A FIBREBOARD BOX CONTAINING A LIGHTTIGHTLY WRAPPED ROLL OF PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM

Abstract: A disposable tray-type fibreboard box (10) containing a lighttightly wrapped roll (37) of photographic film wound on a hollow core, and a roll-supporting flange (26, 27) at either roll end, each such flange having a hub fitting in the corresponding core end for supporting the roll out of contact with the side-wall panels of the box, said flanges being in supporting contact with the corresponding end-wall panels (16, 17) of the box, the roll-supporting flanges (26, 27) being made of moulded fibre pulp and having a plurality of stiffening ribs (30) located in the base of the flange.

Description: DESCRIPTION A FIBREBOARD BOX CONTAINING A LIGHTTIGHTLY WRAPPED ROLL OF PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM. Field of the invention. The present invention relates to a disposable fibreboard box containing a lighttightly wrapped roll of photographic film wound on a hollow core. Description of the prior art Disposable fibreboard boxes containing a lighttightly wrapped roll of photographic film wound on a hollow core are known, wherein at either end of the film roll a roll-supporting flange is provided which has a hub fitting in the corresponding end of the core for supporting the roll out of contact with the side-wall panels of the box. These flanges are usually made of a thermoplastic by injection moulding and comprise a flat square panel with a cylindrical hub, or they are assembled from several parts glued together. The described type of packaging serves only for the delivery of the photographic material in good order to the user and is disposed after its unloading. The packaged roll of photographic material can be arranged for daylight loading so that a reloadable cassette of a camera, phototype-setter or the like can be reloaded in daylight, but the photographic material can also be conventionally wrapped so that the use of a darkroom is required to transfer the roll of photographic material from the transport box into a cassette with a lighttight exit slot for dispensing the photographic material in the exposure apparatus. Examples of the described packagings are disclosed in US-A- 4,148,395, US-A-4,505,387 and US-A-4, 911,299. An example of a plastic reloadable cassette, which by virtue of its particular construction is extremely cheap as compared with usual machine-dedicated cassettes, is disclosed in our co-pending application EP 92 200 791.9 filed 19th March 1992 and entitled "A reloadable lighttight plastic cassette". The combination of a fibreboard box with plastic components is unintresting from an ecological standpoint. Object of the invention It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved fibreboard box of the type referred to, which readily lends itself to ecologic disposal. Statement of the invention In accordance with the present invention, a disposable fibreboard box containing at least one lighttightly wrapped roll of photographic film wound on a hollow ' core, and a roll-supporting flange at either roll end, each said flange having a hub fitting in the corresponding core end for supporting the roll out of contact with the side-wall panels of the box, said flanges being in supporting contact with the corresponding end-wall panels of the box, is characterised thereby that said roll-supporting flanges are made of moulded fibre pulp and have a plurality of stiffening ribs located in the plane of the flanges. The packaging, which remains after the filmroll(s) has (have) been removed, is a completely recyclable, bio-degradable product of extreme flexibility. The term "photographic film" as used in the present description encompasses film as well as paper supports coated with a light- sensitive layer for use in the production of images by integral or scanningwise exposure in photographic cameras, by line-wise scanning exposure such as with a modulated laser beam in phototypesetters, etc. The term "lighttightly wrapped" means that a photographic roll of film is wrapped in such a way that transport and manipulation of the box is possible without risk of accidental exposure of the film, since fibreboard boxes as such do not constitute a reliable lighttight protection for the film. It will be understood that lighttight wrapping usually also forms a moisture- and airtight barrier for the film. Said wrapping can be one that has to be removed in the darkroom in order either to load the roll of film in a dispenser cassette or directly into an exposure apparatus as the case may be, but preferably is a so-called daylight loading wrapping allowing the film roll to be loaded in daylight in a dispensing cassette. In such case, a leader of the film roll is located in the dispenser slot of the cassette, the cassette is closed, and the leader is pulled out from the dispenser slot. The leader is discarded and the cassette is then introduced in the exposure apparatus, the extruding film end being engaged by driving rollers controlling the film transport. Preferred embodiments of the invention are as follows. A box wherein the lowest edge of the hub and the deepest points of the ribs are spaced from the bottom edge of the roll-supporting flanges, whereby such flanges provide a resilient support for the roll of film in axial direction while the bottom edge of said flanges is in supporting contact with the corresponding end-wall panel of the box. The stiffening ribs extend generally radially from the base of the hub towards the side walls of the flange, and preferably at a right angle to the corresponding peripheral side walls of the flange. The roll-supporting flanges have a generally square base, the side walls of such base being slightly convexly curved, and the largest size of the base is larger than the corresponding inner dimension of the fibreboard box. This feature allows the firm clamping of the flanges in the box, while yet allowing their easy introduction in the box. The invention comprises also a disposable fibreboard package for a plurality of lighttightly wrapped rolls of photographic film wound on hollow cores. In accordance with the invention, a disposable package for a plurality of individually lighttightly wrapped rolls of photographic film wound on hollow cores comprises at least two lighttightly wrapped rolls of photographic film wound on hollow cores, two roll- supporting flanges each having at least two spaced hubs for engagement with the corresponding core ends of the film rolls, and being made of moulded fibre pulp. