EP0368714A1 - Article-grouping process and group of articles thus arranged - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for grouping articles on a support. It is characterised in that the adhesive is chosen from those which are substantially pasty which, on the one hand, although superficially dry, possess contact adhesive properties and, on the other hand, after exposure to atmospheric air, remain pasty, particularly under normal conditions of atmospheric pressure, temperature and hygrometry. Application to packaging material. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a method of grouping articles on a support.

The invention also relates to the means for implementing this method as well as to the batches of articles grouped according to this method.

The invention relates more particularly but not exclusively to the grouping of boxes or pots in batches which can be handled by a person.

The invention specifically concerns the grouping of articles intended to be placed on support plans for the exhibition for sale or storage.

If only to facilitate their transport, it is classic to bring together items by enclosing them in an overpack and, for example, in a rigid packaging such as a box, or in a plastic sleeve that it is shrunk hot or cold.

In addition to the high cost of these boxes or the difficulties encountered in subsequently eliminating plastic waste, the disadvantage of these overpacks is that, when the articles are intended to be sold individually and must therefore be shelved so to be able to be seized individually, they must first be removed from their overwrap, which constitutes an appreciable loss of time for the seller.

Another disadvantage of these overpacks is that after their removal, the articles are unstable and therefore difficult to label.

In order to remedy this, it is known to group several articles in batches by gluing a fraction of the lateral face of the articles against a face of the same support such as a tray, for example made of cardboard.

For this purpose (US-A-3.300.041, FR-A-2.094.255 and 2.142.286) it is just before the grouping that, on at least one of the faces opposite one of the 'article and the other of the support, hot or cold glue is deposited and the contact between the articles is firmly maintained for the time necessary to reach the setting of the glue.

The disadvantage of this grouping process is the need to deposit the glue just when grouping the articles and then keep the articles and the support firmly applied to each other for a long time.

It is therefore impossible to prepare the supports at a gluing station remote from the regrouping station and it is therefore necessary to use a special machine which, despite its high cost, is of low throughput.

For fixing very light products, such as two sheets of paper from a pouch such as the pouch and its flap, it is known (GB-2,161,786) to use adhesives contained in microcapsules which, under low pressure, release the said adhesive which also after drying fixes the opposite faces.

However, this adhesive and this method are not suitable for heavier items, such as cans of food or drink and jars of mustard or condiments.

In addition, the adhesive cannot be reused.

One of the results which the invention aims to obtain is a packaging method which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a method of grouping articles, in particular characterized in that the adhesive is chosen from those which are substantially pasty which, on the one hand, although superficially dry, has adhesive properties by contact and, on the other hand, after exposure to the open air, remains pasty in particular under the conditions of atmospheric pressure of temperature and normal hygrometry.

The invention also relates to the means for implementing this method of grouping articles as well as the batches of articles thus obtained.

• - figure 1 : en vue de dessus, un plateau de regroupement selon l'invention partiellement équipé d'articles,
• - figure 2 : une coupe selon II-II de la figure 1,
• - figure 3 : à grande échelle, un détail de la figure 2,
• - figure 4 : une forme préférée de réalisation de l'invention.

It will be clearly understood with the aid of the description below given by way of nonlimiting example with regard to the attached drawing which schematically represents:

• - Figure 1: in top view, a grouping tray according to the invention partially equipped with articles,
• FIG. 2: a section along II-II of FIG. 1,
• - Figure 3: on a large scale, a detail of Figure 2,
• - Figure 4: a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, we see articles 1 which have at least one face 2 which, when taken in isolation, allows their stable support on a substantially flat support 3 such as an element of a shelf 4.

The articles are for example grouped so as to constitute a batch 5 which can be handled in a given configuration without risk of dissociation.

For example, to constitute the batch, the articles are grouped in a certain number of juxtaposed rows.

To this end, the articles 1 of the lot 5 in question are held together by a common plate 6, called a grouping plate, which is of rigidity at least sufficient not to bend under the weight of the articles.

In known manner, the grouping plate 6 has:
- On the one hand, at least one surface 8 known as receiving articles, the extent of which is at least sufficient to offer all the articles arranged in the configuration of the batch, a support location 7 by their stable support face above and
- on the other hand, at least one means 9, such as a surface opposite the receiving surface and allowing the support of the tray on a support 3, in order to maintain the receiving surface 8 of the articles in a plane substantially parallel to the says support 3.

