NL1040034C2

NL1040034C2 - Holder for fragile objects.

Info

Publication number: NL1040034C2
Application number: NL1040034A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Alphons Maria Heugten
Original assignee: Elco Trade B V
Priority date: 2013-01-31
Filing date: 2013-01-31
Publication date: 2014-08-04

Description

Holder for fragile objects

The present invention relates to packaging means which comprise holders for transportation and storage of fragile goods, such as fruit, glass and ceramic objects, 5 chocolate, flowers, Christmas decorations, electronic components wherein a holder comprises an inverted cup with a side wall, a collar and a bottom that is suspended by the collar such that a fragile good that is placed in the holder is resting on the suspended bottom that is hanging above the surface on which the holder is standing.

10 The PCT application WO 01-64546 A1 describes thermoformed packaging means according to the prior art. This packaging usually consists of a plurality of holders in which fragile goods can be transported and-or stored. Each holder according to the prior art comprises an inverted cup with a base, a lower part and a dome as shown in fig. 1. The lower part and the dome have longitudinal corrugations or folds to allow easy 15 expansion and deformation of these parts.

The procedure for packing for example a piece of fruit like a tomato in such a holder according to the prior art involves placing the fruit in the top center of the dome and pressing it down to deform the material of the dome such that it eventually transforms into a suspended cup, also referred to as a hammock, inside the lower part of the holder. 20 Such packaging means are made by thermoforming of a thin plastic sheet material whereby, due the higher degree of plastic deformation, the thickness of the material of the dome is smaller than the thickness of the lower part of the holder.

The thicker material of the lower part (and of course the presence of the longitudinal corrugations or folds in the wall of the lower part of the holder) is presumed to assure 25 that the lower part of the holder does not buckle easily when a fruit is pressed downwards on the center of the dome. The thinner material of the dome and the corrugations/folds in the dome facilitate deformation of the dome.

If a fruit is placed on the top center of the dome of a holder according to the prior art and is pushed downwards substantially along the longitudinal axis of the holder, this 30 will result in the situation depicted schematically in fig. 2. The dome of such a holder according to the prior art is folded inwards and forms a hanging cup that holds the fruit. The deformed dome material that in this case supports the fruit well above the surface 1040034 2 on which the holder is placed is not visible in fig. 2 but it is assumed that fig. 2 is clear enough in showing the end result.

Although, as indicated, the packaging means according to the prior art have some features to promote preferential deformation of the dome when a fruit is placed on its 5 top center, during manually packaging of large numbers of pieces of fruit the people who do the packaging can deviate from placing a fruit on the top center of the dome according to the prior art. Fig. 3a and fig. 3b schematically show the process when a fruit is placed on the dome of a holder according to the prior art away from the center and pushed down. The holder deforms in a non-uniform fashion and eventually will 10 collapse on one side, resulting in the fruit resting on the hard non-deformable supporting surface. Fig. 3b shows a stage prior to a total collapse of the holder. This may lead to damage to the fruit. Another factor that can influence the shape stability of holders according to the prior art is stacking of empty, as manufactured, holders. In some cases this stacking results in partial, non-uniform, deformation of the dome which 15 makes it more prone to collapsing sideways when a fruit is placed on it.

Therefore, the present invention provides packaging means manufactured from thermoformed plastic sheet or foil material with one or more holders in the form of inverted cups with features that promote a uniform deformation of the upper part of the 20 holder and that facilitate adaptation of the shape of the deformed upper part of the holder to the shape of the item that is placed on it. In the remainder of this description the item that is placed in a holder according to the invention may be referred to specifically as a fruit. However, this is not intended to be limiting and the holder according to the invention can be used for packaging of any other relevant fragile item, 25 such as, for example: glass and ceramic objects, chocolates, flowers, Christmas decorations and electronic components.

