PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING IT

Abstract: The invention relates to a package (1) including compressible products, such as products of foam rubber, foam plastic, cotton etc., especially for transporting and storing the products and for exposing them at vending places. According to the invention the package (1) comprises a strip (5) of a flexible material on which the products (4) are separately received, whereby the strip with the products (4) in a compressed condition is placed in a wrapping (2) which is closed to all sides and whereby the wrapping (2) at one of its walls is provided with a removal opening (the perforation 3) which is closed during the transport and storage phase and whereby a free end of the strip (5) is positioned in the region of the removal opening.

Description: PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING IT. The present invention relates to a package containing compressible products, especially for transporting and storing the products and for displaying them at vending places, and also relates to a method for manuf cturing such a package. All products sold on the open market, such as within the retail trade, are burdened with transport costs - between manufacturer and wholesaler as well as between wholesaler and vending place - storage costs and handling costs, but these costs are of different importance for different products, for instance depending upon the relationship between the price of the product and its volume; a product having a low sales price but requiring much tran¬ sport and storage space is naturally more heavily burdened with such costs than a product having a high sales price and requiring relatively small transport and storage space. Among the products which are accordingly relatively heavily burdened with the above-mentioned costs are for instance products of foam rubber, foam plastic, cotton etc. However, such products are in many cases possible to compress without inconvenience, and therefore attempts have been made to lower the above-mentioned costs for some products of this kind by compressing the products in the separate consumer wrappings, usually by means of a so called "vacuum packing" . However, the disadvantage of this method is that the obtained savings in transport and storage costs are to a great extent outweighed by the additional costs for compressing each consumer wrapping separately and due to the fact that specific requirements are made for the wrapping material since this must be air-tight and suffi¬ ciently strong and durable to withstand handling without being punctured. This method does not bring about any reduction of the handling costs either since each wrapping is compressed separately and therefore involves the same amount of work for instance when the products are put on shelves at the vending places. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to present a solution to the above discussed problems, by means of which not only the transport and storage costs are reduced but by means of which a more rational and labour-saving handling and a space-saving and practical displaying of the products is also achieved at the ven¬ ding places. According to the invention this object is achieved by means of a package of the kind indicated in the enclosed patent claim 1. The dependent subclaims 2-5 are directed to preferred embodiments of the package claimed in claim 1. Patent claim 6 is directed to a method for forming the package according to the invention, and the dependent subclaims 7-11 are directed to preferred embodiments of the method claimed in claim 6. Finally, patent claim 12 is directed to a preferred use of the package according to the invention. The invention is more closely described below in connec¬ tion with the exemplifying embodiments illustrated in the enclosed drawings . In the drawings : Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the package according to the invention, illustrated in an unopened or intact condition, Fig. 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the package according to the • invention, likewise in an unopened condition, Fig. 3 i s a perspective view o f an embodiment of the resilient strip with products received thereon, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the resi li ent s trip having produ cts received thereon, Fig . 5 i l lustrates the package accordi ng to Fig. 1 w ith portions of the packing removed in order to illu- s trate a pos s ibl e pos itioni ng o f the res i li ent st rip in the package , in a comp re s s ed condition, and Fig. 6 illustrates an alternative arrangement for the resilient strip. The invention may be employed for packing or wrapping a great number of different products, whereby the only crucial conditions are that the products must be "manu- factured from such a material that they may be compressed and that the products may be compressed without any inconvenience, i.e. without being destroyed or dete¬ riorated in any respect. It should also be emphasized that the word "products" as used herein is intended to include separate articles that are sold by the piece as well as consumer wrappings containing more than one article. Although the invention will be described below with specific reference to wrappings containing separate sponges the invention shall by no means be restricted to this application, but may be equally applicable for a great number of products coming