus of Figures 3a and 3b.
Figure 3d is a perspective elevation of the first arrangement of blank feeding
mechanism 60 provided at the upstream end of the lining apparatus 20. The
mechanistn comprises a support table 61 having a pair of adjustable side
plates 62
= *.
each having an inwardly facing blank edge engagement portion 63. An end plate
25 = 65 is
provided to square the stack of blanks into a magazine feed. On the
underside of the table 61 an upwardly facing vacuum operated suction cup 66 is
provided on a pair of rails 67 along which the cup is free to move. To feed a
single blank into the blank lining apparatus 20, the suction cup 66 is brought
upwardly into contact with a blank 100 from the base of the stack. The vacmun
is
.=
30 switched
ON and the cup 66 engages the blank. The cup is then moved
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
-25-
.
downwardly, deflecting the centre of the blank so that the edges thereof are
pulled
from the blank edge engagement portions of the side plates 62. The individual
= -
blank is then presented to the lining apparatus 20 by the movement of the cup
66
along the rails 67. Gripper rollers 28 of the lining apparatus 20 then take
the
blank as the vacuum to the cup 66 is released. The suction cup assembly then
.
moves back along the rails 67 to its central position, ready to select the
next blank.
=
,
Referring now to Figures 3e(i) to 3e(v), the second arrangement of blank
feeding
mechanism 70 comprises a pair of lift tables A,13 positioned side by side on a
=
wheeled shuttle carrier 7/ From start-up, a first lift table A is loaded with
a stack
of blanks 100 in a first side position. The shuttle carrier 72 is then moved
so that
-=
the centre of the first table A aligns with a vacuum picker mechanism 75.
=
Individual blanks are fed into the machine using the picker mechanism 75 which
4.=
comprises a vacuum pump 76 Euid a picker arm 75 having an array of suction
cups
77 thereon. The vacuum is presented at the suction cups 77 via a series of
flexible
hoses 78 and associated couplings with valves controlled by a sub-controller
unit
in communication with the central microprocessor controller.
.
:
In common with the first arrangement of picker mechanism of Figure 3d, the
vacuum pump 76 is run continuously and the vacuum at the suction cups 77 is
switched ON and OFF according to the required action and/or the position of
the -
4.
picker arm with respect to the machine.
When the blanks 100 are in position in the stack or magazine, the picker arm
75 = .
moves to engage the upper surface of the top blank in the stack. When the arm
engages the stack the vacuum is switched to the suction cups which grip the
blank.
A pressure differential switch in the vacuum circuit will register whether the
cups
=
have obtained an adequate grip to lift the board from the stack, The picker
arm 75
is then moved back to a central position with the blank and subsequently is
extended to carry the blank in a downstream direction, placing the leading
edge
. =
10G of the blank 100 between a pair of rotating nip rollers 28 which carry the
blank into the lining apparatus 20.
At the instant the nip rollers 28 grip the blank and commence feeding it into
the
. .
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
-26-.
lining apparatus, a valve switches to remove the vacuum pressure from the
suction
cups 77 thereby releasing the board. The picker arm 75 then returns towards
the . 7
central position until the trailing edge 110 of the blank passes a sensor
which via .
the controller signals the picker arm 75 to engage another blank from the
stack.
The next blank is fed to the nip rollers 28 as before with a relatively small
gap
(say 50mm) between the trailing edge 110 of one blank and th.e leading edge
10G
.
of the subsequent blank.
= r
As the stack is depleted, the first lift table A elevates to supply a
continuous feed '
of blanks to the picker arm. As the table reaches its upper lift limit with a
=
=
predetermined number of boards (say 30) left in the stack, a support mechanism
comprising edge support plates 79 moves under the remaining blanks and the
first
lift table A is withdrawn. At this time, a second lift table B has been fully
loaded
.
.
with blanks and is ready to replace the position occupied by the first table
A. =
,
= .
