GB2283727A

GB2283727A - Packaging of smoke alarm devices

Info

Publication number: GB2283727A
Application number: GB9400042A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Byrne; Michael Guinee; James Duignan; Keith Fawcett
Original assignee: EI Technology Ltd
Current assignee: EI Technology Ltd
Priority date: 1993-11-16
Filing date: 1994-01-04
Publication date: 1995-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 2014-01-04
Also published as: GB2283727B; IE70321B1; GB9400042D0; BE1006047A6; IE930998A1

Abstract

A smoke alarm is packaged in a free standing clamshell package having an integral hinge 28. A clamshell half is mounted in an electrode base, and an information sheet is inserted into a blister portion 22. After insertion of the smoke alarm, an information sheet is placed in an engagement portion 24 with an aperture in the sheet receiving the smoke alarm. After closing of the clamshell, the two halves are welded along at least one side. <IMAGE>

Description

"Packaging of Smoke Alarm Devices" The invention relates to packaging of smoke alarm devices, and in particular such devices for domestic use.

A smoke alarm device is something which could, when properly used, save the lives of people in the event of a fire in the home. Thus, when a manufacturer packages such devices, there are various extremely important objectives in addition to the usual commercial objective of packaging the device in such a way that it is aesthetically pleasing and looks well to the potential customer when stocked in retail outlets. One such objective is that packaging should in a very clear manner provide a large deal of information for the consumer in a very clear manner which is easily understood so that the device is used properly.

Indeed, it is a well-known fact that smoke alarm devices very rarely fail because of manufacturing faults but do quite often fail to provide the necessary alarm because they are not used properly by the consumer. Thus, the provision of information in a very clear and easily understandable manner in a packaged smoke alarm device is an extremely important aspect. Another important objective is to ensure that the device is packaged in such a way that it is not easily damaged during transit and storage. Irrespective of how good the manufacturing and testing procedures are, the product may still be damaged after shipment and the only way in which the manufacturer can control this is by the way in which the device is packaged.

From a purely commercial point of view it is also important that the device be packaged in such a way that it has a very good appearance to the potential consumer so that not only does it encourage additional sales of the devices, but also encourages the consumer to buy higher specification models, which models provide the manufacturer with a higher commercial margin. Smoke alarm devices generally command quite a low retail price and it is therefore essential to build up sales to a high volume in order to make production more commercially viable and profitable.

At present, smoke alarm devices are packaged on a cardboard base onto which various advertising and technical information is imprinted, the device being surrounded by a plastics "blister" which is adhered to the cardboard base. The package is generally hung from a tag in a retail outlet, the tag being an aperture at the upper end of the cardboard base. One problem with such arrangement is that the hang tag is easily torn, thus giving the product a bad appearance and causing practical difficulties in storage of the product. A still further problem is that the cardboard may be easily damaged or the blister and the packing may be separated by rough handling, in which case at best the product does not have a good appearance and at worst, the product could be damaged.A still further problem is that it is necessary to hang the package in order to store it at a retail outlet, which arrangement is not always convenient.

Another problem is that all of the device projects outwardly from the cardboard backing sheet, thus making the product appear to be quite bulky. Indeed, in general this method of packaging provides very little versatility in the manner in which the product is presented.

As described in GB 2185239 (Conair), US 4804984 (Haking), US 4749082 (Imperial Schrade), US 4687129 (VSI Fasteners), US 4558782 (Imperial Plastics) and US 3645384 (Wind), it is known to pack devices such as hair driers, a camera or a knife using clamshell packaging techniques. A problem with such arrangements is that they do not provide the specific requirements of smoke alarm device packaging such as very durable packaging and provision of a large amount of customer information in a process which is very inexpensive because of the high volume and low margins involved.

The invention is directed towards providing a packaging method and a packaged smoke alarm device to overcome these problems.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of packaging a smoke alarm device, the method comprising the steps of : producing a clamshell packaging blank of transparent plastics material having two interengaging halves interconnected by an integral hinge, each half comprising an engagement portion for nesting engagement with the other engagement portion, and each comprising a blister portion for enveloping a smoke alarm together with the other blister portion the blister portions being configured for enveloping a plurality of different smoke alarm models having broadly similar physical characteristics, a blister portion being located and having formations to allow a packaged smoke alarm unit to be free-standing with a lower side edge and said formations engaging a surface; mounting one of the halves on a welding electrode base;; inserting an additional information sheet into the blister portion mounted in the electrode base; inserting a smoke alarm device into said blister portion mounted in the electrode base; inserting an information sheet into the engagement portion of the half mounted on the electrode base; closing over the free half and engaging the engagement portions of the halves; and welding the two halves together along at least one side.

