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WO2010059203A2 - Thermoform a tray insitu with an article - Google Patents

Thermoform a tray insitu with an article Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2010059203A2
WO2010059203A2 PCT/US2009/006169 US2009006169W WO2010059203A2 WO 2010059203 A2 WO2010059203 A2 WO 2010059203A2 US 2009006169 W US2009006169 W US 2009006169W WO 2010059203 A2 WO2010059203 A2 WO 2010059203A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
mold
tray
sheet
article
indentation
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2009/006169
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2010059203A3 (en
Inventor
Alain Cerf
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of WO2010059203A2 publication Critical patent/WO2010059203A2/en
Publication of WO2010059203A3 publication Critical patent/WO2010059203A3/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C51/00—Shaping by thermoforming, i.e. shaping sheets or sheet like preforms after heating, e.g. shaping sheets in matched moulds or by deep-drawing; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C51/12—Shaping by thermoforming, i.e. shaping sheets or sheet like preforms after heating, e.g. shaping sheets in matched moulds or by deep-drawing; Apparatus therefor of articles having inserts or reinforcements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C51/00—Shaping by thermoforming, i.e. shaping sheets or sheet like preforms after heating, e.g. shaping sheets in matched moulds or by deep-drawing; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C51/16—Lining or labelling
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C51/00—Shaping by thermoforming, i.e. shaping sheets or sheet like preforms after heating, e.g. shaping sheets in matched moulds or by deep-drawing; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C51/26—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
    • B29C51/261—Handling means, e.g. transfer means, feeding means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C51/00—Shaping by thermoforming, i.e. shaping sheets or sheet like preforms after heating, e.g. shaping sheets in matched moulds or by deep-drawing; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C51/26—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
    • B29C51/44—Removing or ejecting moulded articles

Definitions

  • This invention relates to placing articles on a tray prior to film wrapping the articles. After the articles are film wrapped the film is heat shrunk.
  • Plastic thermoform trays are used to ship an article or a collection of articles such as bottles , vials and cartons.
  • the tray usually holds 6 to 12 articles.
  • the trays are thermo formed in a conventional manner and stacked. After stacking the stacks go into a denester. The trays are removed from the denester one by one and filled with an article or articles. The filling is done by hand or by a robotic machine.
  • the indentations in the tray are thermoformed to a size slightly larger than the articles to be used. This larger size provides easy removal of a tray from the nest. Also a chanfer is used to facilitate the loading of the articles into slightly larger size openings.
  • the objective of this invention is to eliminate the stacking of the trays into nests and removing the trays from the nest. Another objective is to eliminate the need for an increase size of the indentations and achieve a more snug fit. These objectives are accomplished by forming the tray insitu with the articles. This insures a snug fit and at the same time allows the articles to be removed from the tray.
  • article, product bottle are used interchangeably.