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described hereinafter by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein : Fig.l is a perspective view, partly broken away, of an opened tray- type fibreboard box containing a lighttightly wrapped roll of photographic film, supported by two roll-supporting flanges according to one embodiment of the invention, Fig.2 is a perspective view in detail of one roll-supporting flange of the box according to Fig.l, Fig.3 is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view of a film roll and a supporting flange, and Fig.4 is a diagrammatic perspective view, partly broken away, of a fibreboard box containing four rolls of lighttightly wrapped photographic film. Detailed description of the invention Referring to Fig.l, a tray-type box generally designated by numeral 10 and made of an appropriately scored and cut blank of corrugated board, comprises a base 12 and a hinged cover 13 with a tuck 14. Front panel 15 and side-wall panels 16 and 17 have been partly cut away to illustrate the interior of the box more clearly. The side-wall panels comprise flaps 8 and 9 for closure of the box, together with cover 13. A roll 37 of photographic film (see Fig. 3) comprises a cardboard core 18 onto which is wound a film 19 which is lighttight wrapped for day-light loading into an appropriate cassette. The lighttight wrapping comprises a sleeve 20, the end margins of which are heat-sealed to corresponding margins of end flanges 21 (one only being shown) . The end flanges have a central hole and tabs 23 that are tucked in the core ends and sealed thereto. A leader 24 (see Fig. 1) which is peelably sealed to the leading end of the film roll and held temporarily by a tape 25 allows to pull sleeve 20 from the film roll once the roll is loaded in a cassette. More details about the described film roll for daylight loading can be found in US-A- 4,911,299 mentioned already. The described film roll is supported in the box by two roll- supporting flanges 26 and 27 supporting the roll axially as well as radially. Fig.2 shows a roll-supporting flange in detail. The flange comprises essentially a central hub 28 and a base portion 29, which is stiffened by a plurality of ribs 30 running from the base of the hub towards the side walls 36 of the flange. The ribs extend normal to the corresponding side wall. The shape of the ribs at their outerside is in the form of a truncated triangle, whereas their shape at the underside is rather almost sinusoidal as shown in Fig. 3. This is a consequence of the fabrication technique of the roll-supporting flanges which occurs, as known in the art, by means of a sieve- or screenlike structure having the shape of the upper surface of the flanges, i.e. the one facing the film roll, which is dipped in a liquid supply of fibre pulp, and then upwardly removed while an underpressure is maintained via a suitable casing at the upperside of the sieve. The upperside of the moulded flange truely follows the contours of the sieve mould, whereas the underside has a less pronounced shape with rather smooth transitions between adjacent ribs, hub, and side walls. The moulded flange is reversed after its removal from the pulp bath and comes to rest with top wall 22 of its hub on a horizontal support, and then is dried. Four studs 31 to 34 having a height equalling that of the hub are provided at the corners of the flange in order to keep the base of the flange flat during drying in reversed position. The lowest edge of the hub as well as the deepest points of the ribs are spaced from the bottom edge 35 of the flange over a distance a_ of some millimeters as shown in Figs.2 and 3. This has the advantage that the roll-supporting flanges, together with the film roll clamped between them, can be urged with some axial pressure in the box, since the mentioned distance a. allows a slight axial compression of the flanges, which is favourable for the axial biasing of the roll in the box. The hub 28 of the roll-supporting flanges is not cylindrical but has the shape of truncated cone instead. This allows an easier insertion in the open core ends of the film rolls than with a cylindrical hub. Furthermore, the largest diameter of the hub which is in contact with the core, see b_ in Fig.3, is smaller than the inner diameter d of the core. The advantage thereof is that the distinct tabs 23 of the flanges 21 of the film roll will have a less abrasive effect on the hub (because of the openings between them) , than if such tabs would tightly fit on the hub. Practice shows that rotation of the film roll during transport can be reduced, it is true by the axial bias described hereinbefore, but not be eliminated completely. A further typical aspect of the present embodiment of the roll- supporting flanges is that side walls 36 of base 29 are not straight but, on the contrary, slightly convexly curved. This is illustrated in Fig.2, where the distance e_ between the centre of bottom edge 35 of side wall 36 and its opposite edge (not visible in the figure) , is larger than the width w of the box, (w being the inside.dimension shown in Fig. 1) . Distances f_ and £_, on the contrary, are smaller than _ and also smaller than w and facilitate in that way the introduction in the opened box of both