The invention will be clarified further by means of schematic drawings, whereby:

Fig. 4a shows a schematic side view of an embodiment of a holder according to the 30 invention;

Fig. 4b shows a schematic top view of the embodiment of the holder shown in fig. 4a; 3

Fig. 5 shows schematic cross sections of an embodiment of the holder according to the invention in three stages during the placement of an item in the holder;

Fig. 6 shows a schematic top view of an embodiment of a holder according to the invention for the packaging of a pear; 5 Fig. 7 shows a schematic cross section of the holder depicted in fig. 6.

In the drawings the same reference number refers to the same feature.

Fig. 4a shows a schematic side view of an embodiment of a holder according to the invention, whereby the holder comprises a base 1, also referred to as ground plate, a 10 lower part 2, which preferably but not necessarily is slightly conical, a collar 3, a suspended bottom 4 and a reinforcing core 5 at the center of the suspended bottom. Since, in this side view, the suspended bottom and the reinforcing core are positioned behind the wall of the collar, they are normally not visible and are hence represented by dotted lines. Fig. 4b shows a schematic top view of the embodiment of the holder shown 15 in fig. 4a. For the sake of simplicity of the drawing the base 1 of the holder is not shown in the top view of fig. 4b, neither is the profile of the corrugations along the circumference of the lower part and the collar of the holder. The reinforcing core 5 is represented by the black circle.

Contrary to the holders according to the prior art, the holder according to the invention 20 in the as manufactured state does not comprise a dome shaped top part that has to be folded from the dome shape into a receiving cup shape in order to receive an item that has to be packed. The present holder has a truncated top and the suspended bottom 4 is already preformed into a substantially flat or (slightly) concave shape which facilitates the proper placement of an item in the holder. The longitudinal lines shown on the 25 holder in fig. 4a represent corrugations or folds, which serve at least two functions, i.e. allowing the parts of the holder to expand readily like a harmonica and providing structural stiffness. In the drawings in fig. 4a and fig. 4b the corrugations of the different parts of the holder are aligned. However, the invention also envisages embodiments in which the corrugations of the different corrugated parts of the holder 30 are not aligned and/or have different shapes. Hence, the holder according to the invention may have, preferably but necessarily narrow, transition zones between the various parts of the holder in order to accommodate the differences in the corrugations 4 from one part of the holder to another and to serve as possible folding lines between two parts. In the context of this invention the term corrugation can also include any other profiling of surfaces, such as sharp folds, which facilitates (substantially elastic) expansion of parts of the holder.

5 The holder according to the invention can be manufactured by thermoforming any suitable plastic sheet material. For some embodiments of the holder according to the invention plastic sheet material with a starting thickness of approximately 100 to 500 micrometers is used. However the wall thickness of the holder according to the invention can be as large or as small as deemed necessary, practical and/or useful.

10 The wall thickness of the different parts of the holder may differ significantly, although they can be optimized to be as small as possible in order to limit the weight and the cost of the holder. While holders according to the prior art that have the dome shape in the as manufactured state are very sensitive to proper placement of the item that has to be packed on the top center of the dome in order not to cause a collapse of the holder, the 15 holders according to the invention are much more lenient in this respect. It is quite easy to place an item on the truncated top of a holder according to the invention. The presence of the collar 3 and the flexible suspended bottom 4 in combination with the reinforcing core 5 almost automatically assure that the item that is placed on the truncated top of the holder moves towards the center of the suspended bottom and that 20 the supporting cavity is formed.

Although the presence of the concave suspended bottom 4 of the holder according to the invention already provides a significant advantage over the dome shaped holders according to the prior art the inclusion of the reinforcing core 5 constitutes an important feature and important inventive step of the present invention.

25 In a preferred embodiment of the invention the wall thickness of the sheet material at the location of the reinforcing core 5 of a holder is significantly thicker, at least a factor two and preferably a factor three thicker or more, than the wall thickness of the material of the surrounding suspended bottom 4 and/or the collar 3. This can be achieved by including appropriate measures in the tool and in the process for thermoforming holders 30 according to the invention. The core 5 with the higher wall thickness helps preserving the shape stability of the suspended bottom when an item is placed on the suspended bottom and the bottom is moved downwards.