Provided confirmation is received that the second table B is loaded, the
shuttle ,
carrier 72 is signalled to move the second table B towards the central
position to
= =
align with the picker mechanism 75 as the first table A is lowered and is made
.
ready to receive a subsequent load of blanks. Daring this procedure, the
picker
arm 75 continues to take blanks from the support mechanism plates 79. When the
stack on the second table B is aligned with the picker mechanism 75, the
blanks
remaining on the support plates are dropped onto the top of the stack as the
,
support plates are withdrawn. This stack is then raised by the lift table B so
that
the uppermost blank is in the appropriate position to be engaged by the picker
arm. The support plates 79 again engage the underside edges of the last blank
remaining in the stack when the level reaches a preset amount. This means the
machine can be run continuously without stoppage to m,aximise productivity
rates.
At
It will be appreciated by the skilled addressee that the shrink-wrappable web
. .
õ
material web may be substitute by different materials which can be bonded
. .
together to secure the contents of the container therein. Materials having
. =
selectively applied adhesives or materials having characteristics which enable
the
free ends thereof to adhere to one another with sufficient strength to achieve
the =
desired results (including in a irianner akin to so-called" cling-films") may
also be
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
-27-
used. Such material may be used to obviate the heat chamber, thereby reducing
,
.
the overall size and energy requirements of a packaging plant or facilitating
=
packaging of customers purehases or articles for dispatch at a retail outlet.
.7
Suggested alternatives include an adhesive coated material web having either a
lining material applied to the adhesive coated side of the web or a release
coat
applied to the opposite side thereof. In a further development of the
invention, the
article retaining web comprises a material adapted to adhere substantially
exclusively to itself Such material is provided with a liner applied to one
side (to = =
prevent it sticking to itself in a reel) but can be handled by standard non-
coated = A
= 7
,;.
machine feeders, rollers and other components and stock. When used with a
container of the invention, at the article packaging stage, the liner is
removed =
(normally from the entire length of web material) and the articles are placed
into .=
the container and onto the newly exposed surface of the material web. The
articles will not adhere to the material, however, when the ends of the
material are
,
.
brought together, they stick firmly to one another. The material web ends may
then be manually "scrunched" together to apply adhesive pressure to the web
but
;
more particularly to provide tension in the web to retain the articles
securely in the
container during transit.
Material web as described above is exemplified by the material webs or fihns
available from Milprint, Inc. (Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54904, United States of
.. =
America).
..=
It will be appreciated by the skilled addressee that machine forming of the
blank
facilitates fast and efficient forming of the open-mouthed containers for
subsequent reception of materials. It will be further appreciated that by
adapting
the magazine, the folding tools and the folding die, other blanks which have
been
modified for machine folding may also be considered.
For example and with reference to Figures 4a and 4b, there is shown two
. .
.;...
arrangements of a second embodiment of container or container blank formed
from substantially standard blank stock of the well-known RSC type container
and
similar type containers which are modified to include an article retaining
film or
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
-28-
web thereon. The first arrangement of container blank 200, as illustrated in
Figure
4a, has four side walls 201,202,203,204 and a securing flap 205, which is
. =
normally folded around fold line 205a from the final side wall 204 to inside
the
first side wall 201 and glued or stapled thereto. Base portions
211,212,213,214
are attached to their respective side walls via fold lines 201A,202A,203A,204A
= 7
and lid or top portions 221,222,223,224 are attached to their respective side
walls =
via further fold lines 201B,202B,203B,204B. The RSC style container blank 200
includes a web or film 230 which extends at least over the side walls
201,202,203,204, over at least a portion of the base portions 211,212,213,214
and
over substantially all of the lid portions 221,222,223,224. The web or film
230 is
= adhered to the base portions by glue lines 232 positioned so as to ensure
mechanical entrapment of the web 230 when the base portions 211,212,213,214 of
,
the container are folded. Glue spots 233 are provided to adhere the web 230 to
the
= top or lid portions to prevent the web falling into the container during
formation
and during conveying or loading. Additionally, the glue spots 233 prevent the
=
..= web 230 from becoming entangled in the container forming
apparatus. Before the
container is closed, the web is mechanically separated from the lid positions
to
= overlie the contents of the container. Where the web 230 is a heat-
shrinkable film,
7
=
heat is applied directly or indirectly to the web to shrink-wrap the contents
in
place to attenuate potentially damaging movement of the contents during
freight
or further conveying, for example.