According to another aspect, the invention provides a packaged smoke alarm unit comprising : a clamshell packaging blank of transparent plastics material having two interengaging halves interconnected by an integral hinge, the halves having interengaging portions which are nested together, the halves also comprising blister portions enveloping a smoke alarm device, a blister portion being located and having formations to allow the unit to be free-standing with a lower side edge and said formations engaging a surface, the two halves being welded together along at least one side of the packaging blank; and an information sheet held in position between the engagement portions of the two halves.

Preferably, the two halves are welded together along two sides of the clamshell packaging blank.

Ideally, a top side of the packaging is not welded. in one embodiment, the welding operation stitch-welds the halves together.

In another embodiment, the engagement portion of each half surrounds the blister portion, and the information sheet surrounds the smoke alarm device in the packaging blank.

Preferably, the engagement portions have snap-fit parts, preferably undercut configurations of the blank.

Preferably, the undercut configurations are at at least one corner of an engagement portion.

In another embodiment, one half of the packaging blank has a substantially deeper blister portion than the other for reception of the smoke alarm device when it faces upwardly away from the blister portion and preferably the deeper blister portion has a depth approximately double that of the other blister portion. Ideally the deeper blister portion has the formations to allow the packed smoke alarm unit to stand freely.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : Fig. 1 is a front view of a packaged smoke alarm device of the invention; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing a packaging apparatus used in the method of the invention; Fig. 3 is a more detailed perspective view from above showing portion of the packaging apparatus; Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a packaging blank used in the process; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views of a smoke alarm device, a backing information sheet, and a surround information sheet used in the process; Figs. 8A, 8B and 8C are perspective views showing different packaging operations in detail; Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional view showing sealing of a packaging blank;; Fig. 10 is a perspective view from above showing the sealing operation; and Figs. l1A to llE inclusive are various views showing an alternative packaging blank for use in the method of the invention.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Fig. 1 there is shown a packaged unit 1 which is a packaged smoke alarm device. The unit 1 comprises a smoke alarm device 2 which is of the type for domestic use and which has lugs for mounting on a wall or ceiling. The device 2 has a test button 3 mounted centrally on it. A clamshell package 4 surround the device 2 and various information sheets and is sealed at stitch-welding seals 6. The unit 1 includes a hang-tag 5 for hanging of the product from a rail in a retail outlet. Various portions of the unit 1 are described in more detail below.

Referring now to Fig. 2 there is shown a packaging apparatus 10 for use in a packaging method of the invention. The apparatus 10 comprises a rotatable table 11 of aluminium material which is attached to an indexing unit, not shown. Four workstation base electrodes 12 are mounted on the table 11 and the table 11 is mounted on legs 13. These include internal auxiliary support walls for packaging support. An upper electrode for use in a welding operation of the method is mounted above the table 11 and this is part of a welding station 15. The base electrode 12 is shown in more detail in Fig. 3 and as is clear from this drawing, it forms a nest or seat for reception of a packaging blank used in the packaging method. The apparatus 10 includes a spiral guide 17 fixed to the central column.A safety door 18 is mounted at the inlet to the station 15 to prevent incorrectly assembled packages from moving to the welding station 15.

Referring now to Fig. 4, a clamshell package or blank 4 is shown in more detail. The blank 4 comprises two "halves" 20 and 21. The blank 4 is of integral transparent plastics material. The half 20 comprises a blister portion 22 which is relatively deep and indeed has a depth of approximately two thirds of the depth of the smoke alarm devices which it may accommodate. Various additional formations 23 are formed in the blister portion 22 so that it can accommodate different models of smoke alarm device having the same general shape but differing in physical construction by the addition or deletion of tags or lugs for securing to a wall or ceiling. The half 20 also has an engagement portion 24 which is flat and recessed with respect to a rim 26 which extends from a sidewall 25 which extends upwardly with respect to the flat part of the engagement portion 24.The half 21 comprises a blister portion 30 which is only approximately half of the depth of the blister portion 22 and has regular contours without any additional formations. The half 21 also comprises an engagement portion 31 having an aperture 33 corresponding with an aperture 27 of the engagement portion 24. The engagement portion 31 is connected with a rim 32 by a downwardly-directed sidewall 33 as viewed in Fig. 4. The two halves 20 and 21 are joined by an integral two-way hinge 28.

