Abstract
Described is an assembly (1) comprising a wall element (2), defining a circumferential bonding strip (3) running over the wall element, and a flexible flat film connected to the bonding strip with a continuous circumferential bonding (4), which wall element and film define two opposite walls (2a, 5a) of a chamber (5), characterized in that the wall element further comprises a base plane B defined by the wall element, at least two corner elements (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) positioned on a distance to one another, which extend substantially perpendicular with a height H (Ha, Hb, Hc, Hd) in the same direction from the base plane of the wall element, each corner element defining an angle A (Aa, Ab, Ac, Ad) of the chamber with an angle line which is substantially perpendicular to the base plane, strip sections (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d), each connecting two corner elements that define adjacent corners of the chamber to one another, the distance between the strip sections and the base plane being less than H, wherein the continuous circumferential bonding strip runs over the strip sections and over the corner elements and at least in the area of the corner elements at a distance from the base surface corresponding to height H (Ha, Hb, Hc, Hd), and wherein the outer contour of the film is shaped in such a way that the outer contour of the film corresponds to that of the circumferential bonding strip. A method for the production of such an assembly is also described.
Claims
1. Assembly comprising: a. a wall element, defining a circumferential bonding strip miming over the wall element, and b. a flexible flat film connected to the bonding strip with a continuous circumferential bonding, which wall element and film define two opposite walls of a chamber, characterized in that the wall element further comprises: a base plane B defined by the wall element, at least two corner elements positioned on a distance to one another, which extend substantially perpendicular with a height H in the same direction from the base plane of the wall element, each corner element defining an angle A of the chamber with an angle line which is substantially perpendicular to the base plane, strip sections, each connecting two corner elements that define adjacent corners of the chamber to one another, the distance between the strip sections and the base plane being less than H, wherein the continuous circumferential bonding strip runs over the strip sections and over the corner elements and at least in the area of the corner elements at a distance from the base surface corresponding to height H, and wherein the outer contour of the film is shaped in such a way that the outer contour of the film corresponds to that of the circumferential bonding strip.
2. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein the film is sealed to the wall element over the entire circumferential bonding strip.
3. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein a corner element has a truncated shape, the truncated surface of the angular element defining a side of the angular element opposite the base plane which truncated surface extends preferably essentially parallel to the base plane, over which the bonding strip runs.
4. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein the strip sections each extend substantially parallel to the base plane.
5. Assembly according to claim 4, wherein a corner element has at least three interconnected sidewalls, whereby the bonding strip runs over two of these sidewalls, said sidewalls being connected to one another by a third sidewall.
6. Assembly according to claim 5, wherein the side walls over which the bonding strip runs describe an angle F of more than 90° with the adjacent strip sections of the wall element.
7. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the strip sections extend over the base surface of the wall element.
8. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein the wall element comprises four corner elements where the angle A of each wall element is a right angle.
9. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein the film, at the location of bonding with an angle element, is shaped in such a way that the sides of the film describe the angle A of the corresponding angle element, and wherein the film, at the point of intersection of said two sides, is truncated in such a way that angle A is described by at least two distant angles α1 and α2.
10. Assembly according to claim 8, wherein the film is a rectangular film wherein the four corners A are each formed by two essentially equal angles α1 and α2.
11. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein the film is attached to the bonding strip free of stretching and/or buckling.
12. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein the film is made of a thermoplastic material.
13. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein the wall element is made of thermoplastic material.
14. Assembly according to claim 12, wherein the thickness of the thermoplastic material is 250-400 μm, preferably 300-350 μm.
15. Assembly according to claim 12, wherein the film is bonded to the wall element by fusion welding.
16. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein the wall element is designed as a bottom element of a receptacle 8 with one or more side walls extending essentially perpendicular to the bottom element in a direction facing away from the chamber to form a space.
