Skin packaging
AssigneeBemis Company, Inc.
InventorJames P. Paulos
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Skin packaging material comprising a film of thermoplastic material having a reinforcement consisting of strands (in the form of netting, or all extending in one direction parallel to one another) adapted on exposure for an appropriate time interval to a source of heat to have both the film and strands heat up to a forming temperature for being skin packaged around an article on a substrate, with the strands less extensible than the film on equal heating of the film and strands, and the skin packaging of articles utilizing said material in such manner that the strands flare out from the article at the base of the article to provide a broader base of support for the article and to prevent undue thinning of the film.
Claims10
The method of skin packaging an article comprising placing the article on a substrate which is adapted to have air drawn therethrough, the article being placed on a face of the substrate which is adapted for heat-sealing thereto of a wrapper of thermoplastic material, heating a wrapper for skin-packaging the article on the substrate, said wrapper comprising a film of thermoplastic material adapted on exposure for an appropriate time interval to a source of heat to heat up to a forming temperature at which it is softened and inelastically extensible for being skin-packaged around an article on a substrate, and a reinforcement for the film comprising strands also of a thermoplastic material adapted on exposure together with the film to the source of heat for said time interval to heat up to a forming temperature at which the strands are softened and inelastically extensible for being skin-packaged together with the film around the article, the strands being so related to the film, as determined by their composition, thickness and color, that when heated simultaneously with the film for the said time interval they become extensible but less extensible than the film, the wrapper, comprising the film and strands, being heated by exposure to a source of heat for said time interval concurrently to heat both the film and the strands up to forming temperature but with the strands less extensible than the film, draping the heated wrapper over the article on the substrate, and drawing a vacuum through the substrate to draw the wrapper, comprising the film and strands, around the article and into contact with said face of the substrate and to effect heat sealing of the film to said face of the substrate, strands overlying the article resisting being drawn toward the base of the article and portions of these strands solidifying into members flaring outwardly and downwardly from points on the article between the base and the top of the article to points on the substrate spaced outwardly from the base of the article.
A package comprising a substrate of a material adapted to have air drawn therethrough and adapted for thermal bonding to one face thereof of thermoplastic material, an article on said face of the substrate, and a wrapper overlying the article and bonded to said face of the substrate, said wrapper comprising a film of thermoplastic material and a reinforcement for the film, said reinforcement comprising a plurality of strands of thermoplastic material, said strands being so related to the film, as determined by their composition, thickness and color, that when heated simultaneously with the film they become extensible along with the film but less extensible than the film, said film and said reinforcement being drawn over the article and providing a reinforced skin at least substantially covering the article and holding it on the substrate, strands overlying the article having, by reason of their lower extensibility than the film on being heated simultaneously with the film, portions flaring outwardly and downwardly from points on the article between the base and the top of the article to points on the substrate spaced outwardly from the base of the article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.