A smoke alarm device 2 is shown in more detail in Fig. 5 and an information backing sheet 40 is shown in Fig. 6.

The sheet 40 is colour-printed with information on both sides of it, the information printed on it being information for installation and use of the smoke alarm device 2. In addition, there is a surround information sheet 41 having a rectangular aperture 43 to allow it surround the smoke alarm device 2. Information printed on the sheet 41 includes both technical and also advertising information designed to provide a neat and attractive appearance for the packaged smoke alarm device. The sheet 41 has a hang tag aperture 43 corresponding to the apertures 27 and 33 of the packaging blank 4.

The packaging method of the invention is now described with reference to Figs. 8A, 8B and 8C. At one workstation of the indexing table 11, the half 20 of the packaging blank 4 is mounted in the base electrode 12 as shown in Fig. 8. As described above the half 20 of the blank 4 has the deeper blister portion, being approximately two thirds of the depth of the smoke alarm device 2. The information sheet 40 is placed in the blister portion 22 also as shown in Fig. 8A. The sheet 40 is placed so that the information which is to be viewed from the outside is facing downwardly. It will be recalled that the sheet is printed on both sides. The indexing table 11 is then rotated so that the assembly of Fig. 8A is presented to another operator who inserts a smoke alarm device into the blister portion 22 facing upwardly as shown in Fig. 8B.The smoke alarm device 2 nests quite easily and securely into the blister portion 22 as it accommodates two thirds of the depth of the alarm device 2. It will be seen from Fig. 8B that only that portion of the smoke alarm device 2 which has a neat, attractive looking regular appearance sits flush of the blister portion 22 and indeed, the appearance of the smoke alarm 2 is that it is slimmer than is actually the case.

As shown in Fig. 8C, the surround information sheet 41 is then placed around the smoke alarm device 2. It will be appreciated from the drawings that the sheet 41 nests securely into the engagement portion 24 of the half 20 between the sidewalls 25 and the smoke alarm device 2.

The engagement portion 24 forms a seat or nest within which the information sheet 40 is held in place. At the next workstation, the half 21 is folded over so that the engagement portions 31 and 24 engage each other. An important aspect of the invention is the fact that, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, there is an undercut at the corners of the engagement portion 31 and 24 so that the corners of the engagement portion 31 snap into the corners of the engagement portion 24. This is very important as it effectively locks the two halves together at the third work station.

As the table rotates, the upper clamshell half is held open by the guide 17 and because of the guide's spiral arrangement the half is opened progressively as the table rotates.

At the final workstation shown in-Figs. 9 and 10, two halves 20 and 21 are welded together with radio frequency welding techniques. The upper electrode 14 has parallel brass electrode members 50 which are aligned with the rims 32 and 26 of the halves 21 and 20 respectively. The electrode members 50 have a saw-tooth lower profile and the high frequency welding which takes place effectively stitch-welds the two halves together, the end result being shown in Fig. 1. This leaves the top part of the packaged unit 1 free so that the consumer can put in his or her hand and tear the two halves apart after the unit has been purchased. The upper electrode 14 is pre-heated to 900C 100cC, thus minimising RF energy requirements. After RF welding (typically 3 S) there is a dwell time of 0.5 to 1.0 S for cooling, following which the electrode 14 is extracted.Foam pressure pads 51 mounted between the members 50 ensure that there are no air gaps between the blister portions during welding. Further, thin plastics strips 52 on the base electrode help to prevent electrode arcing.

Referring now to Figs. 11A to 11E inclusive, an alternative construction of packaging blank for use in the method of the invention is shown. The blank is indicated by the numeral 60 and is for packaging of two smoke alarm devices together. As is clear from the drawings, the blank 60 has rear and front halves 61 and 62 hinged together at an integral hinge 63. The halves 61 and 62 have blister portions 22 and 30 respectively which are configured similarly to those described above. The halves 60 and 61 also have engagement portions 64 and 65 respectively which have undercut parts at four corners 66, 67, 68 and 69. Backing information sheets used with the blank 67 are the same as the sheets 40 and the surround sheet is only different by being longer to surround two alarm devices.By use of the undercut corner formations 66 to 69 and additional undercut formations 70 and 71, a blank 60 is held securely in position for the welding operation.