17. Assembly according to claim 16, wherein the bottom element is provided as a separating element between the chamber and the space, which separating element comprises at least an outlet arranged to drain fluid from the space into the chamber, wherein the assembly is provided with a resistive element extending into the room which surrounds the outlet in such a manner that the resistive element prevents transport of liquid from the chamber into the space.
18. Method of production of an assembly according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: a. placing the film on the wall element on the side of the bonding strip thereof, whereby the film is brought in contact with the wall element at least locally, b. bonding of the film to the wall element at the location of contact in step a, and c. bonding of the film to the wall element over its entire bonding strip.
19. Method according to claim 18, wherein the wall element comprises one or more connecting elements extending within the chamber perpendicularly from the base surface of the wall element to a distance substantially corresponding to the distance by which one or more corner elements extend from the base surface of the wall element, and wherein in step a. the film is brought into contact with said one or more connecting elements and wherein in step b. the film is bonded to the one or more connecting elements.
20. Device for the manufacture of an assembly according to claim 1, comprising: a. a support member designed to support the wall element on the side facing away from the corner elements; and b. a pushing member arranged to bring the film into at least local contact with the wall element, the pushing member being movable towards the support member or vice versa, both the support member and the pushing member follow the contours of the wall element at least locally, which contours extend in three dimensions.
21. Device according to claim 20, wherein the pushing member is heatable at one or more locations, such that the one or more heatable locations of the pushing member corresponds to the location on the wall element where the film is joined to the wall element.
22. Device according to claim 20, whereby the pressure element follows the contours of the bonding strip.
23. Device according to claim 20, wherein the support element follows the contours of the wall element.
Description
[0035] The assembly according to the invention is further explained in the accompanying drawings.
[0036] FIG. 1A shows a schematic view of a wall element that is part of a container for fresh produce. FIG. 1B shows the same wall element with the bonding strip indicated. FIG. 1C shows a film, FIG. 1D the wall element of FIG. 1A above which the film of FIG. 1C is positioned, FIG. 1E shows the film of FIG. 1C in the shape it gets after bonding with the wall element of FIG. 1A and FIG. 1F shows the wall element of FIG. 1A to which the film of FIG. 1C is bonded. FIG. 1G shows a cross section of FIG. 1F through the plane XY.
[0037] FIGS. 2-5 show additional embodiments of the assembly of the invention in which the configuration of the spacer elements each differ from that of the embodiment according to FIG. 1. Top views of the respective embodiments are shown in FIGS. 2A-5A, the respective shapes of the corresponding films in FIGS. 2B-5B, a view at the location of the respective corner element in FIGS. 2C-5C and a full perspective view in FIGS. 2D-5D.
[0038] FIGS. 6 and 7 show two embodiments of the invention wherein two chambers are formed. FIGS. 6A-7A show a top view of the wall element, FIGS. 6B-7B of the corresponding film, FIGS. 6C-7C of the assembly in which the film of FIGS. 6B,7B is attached to the wall element of FIGS. 6A, 7A respectively. FIGS. 6D,7D are a side view of the wall element of FIGS. 6A, 7A and FIGS. 6E, 7E of the assembly of FIGS. 6C, 7C. FIGS. 6F-6H show an alternative embodiment with two chambers in, respectively, a side view of the bottom, a side view of the inside, a front view of the inside and a side view of the long side of an assembly according to the invention, using for the same elements the same reference numerals as for FIGS. 6A-E.
[0039] FIG. 8 shows a support element and a pressure element for manufacturing the assembly. In FIG. 8A a wall element according to FIG. 1A is located between the support element and the pressure element, in FIG. 8B also a film according to FIG. 1C and in FIG. 8C a finished assembly according to FIG. 1.
