Abstract:
A tray intended for the packaging of at least one article. The tray includes two parts connected together by an articulation zone enabling the tray parts to pivot relative to each other about an axis X. A first tray part forms at least one open compartment. One of the two parts includes at least two fastening means capable of engaging with two counterpart fastening means formed on the other of the two parts so as to hold both parts in a first position in which the compartment formed by the first part delimits together with the second part a closed recess capable of receiving an article. One of the two parts is also provided with at least two indentations configured to receive, in a second position of the two parts, the fastening means of a second identical tray positioned against the first.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This document claims priority to French Application Number 02 16386, filed Dec. 20, 2002, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/442,906, filed Jan. 28, 2003, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to a tray intended for the packaging of an article or plural articles. The invention provides a tray that can be used for transporting an article before and after it is filled with a product.  
           [0004]    2. Discussion of Background  
           [0005]    Certain articles need to be transported between the time when they are manufactured and the time they are filled with a product, and then again when they are delivered to the point of sale. This notably applies to many articles containing cosmetic products, for example sticks containing a deodorant product with the sticks made at a first manufacturing location, filled with a deodorant product at a second location, and finally marketed at a different point-of-sale location. The sticks are transported between all of these locations and need to be protected in order to arrive at the point of sale in good condition.  
           [0006]    Typically, the empty sticks are delivered to the filling location packed in cardboard boxes. Several sticks are placed inside the box, with each stick contained in a plastic bag which is itself surrounded by polyethylene foam in the form of a flexible wrap. Between each stick thus packed, provision is additionally made for polyethylene foam and/or cardboard separators. It is therefore necessary to remove each packaging element in order to take out the sticks before filling them with the product. After filling, each stick is placed in a “bubble-wrap” pocket and then in a standard cardboard box for delivery to the point of sale. A large number of packaging elements is therefore required in this type of packing, which necessitates a lot of handling. In addition, as the packaging is used only once, a great deal of waste is generated.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    One of the objects of the invention is therefore to propose packaging which does not present the drawbacks of the prior art.  
           [0008]    A particular object of the invention is to propose packaging which properly protects the articles to be packed while at the same time reducing the number of component elements of the packaging.  
           [0009]    A further object of the invention is to propose a packaging arrangement which can be used several times during transportation of the articles to be packed, up to and including delivery to their point of sale.  
           [0010]    According to the invention, these objects are achieved by making a tray intended for the packaging of at least one article. The tray includes two parts connected together by an articulation zone enabling them to pivot relative to each other about an axis X. A first part forms at least one open compartment. One of the tray parts includes a fastener part which mates with a counterpart or mating fastener part of the second tray part. In a preferred arrangement, one of the two parts includes at least two fastening means capable of engaging with two counterpart or mating fastening means formed on the other of the two parts so as to hold both parts in a first position in which the compartment, formed by the first part delimits, together with the second part, a closed recess capable of receiving an article. One of the two parts is also provided with at least two indentations configured to receive, in a second position of the two parts, the fastening means of a second identical tray positioned against the first.  
           [0011]    Thus, the same tray can be used to package at least one article in two different positions, by itself or in conjunction with a second tray.  
           [0012]    According to the configuration of one example, the indentations or recesses can be formed on the same part as the fastening means with each fastening means being aligned respectively with an indentation on an axis parallel to the axis X.  
           [0013]    The fastening means can be, for example, in the form of a lug or projection and the counterpart or mating fastening means can be in the form of a cavity or recess designed to receive a tightly fitting lug. The cavities can have, for example, a circular or rounded cross-section and the lugs can have, for example, at least one flat side or corner with, e.g., a square or polygonal cross-section. It is to be understood that the shape and dimensions of the transverse cross-section of the lugs and cavities will be chosen so that they cooperate with each other so as to form a relatively solid or reliable means of fastening while at the same time being reversible.  
           [0014]    The indentations can be configured to receive, preferably in a loose-fitting manner, the fastening means of an identical second tray positioned against the first. Thus, when the articles are delivered packaged between two trays, it is relatively easy to separate the two trays in order to take out the articles. This is particularly advantageous when the articles thus delivered are intended to feed a production line on which the articles are modified, for example in the case of deodorant sticks, by filling them with a product.  