5

In a preferred embodiment of a holder according to the invention with a mainly circular cross section, the reinforcing core 5 has the shape of a spherical section with the convex side turned upwards, hereinafter also called a convex shape, as shown schematically in fig. 4a. This provides a high rigidity of the reinforcing core and a relatively high shape 5 stability of the suspended bottom.

Fig. 5 shows schematic cross sections of an embodiment of the holder according to the invention, resembling the embodiment shown in fig. 4a and 4b, in three stages during the placement of an item in the holder, i.e. in three stages of the deformation of the holder in order to hold the item. In the intermediate stage schematically shown in fig. 5 10 (b) it is visible that the lower part of the holder can move outwards, thanks to corrugations that are not visible in this sketch, in order to create room to allow the collar to be folded inwards until the collar assumes a substantially horizontal position after which it turns downwards and the side wall of the lower part of the holder can move back towards its original position. In the final stage as shown in fig. 5 (c) where the 15 packing cavity is fully formed the wall of the lower part of the holder has largely returned to its original position. The reinforcing core has a significant contribution in ensuring that the suspended bottom largely maintains its shape when it is pushed down. For the sake of simplicity and clarity no sight lines have been included in the schematic cross sections shown in fig. 5.

20 The invention also comprises embodiments of the holder that do not have a circular cross section. Fig. 6 shows a schematic top view of an embodiment of a holder according to the invention that does not have a circular cross section. This embodiment of the holder is intended for the packaging of a pear that is placed on its side, also referred to as a pear in a lateral position, instead of upright. Hence, in a top view this 25 embodiment of the holder has the shape of a side view of a pear. Like the embodiment of the holder with the circular cross section as discussed above, this embodiment with a non-circular cross section comprises a collar 3, a suspended bottom 4 and a reinforcing core 5. Although it may seem contradictory the convex reinforcing core may serve as an extra expansion element in the final stages of the formation of the packaging cavity 30 when a pear is placed in the holder.

For the sake of simplicity only a few lines schematically depicting the corrugations in the collar and the suspended bottom have been included in the drawing. However, the 6 invention envisages that these parts of the holder have corrugations over their entire surface or at least a major part of their respective surfaces.

Fig. 7 shows a simplified schematic cross section of the holder shown in fig. 6 along the line A-A. Sight lines have deliberately not been included in fig. 7. In this embodiment 5 the reinforcing core also comprises a convex shape.

The holder with a pear shape shown schematically in fig. 6 serves as a non-limiting example of embodiments of the holder for packaging of a variety of delicate fruits in a lateral position. Another example of such a fruit is a papaya.

10 The reinforcing core of a preferred embodiment of the holder according to the invention is positioned around or in the vicinity of the center, hereinafter also referred to as in the center, of the suspended bottom and comprises a peripheral shape that is equal or similar to the peripheral shape of the suspended bottom.

15 The invention also comprises so-called trays with a plurality of holders as disclosed above whereby the tray with the holders is manufactured from one sheet of plastic material.

The invention includes embodiments of individual holders and trays with a plurality of holders that are stackable in the as manufactured condition in order to limit the space 20 that is taken up and hence limit the cost of shipping empty holders and/or trays according to the invention.

All examples given in this descriptive section are intended to be non-limiting, and are provided in order to help in conveying the scope of the invention.

25 30 1040034

Claims

1. Een houder voor het vervoer en de opslag van fragiele goederen waarbij de houder is vervaardigd uit kunststof plaatmateriaal en de houder een bodemplaat (1) en een 5 wandvormig ondergedeelte (2) omvat, met het kenmerk, dat de houder een kraag (3) waarvan de onderrand verbonden is met de bovenrand van het ondergedeelte (2) en een met de bovenrand van de kraag verbonden hangende bodem (4) met een verstevigingskem (5) omvat.A holder for transporting and storing fragile goods, the holder being made from plastic sheet material and the holder comprising a bottom plate (1) and a wall-shaped lower part (2), characterized in that the holder has a collar (3) ) whose lower edge is connected to the upper edge of the lower part (2) and comprises a hanging bottom (4) connected to the upper edge of the collar with a reinforcement core (5).