  • Figure 1 shows transferring a sheet of film to a hot plate and than to a mold with indentations where bottles push the sheet into the indentations of the mold.
  • Figure 2 shows transferring the sheet to revolving heating means and then to a mold
  • Figure 3 shows forming the lip of the tray using spilt rings.
  • Figure 4 shows a tray with indentations caused by pushing the sheet into the bottom of the mold
  • Figure 1 shows a roll of film 1 and a knife 2 cutting a sheet from the roll.
  • a transfer plate 3 removes the cut sheet 4 and transfers the cut sheet to a hot plate.
  • the transfer plate 3 can have holes drilled in the transfer plate 3. These holes allow a vacuum to be created that holds the cut sheet 4 to the transfer plate.
  • the transfer plate moves the cut sheet 4 to a mold or die 6. Air can be blown in the holes that provided the vacuum to place the cut sheet on the mold.
  • a frame can be used around the transfer plate to move down to create a ridge 8 around the plastic sheet resulting in a more rigid tray.
  • small punches 9 can be pivoted on hinges to form the ridge 8.
  • the tray is formed when articles 10 such as bottles are pushed down on top of the plastic sheet forcing the plastic sheet conform to the indentations 7 that are in the bottom of the mold. These indentations usually have the same shape as the bottom of the articles. After the articles are pushed into the mold they are pulled up and the tray stays with the product forming a unit. Air 19 can be blown from the bottom of the mold to assist the removal of the tray with the bottles from the mold.
  • Figures 2-3 show a preferred embodiment for forming the ridge around the plate.
  • the sheet 4 is placed on the mold 6 and sits on top of the mold 6.
  • the sheet is slightly larger than mold causing the sheet to extend beyond the perimeter of the mold.
  • the split ring 20 is mounted on hinges, having an inside dimensions a few tenths of a mm larger than the size of the mold to allow the split ring to be pushed down around the mold and in the process the film will be stretched against the outside of the mold creating a lip. While the split ring secures the film on the mold the product can be pushed down in the mold. When the split rings open the product is removed from the mold and the tray and product are removed together without any interference from the split ring.
  • the use of a split ring rather than a full ring has the advantage of not requiring that the product and ring to be removed at the same time.
  • Pushing the bottles or product into the mold and removing the bottles and removing the tray and bottles from the mold can be performed by grippers 1 1 mounted on a gantry that transfers the bottles from an infeed conveyor 17 to the mold 6.
  • the grippers push the product into the mold.and release the product. Afterward the gripper moves back to the in feed conveyor so the process can be repeated.
  • a second set of grippers 20 holds the bottles and pulls the bottles with the tray out of the mold and transfers the tray and bottles to an exit conveyor 18.
  • a preferred embodiment is to use a rotating platform 12 having four hot plates 13 14 15 16 and one to four transfer plates to move film to a hot plate.
  • the rotating platform speeds up the amount of trays and bottles that can be processed.
  • Figure 4 shows the indentations 22 caused by pushing the product or article into the mold.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Blow-Moulding Or Thermoforming Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
  • Moulds For Moulding Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
  • Stackable Containers (AREA)