           [0015]    According to the configuration of one example, the second part forms at least one open compartment, symmetrical relative to axis X to the compartment formed by the first part. In addition, the two compartments are designed, in the first position, to delimit the closed recess for the article. Each compartment can, for example, take the form of a half-cylinder. However, the compartments can have other shapes, the shape preferably being chosen in relation to that of the article to be packaged so as to conform as closely as possible to it.  
           [0016]    The tray can be formed by molding a thermoplastic material from a single piece, for example, by thermoforming or thin-wall injection molding. The tray is, for example, made of a thermoplastic material chosen among the polyvinyl chlorides, polypropylenes, polyethylenes, polystyrenes, or a complex of materials of the type polypropylene/ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH)/polypropylene, polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate, or polystyrene/EVOH/polyethylene.  
           [0017]    The invention also relates to a process for the packaging of articles intended to contain a product. The process includes providing at least two articles, containing no product, in a packaging formed by two trays placed against each other. Each article is disposed within a closed recess delimited by a compartment of one of the two trays and by a compartment of the other of the two trays. The two trays are separated and the articles are withdrawn. The articles are then filled with a product, an article filled with a product is placed into a compartment of one of the two trays and another article filled with a product is placed into a compartment of the other of the two trays. Both parts of each tray are then pivoted relative to each other to put the trays in a position so that each tray delimits a closed recess containing an article.  
           [0018]    The article can be in stick form and can contain a cosmetic product, for example, a deodorant or an antiperspirant.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, particularly when considered in conjunction with the drawings in which:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a tray according to the invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 shows the tray in FIG. 1 in a second packaging position; and  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 shows the tray in FIG. 1 in a first packaging position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a packaging tray  1  according to the invention. The tray  1  includes a body, preferably made of thermoplastic material, composed of two parts  10  and  20  connected together by an articulation zone  40  enabling them to pivot relative to each other about an axis X.  
         [0024]    The tray can be obtained, for example, by thermoforming or by thin-wall injection molding from a single piece of a thermoplastic material chosen among materials such as polyvinyl chlorides, polypropylenes, polyethylenes, polystyrenes, or a complex of materials of the type polypropylene/ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH)/polypropylene, polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate, or polystyrene/EVOH/polyethylene. According to one preferred example, the tray is obtained by thermoforming a mixture of polystyrene and polyethylene. The tray thus obtained has a relatively soft surface so that it does not damage the packaged article.  
         [0025]    The first tray part  20  also includes three compartments  21   a ,  21   b  and  21   c  which also have the shape of a half-cylinder. The compartments  21   a  to  21   c  and  11   a  to  11   c  are respectively symmetrical about the axis X. Compartments  21   a  to  21   c  each have an opening which extends in a plane P 2 , and are connected to each other by a flange  22  also extending in the plane P 2 .  
         [0026]    According to the example illustrated, the second tray part  10  includes three compartments  11   a ,  11   b  and  11   c , each having the shape of a half-cylinder. These compartments each have an opening which extends in a plane P 1 , and are connected to each other by a flange  12  also extending in the plane P 1 .  
         [0027]    Two depressions or recesses  13   a  and  13   b  are formed on the flange  12  of the second part  10 , on either side of the middle compartment  11   b . Depressions  13   a  and  13   b  have a circular cross-section, for example. A first depression  13   a  is formed at a first distance from the axis X. Preferably, a second depression  13   b  is formed at a second distance from the axis X so that the two depressions are not aligned on an axis parallel to axis X.  
         [0028]    Two lugs or projections  23   a  and  23   b  are formed on the flange  22  of the first tray part  20 , on either side of the middle compartment  21   b , with each lug intended to engage with each depression  13   a  and  13   b  to form a fastening arrangement. Lug  23   a  is formed at the same distance from axis X as depression  13   a  and lug  23   b  is formed at the same distance from axis X as depression  13   b  so that they are symmetrical relative to the axis X. The lugs have a square cross-section and are intended to fit into one of the depressions to their full height. In addition, the circle described by the transverse cross-section of the lug (e.g., a circle that would be formed by rotating the transverse cross-section or having a diameter of the size of the diagonal of the transfer cross-section) is substantially of the same radius as the cross-section of the depression, or substantially greater so that the lug is a tight fit in the depression. Lugs  23   a  and  23   b  extend on one side of the plane P 2 .  