To associate the batch of articles with the grouping plate 6 prior to the positioning of the articles 1 on said grouping plate of the aforementioned type, at least locally and on at least one of the faces 2, 8 are deposited in screws opposite the article and the grouping plate, at the presumed location 7 of each article in the batch, an adhesive 10 and the articles are placed in abutment by their face 2 provided for this purpose on the grouping plate.

Adhesive 10 has:
- at the surface, sufficient adhesion power, in line with its face 11 connecting to the surface 8 for receiving the grouping plate and its face 12 connecting the articles to the bearing surface 2 of an article , maintain but also,
internally and in particular in the thickness 13 of each deposit, sufficient cohesion for said maintenance,
the adhesion power on at least one of the opposite faces and / or the cohesion power being however sufficient without being excessive to allow its rupture under a predetermined load.

According to the invention, the adhesive is chosen from those which are substantially pasty which, on the one hand, although superficially dry, has adhesive properties on contact and, on the other hand, after exposure to the open air, remains pasty in particular under normal atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions.

With this adhesive, for fixing the articles, each of them is placed on a chosen location 7 and the articles are left to rest on the adhesive for a certain time, so that, by their weight alone, contact is maintained until at membership.

In a preferred mode, rather than on the article, the application of the adhesive 10 takes place on the grouping plate.

An adhesive is chosen of which, after the abovementioned rest time, the cohesion power and the adhesion power are such that, to induce the detachment of the articles, it is necessary to apply to each article an action whose intensity is greater than that generated at the level of said adhesive by the mass of each item during the simple reversal of the batch carried by the grouping plate.

This feature makes it possible to obviate the dissociation of the batch during its reversal without obviously hampering the possibility for an operator to pick up an article from said batch.

This adhesive is applied in points, lines or areas at least at each location 7 which, on the receiving surface 8 of the grouping plate 6, must be occupied by one of the articles of the batch to be formed.

Apart from the said locations 7 which must be occupied by these articles, a set of stops 14 is created on the regrouping plate which, during the stacking of the regrouping plates devoid of articles, prevent any contact between the adhesive disposed at each receiving surface 8, on the one hand, and the means 9 for supporting the superposed grouping plate, on the other hand.

Advantageously, the stops 14 are for example constituted by the opposite faces of a flange which rises at the periphery of each of the grouping plates with a flare which, by wedge effect, prohibits their total nesting because this contact was sufficient beyond some time to secure their membership.

Therefore, it is possible to prepare grouping trays by applying the adhesive 10 and then stacking them until use, that is to say until placing the articles.

The means for implementing the above-mentioned method mainly comprise, in a known manner:
- at least one grouping plate 6 having:
. on the one hand, a surface 8 known as receiving articles, the extent of which is at least sufficient to provide a support location 7 for all the articles in the configuration of the batch and,
. on the other hand, a means 9, such as a bearing surface of the grouping plate on a support 3, in order to maintain the receiving surface 8 of the articles in a plane substantially parallel to said support 4.

The grouping plate has a rigidity at least sufficient not to bend under the weight of the articles.

It has at least locally deposits of adhesive 10 having:
a surface 11 for bonding by adhesion to the surface 8 for receiving the grouping plate 6,
a surface 12 for bonding by adhesion to the bearing surface 2 of an article, and
- In its mass 13, a cohesive power allowing its rupture only under a predetermined load.

This adhesive is characterized in that it is substantially pasty and in that, on the one hand, although it is superficially dry, it has adhesive properties on contact and, on the other hand, after exposure to air , it remains pasty, in particular under normal atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity conditions.

The means for implementing the invention also include grouping plates which, apart from the locations 7 of the articles on the grouping plate, have a set of stops 14 which, during the stacking of trays devoid of articles hamper any contact between the adhesive deposited at each receiving surface 8, on the one hand, and the means 9 for supporting the superposed grouping tray, on the other hand.