Abstract

The objective of this invention is to eliminate the stacking of the trays into nests and removing the trays from the nest. Another objective is to eliminate the need for an increase size of the indentations and achieve a more snug fit. These objectives are accomplished by forming the tray insitu with the articles. This insures a snug fit and at the same time allows the articles to be removed from the tray as a unit.

Description

THERMOFROM A TRAY INSITU WITH AN ARTICLE
Field of Invention
This invention relates to placing articles on a tray prior to film wrapping the articles. After the articles are film wrapped the film is heat shrunk.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Plastic thermoform trays are used to ship an article or a collection of articles such as bottles , vials and cartons. The tray usually holds 6 to 12 articles. In the prior art the trays are thermo formed in a conventional manner and stacked. After stacking the stacks go into a denester. The trays are removed from the denester one by one and filled with an article or articles. The filling is done by hand or by a robotic machine.
When the trays are stacked they are nested. To facilitate nesting and filling the tray with articles, the indentations in the tray are thermoformed to a size slightly larger than the articles to be used. This larger size provides easy removal of a tray from the nest. Also a chanfer is used to facilitate the loading of the articles into slightly larger size openings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of this invention is to eliminate the stacking of the trays into nests and removing the trays from the nest. Another objective is to eliminate the need for an increase size of the indentations and achieve a more snug fit. These objectives are accomplished by forming the tray insitu with the articles. This insures a snug fit and at the same time allows the articles to be removed from the tray. The term article, product bottle are used interchangeably. Figure 1 shows transferring a sheet of film to a hot plate and than to a mold with indentations where bottles push the sheet into the indentations of the mold.
Figure 2 shows transferring the sheet to revolving heating means and then to a mold
Figure 3 shows forming the lip of the tray using spilt rings.
Figure 4 shows a tray with indentations caused by pushing the sheet into the bottom of the mold
Detailed Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 shows a roll of film 1 and a knife 2 cutting a sheet from the roll. After the film is cut a transfer plate 3 removes the cut sheet 4 and transfers the cut sheet to a hot plate. The transfer plate 3 can have holes drilled in the transfer plate 3. These holes allow a vacuum to be created that holds the cut sheet 4 to the transfer plate. After the hot plate heats the cut sheet 4 to a temperature needed to thermoform the sheet, the transfer plate moves the cut sheet 4 to a mold or die 6. Air can be blown in the holes that provided the vacuum to place the cut sheet on the mold. A frame can be used around the transfer plate to move down to create a ridge 8 around the plastic sheet resulting in a more rigid tray. An alternative to a frame, small punches 9 can be pivoted on hinges to form the ridge 8. The tray is formed when articles 10 such as bottles are pushed down on top of the plastic sheet forcing the plastic sheet conform to the indentations 7 that are in the bottom of the mold. These indentations usually have the same shape as the bottom of the articles. After the articles are pushed into the mold they are pulled up and the tray stays with the product forming a unit. Air 19 can be blown from the bottom of the mold to assist the removal of the tray with the bottles from the mold.
Figures 2-3 show a preferred embodiment for forming the ridge around the plate. The sheet 4 is placed on the mold 6 and sits on top of the mold 6. The sheet is slightly larger than mold causing the sheet to extend beyond the perimeter of the mold. The split ring 20 is mounted on hinges, having an inside dimensions a few tenths of a mm larger than the size of the mold to allow the split ring to be pushed down around the mold and in the process the film will be stretched against the outside of the mold creating a lip. While the split ring secures the film on the mold the product can be pushed down in the mold. When the split rings open the product is removed from the mold and the tray and product are removed together without any interference from the split ring. The use of a split ring rather than a full ring has the advantage of not requiring that the product and ring to be removed at the same time.
Pushing the bottles or product into the mold and removing the bottles and removing the tray and bottles from the mold can be performed by grippers 1 1 mounted on a gantry that transfers the bottles from an infeed conveyor 17 to the mold 6. The grippers push the product into the mold.and release the product. Afterward the gripper moves back to the in feed conveyor so the process can be repeated. A second set of grippers 20 holds the bottles and pulls the bottles with the tray out of the mold and transfers the tray and bottles to an exit conveyor 18.
A preferred embodiment is to use a rotating platform 12 having four hot plates 13 14 15 16 and one to four transfer plates to move film to a hot plate. The rotating platform speeds up the amount of trays and bottles that can be processed.
Figure 4 shows the indentations 22 caused by pushing the product or article into the mold.