         [0029]    Two indentations or recesses  24   a  and  24   b  are formed on the flange of the first tray part  20 , on the other side of the plane P 2  relative to the lugs. A first indentation  24   a  is aligned with lug  23   b  on an axis parallel to axis X and with lug  23   a  on an axis perpendicular to axis X. The second indentation  24   b  is aligned with lug  23   a  on an axis parallel to axis X and with lug  23   b  on an axis perpendicular to axis X. Each indentation has a sufficiently large cross-section to be able to receive a lug of another device in a loose-fitting manner. The indentations take the form of a groove but it is evident that any other indented shape can be used to receive the lugs in a loose-fitting manner, by choosing an indented form of transverse cross-section greater than the transverse cross-section of the lugs.  
         [0030]    Such a tray can be used, for example, to package a stick or container having a cylindrical shape designed to contain a deodorant product. It is evident that the shape of each compartment will depend on the shape of the article to be packaged.  
         [0031]    The tray is used in the following manner. First, six sticks without product are placed in the six compartments of a first packaging tray  1 . The tray  1  is in a first position, i.e. fully open, with the planes P 1  and P 2  being coincident at this time. A second tray  100 , identical to the first, is placed against the latter so that the flanges  112  and  122  of the second tray  100  are in contact with the flanges  12  and  22  of the first tray  1 , with the six compartments of the second tray  100  then respectively facing the six compartments of the first tray  1  so as to form paired closed recesses for the sticks.  
         [0032]    In this position, illustrated in FIG. 2, the recesses are preferably configured so as to conform perfectly or closely to the shape of the sticks and thus hold them in position so that they do not move during transport. They are thus well protected for transport. In this position, lugs  23   a  and  23   b  of the first tray  1  are lodged in the indentations  124   b  and  124   a  of the second tray  100  and the lugs  123   a  and  123   b  of the second tray  100  are lodged in the indentations  24   b  and  24   a  of the first tray  1 . Thus, with such a packaging arrangement containing empty sticks or containers without product, the two superimposed trays can be easily separated because the lugs are not tight fitting in the indentations.  
         [0033]    The sticks can then be filled with a product by any known filling process.  
         [0034]    Once the sticks have been filled with the product, they are re-packaged for transportation to their point of sale. To do this, each tray  1  and  100  is recovered and three sticks are placed in compartments  11   a ,  11   b  and  11   c  of the first tray  1 , and three sticks are placed in compartments  11   a ,  111   b  and  111   c  of the second tray  100 . For each tray, the second part is pivoted relative to the first part about the axis X so as to enclose the sticks in a closed recess as shown in FIG. 3. In this position, the sticks are again held securely in place because the compartments conform to their shape and maintain them in position thus avoiding movement during transport. In this position, the lugs  23   a  ( 123   a ) and  23   b  ( 123   b ) are inserted tightly into the cavities  13   a  ( 113   a ) and  13   b  ( 113   b ) so that each tray is perfectly maintained in this position.  
         [0035]    The trays can then be placed in cardboard packing cases for delivery to their point of sale. The trays are, for example, stacked in a cardboard packing case, maintaining perfect alignment on top of each other. Alternatively, provision can be made to stack the trays with a slight offset between pairs so that the prominences formed by the half-cylinders of one tray are seated in the recessed portions located between two half-cylinders of the previous tray. The sticks are thus more effectively secured and held in place.  
         [0036]    Thus, as can be appreciated, with the arrangement of the invention, first and second tray parts are provided which can be moved between an open position and a closed position, with the first and second tray parts mating with each other in the closed position. Further, when the tray is in the open position, it can mate with another like or similar tray, preferably with the respective first tray parts facing each other. In addition, fastener parts can be provided to further connect or couple the parts in the various positions. In the illustrated embodiment, first, second and third fastener parts are provided, with the first and third fastener parts provided on the first tray part and the second fastener part provided on the second tray part. In the illustrated preferred embodiment, each tray includes two of each of the fastener parts. Thus, when a given tray is closed, the first fastener parts mate with the second fastener part. When the trays are open and one tray is mating with another tray, the first fastener part of one tray can mate with the third fastener part of another tray. As illustrated and described by way of example, the first fastener parts can be lugs or projections, with the second and third fastener parts cavities, indentations or recesses.  
         [0037]    Such packaging arrangements make it possible to reduce handling and also to reduce or eliminate non-reusable packaging.  
         [0038]    Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.