Advantageously, an adhesive is chosen such that its adhesion power on the facing surfaces ensures that the rupture occurs between the bearing surface 2 of each article and the said material so that the articles can be removed without wearing adhesive residue and
In an alternative embodiment, the adhesive is chosen such that the rupture takes place between the receiving surface 8 of the grouping plate and the said material so that the plates can be recycled.

For example, as shown, the adhesive 10 is deposited on the receiving surface of the grouping plates in the form of possibly rectilinear and substantially parallel lines of spacing E and of width L predetermined according to the desired adhesion effect. with the items in the batch.

More particularly but not limited to, the regrouping tray 6 consists of a cardboard tray provided with a peripheral border giving the whole the shape of a trunk of pyramid trunk whose edges hinder the total nesting of said trays during of their overlap.

Advantageously, the material constituting the adhesive is an adhesive of the so-called "HOTMELT" type.

Claims (6)

1. Method for grouping into batches (5), on a grouping plate (6), articles (1) having a bearing face (2) on a substantially flat receiving surface (8), which batches have in particular a given configuration, that is to say that each item is there at a given location (7), the grouping plate (6) comprising:
- on the one hand, at least the said so-called reception area (8) of the articles (1) and the extent of which is at least sufficient to provide a support location (7) for all the articles in the batch configuration and this by their bearing face (2),
- on the other hand, at least one bearing means (9), such as a bearing surface, on a support (3), in order to maintain the receiving surface (8) of the articles in a plane substantially parallel to the said support (3),
by which process:
- there is provided a grouping plate of rigidity at least sufficient not to bend under the weight of the articles and,
- Before placing the articles (1) on each grouping plate (6) of the aforementioned type, at least locally, they are deposited on the receiving surface (8) and on the grouping plate (3), at the '' presumed location (7) of each item in the lot, an adhesive (10) which presents:
. at the surface, sufficient adhesion power, in line with its face (11) connecting to the surface (8) for receiving the grouping plate and its face (12) connecting the articles to the bearing surface (2) of an article, ensuring maintenance but also,
. internally and in particular in the thickness (13) of each deposit, sufficient cohesion for said maintenance,
finally, the articles are placed in abutment by their face (2) provided for this purpose on the grouping plate,
this process being CHARACTERIZED in that one chooses the adhesive from those substantially pasty which, on the one hand, although superficially dry, has adhesive properties by contact and, on the other hand, after exposure to the open air, remains pasty in particular under the conditions of atmospheric pressure of temperature and normal hygrometry. 2. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that, for fixing the articles, each of them is placed on a chosen location (7) and the articles are left to rest on the adhesive for a certain time, so that, by their only weight, contact is maintained until adhesion. 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that apart from said locations (7) which must be occupied by these articles, is created on the grouping plate a set of stops (14) which, during the stacking of grouping trays devoid of articles, hamper any contact between the adhesive disposed at each receiving surface (8), on the one hand, and the means (9) for supporting the superposed grouping plate, on the other hand. 4. Means for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 comprising:
- a grouping plate (6) having a rigidity at least sufficient not to bend under the weight of the articles (1) and comprising itself:
. on the one hand, a surface (8) called for receiving articles, the extent of which is at least sufficient to provide a support location (7) for all the articles in the configuration of the batch and,
. on the other hand, a means (9), such as a bearing surface of the grouping plate on a support (3), in order to maintain the receiving surface (8) of the articles in a plane substantially parallel to said support ( 4),
- adhesive deposits (10) having:
. a surface (11) for bonding to the surface (8) for receiving the grouping plate (6),
. a surface (12) for bonding to the bearing surface (2) of an article, and
. in its mass (13), a cohesive power allowing its rupture only under a predetermined load,
these means being characterized in that the adhesive is substantially pasty and in that, on the one hand, although it is superficially dry, it has adhesive properties on contact and, on the other hand, after exposure to the air, it remains pasty, in particular under normal atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity conditions. 5. Means according to claim 4 characterized in that they comprise grouping plates which, apart from the locations (7) of the articles on the grouping plate, have a set of stops (14) which, during stacking trays devoid of articles hamper any contact between the adhesive deposited at each receiving surface (8), on the one hand, and the means (9) for supporting the superposed grouping tray, on the other hand. 6. Means according to claim 4 characterized in that the material constituting the adhesive is an adhesive of the type called "HOTMELT".

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