2. Houder volgens conclusie 1, met het kenmerk, dat de wand van het ondergedeelte 10 (2) ribbels omvat waardoor de bovenrand van de wand zich in hoofdzaak zonder plastische vervorming naar buiten kan verplaatsen om het om de verbindingsrand tussen het ondergedeelte en de kraag naar beneden scharnieren van de kraag (3) mogelijk te maken bij het belasten van de hangende bodem (4).2. Holder as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the wall of the lower part 10 (2) comprises ridges through which the upper edge of the wall can move outwards substantially without plastic deformation about it around the connecting edge between the lower part and the collar to allow downward hinging of the collar (3) when loading the hanging bottom (4).

3. Houder volgens conclusie 1 of 2, met het kenmerk, dat de verstevigingskem (5) 15 een convexe vorm omvat.3. Holder as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the reinforcement core (5) comprises a convex shape.

4. Houder volgens één of meer der voorgaande conclusies, met het kenmerk, dat de kraag (3) ribbels omvat.Holder according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the collar (3) comprises ribs.

5. Houder volgens één of meer der voorgaande conclusies, met het kenmerk, dat de hangende bodem (4) ribbels omvat.Holder according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hanging bottom (4) comprises ridges.

6. Houder volgens één of meer der voorgaande conclusies, met het kenmerk, dat de verstevegingskem (5) een wanddikte heeft welke ten minste een factor twee groter is dan de wanddikte van de kraag of de hangende bodem.Holder according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcement core (5) has a wall thickness which is at least a factor of two greater than the wall thickness of the collar or the hanging bottom.

7. Houder volgens conclusie 5, met het kenmerk, dat de verstevegingskem (5) een wanddikte heeft welke ten minste een factor drie groter is dan de wanddikte van de 25 kraag of de hangende bodem.7. Holder as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the reinforcement core (5) has a wall thickness which is at least a factor of three greater than the wall thickness of the collar or the hanging bottom.

8. Houder volgens één of meer der voorgaande conclusies, met het kenmerk, dat de hangende bodem (4) een concave vorm omvat.Container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hanging bottom (4) has a concave shape.

9. Houder volgens één of meer der voorgaande conclusies, met het kenmerk, dat de verstevigingskem zich in het centrum van de hangende bodem bevindt en een 30 omtreksvorm omvat welke in hoofdzaak gelijkvormig is aan de omtreksvorm van de hangende bodem. 10400349. Holder as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the reinforcement core is in the center of the hanging bottom and comprises a circumferential shape which is substantially similar to the circumferential shape of the hanging bottom. 1040034

10. Houder volgens één of meer de voorgaande conclusies, met het kenmerk, dat de houder bestaat uit thermogevormde kunststof.10. Holder as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the holder consists of thermoformed plastic.

11. Houder volgens één of meer der voorgaande conclusies, met het kenmerk, dat het bovenaanzicht van de houder de vorm van een zijaanzicht van een vrucht heeft.11. Holder as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the top view of the holder has the shape of a side view of a fruit.

12. Houder volgens conclusie 11, met het kenmerk, dat het bovenaanzicht van de houder de vorm van het zijaanzicht van een peer heeft.12. Holder as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the top view of the holder has the shape of the side view of a pear.

13. Houder volgens één of meer der voorgaande conclusies, met het kenmerk, dat de houder een grondplaat (1) omvat welke één geheel vormt met de grondplaat van meerdere houders. 10 15 20 25 30 1040034Holder according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holder comprises a base plate (1) which is integral with the base plate of a plurality of holders. 10 15 20 25 30 1040034