roll supporting flanges, a film roll being clamped between them. The following example illustrates the described embodiment. Box 10 : outer dimensions 33.5 x 12 x 12 cm made of corrugated paperboard, thickness 2.5 mm, weight 140 g Film roll 37 : 45.75 m x 30.5 cm film for phototypesetting. core inner diameter d : 28.4 mm Daylight loading wrapping : a lighttight sleeve sealed at its peripheral edges to corresponding edges of end flanges in accordance with US-A-4, 911,299 mentioned hereinbefore. Roll-supporting flanges : made of moulded paper pulp, average wall thickness : approximately 2 mm a. : 1 mm b_ : 26 mm e_ : 113.5 mm £_, _q_ : 110 mm weight of one flange: 12.7 g Box inside dimension w_ : 112 mm Referring to Fig. 4, a disposable fibreboard box 40 is shown comprising four identic lighttighly wrapped film rolls 41 disposed in parallel adjacent relationship. The box is an upstanding casing generally in accordance with FEFCO/ASSCO Fibreboard Case Code O204. The top can be closed by four flaps 42. The four film rolls 41 are supported at their lower end with their core on corresponding studs 43 of a one-part roll-supporting flange 45, which in fact is a union of four flanges as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. The film rolls are supported at their upperside by a second roll-supporting flange 46 that may be equal to the lower one. According to an alternative embodiment, the upper flange 46 can be composed of distinct flanges located in shoulder-to-shoulder relationship. This arrangement allows one film roll to be taken out from the box without completely destroying the fixation of the position of the other ones. The present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. The moulded fibre pulp film-supporting flanges can also be made of cotton fibre, according to a flock-spraying process. Strength of the flanges can be improved by incorporating additives such as starch, etc. Occasional dust release of the roll—supporting flanges caused by rotation of a film roll on the hubs, or by movement of a flange within the box, can be limited or completely avoided by providing the roll-facing surface, or both surfaces of each flange, with a protective finish. The daylight loading film roll may be wrapped otherwise than illustrated in the described example. For instance, the leader of the film roll can be omitted and the sleeve can be peelably attached with its trailing end to the leading end of the film, the leading end of the sleeve having a form comparable with that of leader 24 shown in Fig. 1. The sleeve is sealed at its periphery over about one and a half winding to the flanges 21, and a tapered, unsealed end can be temporarily attached by a label such as 25 to the roll. The advantage of this construction is that no separate leader is required.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A disposable fibreboard box (10) containing at least one lighttightly wrapped roll (37) of photographic film wound on a hollow core (18), and a roll-supporting flange (26,27) at either roll end, each said flange having a hub (28) fitting in the corresponding core end for supporting the roll out of contact with the side-wall panels of the box, said flanges being in supporting contact with the corresponding end-wall panels (16,17) of the box, characterised in that said roll-supporting flanges (26,27) are made of moulded fibre pulp and have a plurality of stiffening ribs (30) located in the base of the flange. 2. A disposable fibreboard box according to claim 1, wherein the lowest edge of the hub and the deepest points of the ribs are spaced from the bottom edge (35) of the flange whereby the flanges provide a resilient support for the roll of film in axial direction while the free edge of said flanges is in supporting contact with the corresponding end-wall panel (16,17) of the box. 3. A disposable fibreboard box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said stiffening ribs (30) extend from the base of the hub (28) towards the side walls (36) of the flange. 4. A disposable fibreboard box according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said stiffening ribs (30) extend at a right angle to a corresponding side wall (36) of the flange. 5. A disposable fibreboard box according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said roll—supporting flanges (26,27) have a generally square base, the side walls (36) of said base being slightly convex- ly curved and the largest size e_ of said base being larger than the corresponding inner dimension w of said fibreboard box (10) . 6. A disposable fibreboard box according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said hub (28) has a conical shape, the largest diameter b of the hub which is in contact with the core (18) of said roll of photographic film being smaller than the inner diameter d of said core. 7. A disposable fibreboard box according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein each said flange (26,27) has at each corner at the side of the hub a stud (31,32,33,34) with a height equalling that of the hub (28) . 8. A disposable fibreboard box according to any of claims 1 to 7, which comprises at least two lighttightly wrapped rolls of photographic film each wound on a hollow core, and roll-supporting flanges each having at least two hubs for engaging a corresponding core end of a film roll. 9. A disposable fibreboard box according to claim 8,- which comprises four film rolls. 10. A disposable fibreboard box according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein said fibre pulp is paper pulp. 11. A disposable fiberboard box according to any of claims 1 to 10, which is made of corrugated fibreboard.

Inventors: DIRX LIEVEN FRANS, DIRX, LIEVEN, FRANS
Applicants: AGFA GEVAERT NV, DIRX LIEVEN FRANS, AGFA-GEVAERT NAAMLOZE VENNOOTSCHAP, DIRX, LIEVEN, FRANS
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B65D85
IPC codes: B65D85, G03C3