It will be appreciated that the first arrangement of RSC style or like
container
blank is formed using substantially the same techniques and apparatus (once
modified to accommodate the blank stock) as used for the first embodiment of
= 25 container blank 100 described hereinabove. Where the RSC
style container
differs is in forming the container from the blank. Thus, there is provided a
=
method of forming a RSC type container from the container blank 200 of
Figure4a,
Accordingly a second arrangement of container blank 300, exemplified here in
==
=
Figure 4b by a standard RSC type container blank to which lengths of a
material
= web have been applied. The container blank comprises four side walls
301,302,103,304 and a securing flap 305, which is normally folded around fold
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
= -29-
line 305a from the final side wall 304 inside the fast side wall 301 and glued
or .;
stapled thereto. Base portions 311,312,313,314 are attached to their
respective
side walls via fold lines 301A,302A,303A,304A and lid or top portions
321,322,323,324 are attached to their respective side walls via further fold
lines
= 5 301B,302B,303B,304B. The container blank 300 includes
first and secorui
lengths of article retaining material web or film 330 extending over two side
walls
301,303, over at least a portion of the respective base portions 311,313 and
lid
=
portions 321,323. In the illustrated embodiment, the entire area of the
relevant
. .
base portions 311,313 are covered, as will be explained with reference to the
apparatus for and method of forming container blanks described hereinbelow.
The lengtlas of web or film 330 are adhered to the base portions by glue lines
332
positioned so as to ensure mechanical entrapment of the web 330 when the base
portions 311,312,313,314 are folded. Glue spots 333 are provided to adhere the
web 330 to the top or lid portions to prevent the web falling into the
container
during formation and during conveying or loading. Additionally, the glue spots
333 prevent the web 330 from becoming entangled in the container forming
apparatus. Before the container is closed, the web is niechanically separated
from
the lid positions to overlie the contents of the container.
Although reference is made to glue lines and spots being disposed in
particular
locations and orientations, the invention should not be so limited. Similarly,
it
vvill be appreciated that other adhesive means, including double-sided
adhesive
= tape may also be used.
: .
. With reference now to Figure 4c, an apparatus 350 for
forming container blanks
:
300 of the type shown in Figure 4b having an article retaining web 330 thereon
is
shown. A stack of pre-formed blank stock S is introduced to a blank feeding
mechanism 360, which is described in more detail with reference to Figures 5a
to
. .
50, and the apparatus 350 applies sheets of the web material 330 to the blank
stock
to form the lined blank 300 of the, invention. The lined blanks 300 are then
transferred to a discharge conveyor to be dispatched for storage or to be
introduced to further processing stations where additional steps are
conducted,
such as forming into an intermediate container stage or folded for storage. In
the
illustrated arrangem.ent, the discharge conveyor 390 includes an adhesive
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
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applicator 391 and folding and forming stages. The lined container blanks 300
are
then discharged to an accumulated stack of said blanks.
In this arrangement, the liner apparatus 350 is fed successive blanks from the
blank feed mechanism 360 which is positioned to introduce blank stock S to
gripper or nip rollers 351 which feed a board past an adhesive application
station
352 along a support conveyor to an end stop 353 which locates the board blank
at
=
a lining or film application station. At the adhesive application station 352,
hot
7
melt glue is selectively applied by a pair of glue guns. In an unillustrated
=
arrangement, a pair of adhesive tape dispensers is provided. When the board
blank is located, optionally also by means of a pusher mechanism to position
the
board against a datum stop, the web material 330 is drawn from a pair of reels
355
= by a pair of vacuum platens 356. When the lengths of web material have
been
placed onto the board blank, a knife cuts the material and the lined blank 300
is
=
fed to a conveyor end stop 357. The blank is then pushed laterally by a
pusher =
mechanism onto the discharge conveyor 390, optionally past another glue
applicator gun 391 or to a folding station, stapling mechanism or each of the
. =
above.