up to the above stated conditions. The package 1, 1' according to the invention is basically formed by a packing or wrapping intended to enclose the products from all sides. The packing or wrapping may be of a conventional kind and may accordingly consist of a box-like cardboard container 2 (Fig. 1) which initially i s open to one side. When the products have been pos i¬ tioned in the package it is closed by doubling over the flaps at the open side and by fixing them to each other by cement. The package may also cons ist of a p lastic wrapping 2' (Fig. 2 ) which may be applied around the pro¬ ducts by shrinking or may consist of a plastic bag which i s s ealed or closed by welding after the products have been po s i ti one d the rei n. Re gard ing the p acking or wrapping it is therefore only crucial that it may be brought to enclose the products to all sides and that it has sufficient strength to withstand the forces from the compressed products . In order to permit removal of the products one by one from the package, i.e. without opening the whole package, the wrapping 2 , 2' must be provided with an opening which in the illustrated embodiments is formed by providing the wrapping with a perforation 3 and 3' respectively, where¬ by the perforation may be formed with three sides so that a f lap remaining on the wrapping may be pu lled out and may be folded back for forming the opening (s ee Fig . 1 ) , or may be continuous so that a portion of the wrapping is simply torn off for forming the opening (see Fig. 2) . The above described methods of forming the opening are pre- ferred for reasons of cost, but naturally more sophisti¬ cated s olutions may be employed if des ired. Thus , the wrappings could also be provided w ith flaps that may be opened and closed again, but in most cases such solutions on ly mean an unneces s ary increase in costs. It is only essential that the opening is closed during transporta¬ tion and storage so that the products cannot fall out of the package at this stage, but that the opening may be easily uncovered in connection with the displaying at the vending place. As illustrated in Fig. 3 the products 4, which in the illustrated embodiment are sponges, are received in pockets 5a on a strip 5 manufactured from a resilient material, such as plastic. The strip 5 may preferably be formed by placing two plastic strips on top of each other and by welding together the strips at regular intervals for forming the pockets. In connection with the welding together the strip 5 is provided with transversal perfo¬ rations 6 across the strip and the purpose of this is to permit separation of the separate products. The perfora¬ tions 6 should be made such that the strip may be torn off without any problem at that position when a product is to be removed, but should still offer sufficient resi¬ stance to such tearing to make it possible to withdraw the strip from the wrapping without unintentionally tearing off the strip within the wrapping. In the illustrated embodiment the pockets 5a are open to both sides and this design is vital for instance for the type of sponges used for washing cars since these sponges contain detergent and/or wax and therefore need ventilation. For other products it may be more advan- tageous to also close the sides of the pockets, and this is true for instance when the product is a consumer wrapping containing several smaller articles. However, in this case it must be observed that the pockets may not be completely air-tight but must be provided with apertures so that the air may be forced out of the pockets when the strip with the products is compressed. Fig. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the strip 5' which in this case consists of a single plastic tape which is likewise provided with transversal perforations 6' at regular intervals, but where the products 4 are adhered to the strip 5', for instance by means of glue applied spot-wise or in strands along the strip. Thereby the articles may either be directly adhered to the strip or they may be received in a consumer wrapping which is adhered to the strip. In accordance with a further modi¬ fication of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 the strip may also be made without any perforation, whereby the products are adhered to the strip by means of such an adhesive that they may without trouble be pulled off from the strip. The product strips formed in the above described manner may be packed or arranged in different ways in the wrapping or packing, and Fig. 5 illustrates a solution which is preferably used with the embodiment of the strip illustrated in Fig. 3. In this case the strip is wound under such tension that the products are simultaneously compressed so that a compact or solid roll 8 is formed which is placed in the package with its free end posi¬ tioned adjacent the opening or perforation 3 of the packing. In Fig. 5 the roll 8 is illustrated in its condition when a number of products have been taken out so that the roll has loosened up and is no longer as compact as in its initial condition. By the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5 it has appeared to be especially advantageous if the opening of the wrapping or packing 2 is positioned adjacent the lower edge of one side, since this makes it possible to pull out the strip smoothly and easily. Naturally the degree of compression varies with the pro- duct, but as far as the