It will be appreciated that the invention provides a packaging method and also a packaging unit which is a significant improvement over what has been available heretofore. The packaging is much stronger than has heretofore been the case and therefore, the unit can withstand much more mishandling. There would be a much lower discard rate because of damaged packaging and the alarm devices are much less likely to be damaged. Because the top side is open, the packaging is very easy to open without the need of a knife, which can be dangerous in such a situation. The combination of stitch welding and the open top side ensure that the consumer may easily remove the device, however, in the event of tampering by an unauthorised person, broken "stitches" provide an indication of tampering.

Because the packaging blank is of plastics material, the hang tag is not easily damaged and the product has a good appearance. From the aesthetic point of view, the product has a much neater and "slimmer" appearance because the potential consumers view the product through the front blister portion 30 which presents a slim-line appearance of the product.

Another advantage of the invention is the fact that the formations 23 in the blister portion 22 allow the package unit 1 to stand freely resting on a surface at the hinge 28 and on the formations 23. This provides the option to the retailer of allowing the products stand freely on shelves or alternatively to be hung from a rail.

A further advantage is that the configuration of the engagement portions to provide for accurate fitting and snapping together of the halves prior to radio frequency welding so that this step may be carried out accurately with a low discard rate. Further the packaging blank may be used with a wide range of smoke alarm devices of broadly similar physical characteristics.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described, but may be varied in construction and detail.

Claims

1. A method of packaging a smoke alarm device, the method comprising the steps of : producing a clamshell packaging blank of transparent plastics material having two interengaging halves interconnected by an integral hinge, each half comprising an engagement portion for nesting engagement with the other engagement portion, and each comprising a blister portion for enveloping a smoke alarm together with the other blister portion, the blister portions being configured for enveloping a plurality of different smoke alarm models having broadly similar physical characteristics, a blister portion being located and having formations to allow a packaged smoke alarm unit to be free-standing with a lower side edge and said formations engaging a surface; mounting one of the halves on a welding electrode base;; inserting an additional information sheet into the blister portion mounted in the electrode base; inserting a smoke alarm device into said blister portion mounted in the electrode base; inserting an information sheet into the engagement portion of the half mounted on the electrode base; closing over the free half and engaging the engagement portions of the halves; and welding the two halves together along at least one side.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two halves are welded together along two sides of the clamshell packaging blank.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a top side of the packaging blank is not welded.

4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the welding operation stitch-welds the halves together.

5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the engagement portion of each half surrounds the blister portion, and the information sheet surrounds the smoke alarm device in the packaging blank.

6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the engagement portions have snap-fit parts.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the snap fit parts comprise undercut-configurations of the blank.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 where the undercut configurations are at at least one corner of an engagement portion.

9. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one half of the packaging blank has a substantially deeper blister portion than the other for reception of the smoke alarm device when it faces upwardly away from the blister portion.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the deeper blister portion has a depth approximately double that of the other blister portion.

11. A method as claimed in claims 9 or 10 wherein the blister portion which has formations to allow the packed smoke alarm unit to be free-standing is the deeper blister portion.

12. A packaged smoke alarm unit comprising : a clamshell packaging blank of transparent plastics material having two interengaging halves interconnected by an integral hinge, the halves having interengaging portions which are nested together, the halves also comprising blister portions enveloping a smoke alarm device, a blister portion being located and having formations to allow the unit to be free-standing with a lower side edge and said formations engaging a surface, the two halves being welded together along at least one side of the packaging blank; and an information sheet held in position between the engagement portions of the two halves.

13. A unit as claimed in claim 12 wherein the blank is welded along two sides of it.

14. A unit as claimed in claims 12 or 13 wherein the top side of the unit is free.

15. A unit as claimed in any of claims 12 to 14 wherein the packaging blank halves are stitch welded together.

16. A unit as claimed in any of claims 12 to 15 wherein the information sheet has an aperture to surround the smoke alarm device.

17. A unit as claimed in any of claims 12 to 16 wherein the engagement portions of the packaging blank halves are snap-fitted together.

18. A unit as claimed in claim 17 wherein the engagement parts are snap-fitted together in undercut formations on the halves.

19. A unit as claimed in claim 18 wherein the undercut formations are at at least one corner of the packaging blank.

20. A unit as claimed in any of claims 12 to 19, wherein one half has a substantially deeper blister portion than the other half for reception of the smoke alarm device when facing upwardly away from the blister portion.

21. A unit as claimed in claim 20 wherein the deeper blister portion has approximately double the depth of the other blister portion.

22. A unit as claimed in claim 21 wherein the blister portion which has formations to allow the unit to be free-standing is the deeper blister portion.

23. A method substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

24. A unit substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.