The independent blank stock feeding mechanism 360, as illustrated in Figures
5a
to 5c, is provided at the upstream end of the lining apparatus 350. The
mechanism
comprises a feed conveyor 361 onto which a stack of blank stock is positioned
against a datum =face 362 (shown in Figure 4c), The stack is then conveyed to
a
support arrangement where a picker mechanism 365 feeds individual ones of the
blanks towards the nip rollers 351 of the liner apparatus 350. The picker
mechanism 365 includes a vacuum operated series of suction cups 366 mounted
on a moving carriage 367 and operates by engaging the suction cups 366 to the
trailing edge region of a board blank and lifting it sufficiently to break any
suction =
between the selected uppermost board blank and the succeeding one below. The
carriage then moves the selected board in the processing direction and feeds
the
leading edge of the board blank between the nip' rollers 351. The vacuum is
released from the suction cups 366 and the carriage returns to its initial
position to
repeat the cycle for the succeeding board. As the suction cups engage only the
trailing edge region of the blank and the leading ed,ge is quickly introduced
to the
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
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nip rollers, there is sufficient time for any suction or surface effect
between
successive board blanks to be released, minimising multiple blanks being fed
to
the nip rollers at high speed and thereby reducing the incidence of error or
downtime.
5 It will be appreciated that the blank feeding mechanisms 22, 24 and
associated
equipment 60, as described hereinabove with reference to Figures 3a to 3e, may
be adapted for use with the lining apparatus of Figure 4e.
Referring now to Figures 6a and 6b, the lining apparatus 350 of the invention
includes a lining station where a board is located against the end stop 353 on
a
10 support conveyor 359. A pair of vacuum tables 370 are provided to retain
in
. ,
position the article retaining film or lining material 330 which has been
drawn
from the reels 355. The vacuum platens 356 are movable along a horizontal
. = carriage shaft 372 so that the platens can move over the
vacuum tables 370 to grip
the material web 330 and convey it towards the blank. When the platens are in
15 position over the tables, the vacuum is switched ON in the platens and
OFF in the
tables so that the web is now securely held by the platens. The platens then
move
= : along the or each shaft 372, drawing the web
material over the board blank and
drawing further material from the reels 355 onto the vacuum tables. When the
appropriate length of material has been drawn, each vacuum platen is pressed
20 down against the board by an actuation 373 so the web adheres to the
board. A
= knife 374 which is disposed on the trailing edge of each platen 356
operationally
drops into a slotted anvil 375 located adjacent to the conveyor 359 to cut the
, = required length of material. At the sarae time the vacuum
on the tables 370 is
:
switched ON to secured the new film material drawn thereon, The vacuum in
25 each platen 356 is then switched OFF and the platens move back to their
positions
overlying the vacuum tables. As the platens release the lined board, the end
stop
353 drops to allow the lined container blank 300 to be conveyed towards the
conveyor end stop 357. At least one sensor 377 and reflector 378 is used to
verify
the position of the component parts to a microprocessor control unit. It will
be
30 noted in Figure 6a that the material reels 355 and dancing arm 379
arrangements
are differently configured and this is to allow for dispensing web material
having
an exposed adhesive coating where one reel feeds the web with the adhesive
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
. .
-32-
coating facing upwardly and the other reel feeds the web with the adhesive
coating disposed downwardly. This is particularly useful when using a
linerless
web material having an adhesive coating on one side and a release coating on
the . .
opposite side of a web, particularly when utilising an adhesive material
adapted to
-
- =
adhere only to itself. ,;
.
Each of the vacuum platens 356 and tables 370 comprise an array of apertures
. =
through which the vacuum is applied. The array includes switchable sections so
that the vacuum may be selectively applied, This arrangement allows the
platens
= =
and the tables to be configured for different widths of material web and
different =
lengths of material to be applied to the board. In this way, a range of sizes
and -
- 7
configurations of lined container blank may be formed. A simpler and less
; .
expensive alternative is to provide masks to cover over the non-applicable
areas of .
the tables and platens. It will be appreciated that the maximum width of board
that can be handled is determined by the width of the support conveyor 359 and
, the length of the web material to be applied thereto. The length of web
material or
, .
film applied to the board is determined by the length of the vacuum platens
356.