Claims

Claim 1 An apparatus for thermoforming a tray in a mold having indentations at the bottom of the mold wherein at least one article pushes a heated sheet into the indentations to thermoform the tray comprising; means for providing a sheet means for heating the sheet to a temperature conducive to thermoforming means for positioning the heated sheet on a mold having at least one predetermined indentation to accommodate the shape of at least one article means for pushing at least one article into the mold so that the sheet is pressed into the indentation thereby thermoformed the sheet into the shape of the indentation and the bottom of the article, means for removing the tray and article as a unit from the mold.
Claim 2 An apparatus according to claim 1 including a transfer plate for moving the sheet to a hot plate.
Claim 3. An apparatus according to claim 2 including means for moving the transfer plate to the mold.
Claim 4 An apparatus according to claim 2 including means for applying a vacuum through holes in the transfer plate to hold the sheet to the transfer plate.
Claim 5 An apparatus according to claim 2 including means for providing rigidity to the tray by forming a ridge around the tray.
Claim 6. An apparatus according to claim 3 including means for pushing at least one article into the mold to press the sheet into the indentation in the mold.
Claim 7 An apparatus according to claim 4 including means for blowing air through holes in the heat transfer plate to push the sheet into the mold.
Claim 8 An apparatus according to claim 1 including means for blowing air into the mold to assist the removal of the tray from the mold.
Claim 9. An apparatus according to claim 6 including means for removing at the article and the tray as a unit from the mold.
Claim 10. A process for thermoforming a tray in a mold wherein at least one article pushes a heated sheet into the indentations at the bottom of the mold to form the tray comprising; providing a sheet heating the sheet to a temperature conducive to thermoforming positioning the heated sheet on a mold having at least one predetermined indentation at the bottom of the mold to accommodate the shape of at least one article pushing at least one article into the mold so that the sheet is pressed into the indentation thereby thermoforming the sheet into the shape of the indentation , and removing the tray and article as a unit from the mold.
Claim 1 1. A process according to claim 10 including moving the sheet to hot plate with a transfer plate.
Claim 12. A process according to claim 1 1 including moving the sheet from the hot plate to the mold.
Claim 13. A process according to claim 12 including means for applying a vacuum through holes in the transfer plate to hold the sheet to the transfer plate.
Claim 14. A process according to claim 10 including forming a ridge around the tray to provide rigidity to the tray.
Claim 15. A process according to claim 10 including pushing at least one article into the mold to press the sheet into the indentation within the mold.
Claim 16. A process according to claim 1 1 including blowing air through holes in the heat transfer plate to the place the sheet on the mold.
Claim 17 A process according to claim 15 including blowing air into the mold to assist the removal of the tray from the mold.
Claim 18. A process according to claim 17 including removing at least one article and the tray as a unit from the mold.
Claim 19. A product produced by the process of claim 10
Claim 20. An article comprising; a tray having an indentation an article having the bottom of the article pressed into the indentation of the tray so that the tray and article can be moved as a unit.
PCT/US2009/006169 2008-11-24 2009-11-18 Thermoform a tray insitu with an article Ceased WO2010059203A2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US12/292,671 2008-11-24
US12/292,671 US20100126901A1 (en) 2008-11-24 2008-11-24 Thermofrom a tray insitu with an article

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2010059203A2 true WO2010059203A2 (en) 2010-05-27
WO2010059203A3 WO2010059203A3 (en) 2010-08-19

Family

ID=42195240

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2009/006169 Ceased WO2010059203A2 (en) 2008-11-24 2009-11-18 Thermoform a tray insitu with an article

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (1) US20100126901A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2010059203A2 (en)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITUA20163157A1 (en) * 2016-05-04 2017-11-04 Mondini S R L Equipment for thermoforming plastic containers
ITUA20163156A1 (en) * 2016-05-04 2017-11-04 Mondini S R L Equipment for thermoforming plastic containers
ITUA20163159A1 (en) 2016-05-04 2017-11-04 Mondini S R L EQUIPMENT FOR THE THERMOFORMING OF PLASTIC CONTAINERS
USD892632S1 (en) 2018-02-16 2020-08-11 Altria Client Services Llc Package with tray

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4690666A (en) * 1986-09-05 1987-09-01 Peerless Machine & Tool Corporation Tray-forming apparatus
JPH0698679B2 (en) * 1987-03-26 1994-12-07 積水化成品工業株式会社 Molding method of container
JPH02270530A (en) * 1989-04-13 1990-11-05 Mitsubishi Yuka Badische Co Ltd Manufacture of packaging tray
CA2101300C (en) * 1992-08-04 1998-07-28 Emery I. Valyi Process and apparatus for forming a color coated article
IT1289111B1 (en) * 1996-05-28 1998-09-25 Isap Omv Group Spa EQUIPMENT FOR COLLECTING AND PROCESSING THERMOFORMED OBJECTS FROM A THERMOFORMING MACHINE
US6648624B1 (en) * 2000-11-30 2003-11-18 Brown Machine, Llc. Thermoforming machine tooling assembly with plug assist tooling
WO2007127618A2 (en) * 2006-04-24 2007-11-08 Wallace Millard F Paint tray and method of manufacture

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2010059203A3 (en) 2010-08-19
US20100126901A1 (en) 2010-05-27

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