illustrated, exemplifying sponges are concerned these are compressed at least to a volume less than 50% of their unloaded volume, preferably to a volume between 20-30% of the unloaded volume, and thereby the transport costs may be lowered by up to 60%. Fig. 6 illustrates an alternative manner of arranging the strip 5 in a spiral shape so that the products will more or less be arranged in one or more stacks. In this case the products may be compressed either directly in the wrapping or prior to their positioning in the wrapping, and in the latter case, as well as by the embodiment according to Fig. 5, the strip may be maintained in the compressed state by applying a tape around it, whereby the tape is applied in such a manner that it will be possible to cut it off through the opening of the wrapping when the products are to be removed. It will be realized that by means of the package accor¬ ding to the invention the products may be transported and stored very conveniently since their volume, as mentioned above, may be only 20-30% of the uncompressed volume. At the vending places the package is placed in a suitable position, and when the removal or withdrawal opening has been opened, for instance by tearing the perforation 3, 3', and possibly the retaining tape has been cut off, the consumers may pull out the products from the package and tear off the desired number of products from the strip. Apart from the fact that display space is saved at the vending place the handling is also facilitated since the staff of the vending place on the one hand will not have to replenish the products very often and on the other hand only have to replace the package when replenishment is necessary. This means a much simpler handling and also leads to substantial time-saving, for instance at gas stations where the staff has had to replenish sponges for car washing very often and such sponges are normally awkward or bulky to carry out into the store. Moreover it has been necessary for the staff to handle the sponges one by one when they are to be placed on the shelves. It is obvious that a great number of equivalent solutions and obvious modifications may be performed within the scope of the invention as stated in the enclosed patent claims .

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Package including compressible products, especially products of foam rubber, foam plastic or cotton etc., especially for transporting and storing the products and for displaying them at vending places, characterized by a strip (5, 5') of a resilient material on which the pro¬ ducts (4) are separately received, in that the strip (5, 5') is provided in a wrapping (2, 2') with the products in a compressed condition, in that the wrapping (2, 2') at one of its walls is provided with an opening (the perforation 3, 3') which is closed during the transport and storing stage and in that the free end of the strip (5, 5') is positioned adjacent the opening. 2. Package according to claim 1, characterized in that the strip (5 , 5 ' ) cons i sts o f p ortions whi ch are s eparable from each other, whereby one product (4 ) is received on each portion of the strip ( 5 , 5 ' ) . 3. Package according to claim 2, characterized in that each portion of the strip (5 ) is provided with a pocket ( 5a) for receiving a product (4) . 4. Package according to any of the preceding claims , characterized in that the opening in the wrapping (2 , 2' ) is formed by a perforation ( 3 , 3' ) and in that the perforation is provided in the region adjacent the lower edge of a wall of the wrapping ( 2, 2 ' ) . 5. Package according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the products (4) in the package (1, 1') are compressed to less than 50%, preferably between 20 and 30% of their uncompressed volume. 6. A method of forming a package including compressible products, for instance products of foam rubber, foam plastic, cotton etc., especially for transporting and storing the products and for displaying the same at vending places, characterized by attaching the products separately to a strip of a flexible material, by com¬ pressing the strip with the products and placing it in a wrapping, by closing the wrapping to all sides when the strip has been placed therein, by providing a removal opening in the wrapping and by positioning the strip with a free end thereof adjacent the removal opening. 7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the strip is wound under tension to a compact or solid roll. 8. A method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that pockets are formed on the strip and in that the products are placed in said pockets. 9. A method according to any of claims 6-8, charac¬ terized by compressing the products to a volume less than 50%, preferably between 20 and 30%, of their un¬ compressed volume. 10. A method according to any of claims 6-9, charac¬ terized by providing transversal perforations at regular intervals on the strip. 11. A method according to any of claims 6-10, charac¬ terized by providing a perforation for forming the removal opening at one side of the wrapping, adjacent the lower edge thereof. 12. The use of the package " according to any of claims 1-5, for transporting, storing and displaying sponges.

Inventors: CARLGREN BO, FRIBERG IVAR, CARLGREN, BO, FRIBERG, IVAR
Applicants: RENA TRADING AB
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B65D75
IPC codes: B65D75, B65D77, B65D85