-
It will be noted that each assembly comprising reel holder and dancing arm
379, -
vacuum platen 356, table 370, carriage 372 and actuator 373 is independent of
the
other and this facilitates their relative movement for using the apparatus
with
different material web and board sizes. The assemblies may be mounted on rails
=
and each one may be removed independently for service and/or repair.
Each step of the lined container blank forming process, as illustrated in the
eight =
vignettes or frames making up Figure 7, will now be described. Initially at
set-up,
,
material web or film 330 is manually drawn onto each vacuum table 370, the
vacuum is switched ON to hold the web in place and it is trimmed square across
its width by the knife 374 or at the knife position. A board blank is
introduced to
the nip rollers 351 from a board stack S and is conveyed to engage the stop
353.
A side pusher (not illustrated) may pass between the rollers of the support
conveyor 359 to position the board for lining with the web material. Adhesive
is
applied to the board as it passes through the nip rollers.
The sequence is shown at the start of a production run with no container
blanks in
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
!
-33-
the process of being lined. For clarity only, one platen, table and material
web is =
=
shown. In Frame 1, a board blank is in the exact position for film placement
with
:
the edge of the board aligned with the cutting path of the lmife 374. As the
board =
is introduced to its exact positioning, the vacuum platen is conveyed along
its
.
carriage shaft 372 to overlie a portion of the vacuum table 356 to which the
film is
held, as shown in Frame 2. The length of material web is set by the position
of the = 7
sensor reflector 378 on the vacuum platen and is arranged to coincide with the
width of the board In Frame 3, the platen is lowered by the actuator 373 to
abut
the film lying on the table. At this stage, the vacuum to the table has been
=
removed, that is, switched OFF to. release the film, and the vacuum has been
switched ON in the platen. The actuator lifts the platen with the material web
attached, as illustrated in Frame 4 and moves along the carriage 372 to
overlie the
.
board, drawing new lining material from the reel 355 and dancing arm 379
.
.:.4.
arrangement onto the table, as shown in Frame 5.
In Frame 6, the platen is lowered onto the board by the actuator 373 which
applies
sufficient downward pressure to ensure the film is bonded to the adhesive
applied
to the board. The vacuum is switched OFF at the platen, to release the
material
web lining the container blank, and switched ON at the table to secure the
newly ,
.. = 7.
introduced material. The knife 374 is then moved into its slotted anvil 375,
slicing 4,
the film in line with the edge of the board, as shown in Frame 7. At this
point, the
platen is withdrawn to the position shown in Frame 8. The stop 353 is
withdrawn
and the lined container blank 300 is discharged as a new board blank is
introduced . =
to complete the lining cycle.
Finally, with reference to Figure 8, the discharge conveyor 290 is disposed at
the =
end of the support conveyor 359 of the lining apparatus 350. This discharge
4.
conveyor includes one or more additional stations to either fold the container
. =
blank 300 for convenient storage or to fold the container blank into an
intermediate container form. In the arrangement illustrated, a trailing wall
portion
304 of the blank has a fixing tab 305 attached thereto. As the container blank
300 = =
is introduced to the discharge conveyor, the opposite end wall portion 301 of
the
blank has a suip of adhesive applied thereto by an adhesive applicator, in
this .
õ
case, a hot-melt gun. At the same time, a folding actuator (not shown), folds
the
CA 02593025 2013-01-10
-34-
trailing wall portion 304 and its associated lid portion 324 and base portion
314 to
overlie its attached adjacent wall portion 303. The opposite wall portion 301
is
also folded and it is positioned to overlie the fixing tab 305 so that the
adhesive
strip is aligned therewith. Pressure is applied to that region, for example,
by a
pressure roller to ensure adhesion. For larger containers, staples may be
added
along that region to reinforce the bond.
. =
= õ
The container blank 300 whether folded or in intermediate container form is
then
discharged for storage, further forming into open-mouthed containers or may be
conveyed for packaging articles.
It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the
specific
details described herein, which are given by way of exatnple ordy, and that
various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the
a k
' 7
appended claims,
,