[0040] FIG. 1A shows a wall element 2 which, in the case shown, is part of a receptacle 8 with four side walls 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d of which, in the perspective shown, side walls 8a and 8b are visible. Such a receptacle is suitable for packaging, for example, meat and has dimensions of 18 cm×14 cm×5 cm. However, size and shape can be varied. In the case shown, said side walls include at their free end a circumferential flange 10. The wall element 2 comprises four spaced out corner elements 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, each of which extends perpendicularly in the same direction from the base plane B of the wall element. This plane is shown in FIG. 2. The corner elements 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d each define a right angle of the chamber to be formed, which chamber is indicated in FIG. 3 by the reference number 5. Each corner element 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d is connected via strip sections 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d to two corner elements which define the adjacent corners. Thus, corner element 6b is connected to corner element 6a via strip section 7a and to corner element 7d via strip section 7d. In the case shown, the strip sections coincide with base plane B. The distance between the strips and the base plane is therefore 0. The corner elements are derived from a truncated pyramid with a truncated surface 6b5, 6c5 which is essentially parallel to base plane B. One half of the truncated pyramid, defined by the vertical diagonal plane that runs through two vertices of the pyramid, is missing and is replaced by a straight wall 6c4 that coincides with the diagonal plane. Similarly, the angle opposite the said diagonal plane is truncated, forming an inclined corner plane 6b3. Thus corner element 6b has two side walls 6b1 and 6b2.
[0041] Wall element 2 has four spacers 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d that extend mainly as far from the base plane B as the corner elements 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d. These spacers 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d serve as spacers for the film to be placed and to fix the film during the production process.
[0042] FIG. 1B shows wall element 2 of FIG. 2 in which bonding strip 3 of the wall element is shown as a solid circumferential band. The bonding strip runs over the strip sections 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d and over the truncated sides 6a5, 6b5, 6c5, 6d5 of the corner elements 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, as well as over two side walls 6b1, 6b2 of each corner element. The bonding strip has a width of, for example, 4-5 mm, particularly when the receptacle has the dimensions shown in FIG. 1A. Sidewalls 6b1 and 6b2 are connected to each other through sidewall 6b4. This sidewall is not visible for perspective reasons but corresponds to sidewall 6c4 of corner element 6c. The wall element is implemented in the case shown as a partition element between the chamber, shown in FIG. 1G, and space 9 defined by side walls 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d. This space can serve to accommodate, for example, fresh products which may release moisture during storage, such as fresh fruit or meat. The space may then be closed, for example, with a plastic film by attaching the film to the circumferential flange 10. The liquid lost from the fresh products can then escape from the space towards the room via drainage openings arranged around a central spacer 12e in the wall element 10. The wall element runs from its perimeter towards the centre at spacer 12e at an angle to the base plane B towards the chamber 5, so that liquid can flow from the space into the chamber, but not back. As a result of this configuration, the wall element provides a resistive element 11 that prevents backflow of the liquid from the chamber 5 towards the space 9. A resistance element may also be implemented, for example, as an upstanding edge of the openings 10, which upstanding edge extends from the opening towards the chamber 5. Alternative embodiments of resistance elements are described in EP3114045. The wall element includes elongated recesses 13 which ensure that any liquid dispensed in the chamber 9 flows in an accelerated and controlled manner towards the openings 10 surrounding spacer 12e.
[0043] FIG. 1C shows a flat film 4, the outer contour of which corresponds to that of the bonding strip 3 of FIG. 1B.
[0044] FIG. 1D shows the flat film 4 of FIG. 1C positioned above the wall element 2 of FIG. 1A.
[0045] FIG. 1E shows the film 4 of FIG. 1C in the form it takes after bonding to the bonding strip 3. The film follows the contours of the bonding strip.
[0046] FIG. 1F shows the wall element and film of FIGS. 1A-E, where a flat film 4 is connected to the wall element 2 via the bonding strip 3 to form chamber 5. The base plane is represented by B. The angles A (Aa, Ab, Ac, Ad) defined by the corner elements are equal and straight in the case shown. It is also possible to envisage, for example, a triangular or pentagonal chamber where the corner elements describe an angle A of 120° or 72° respectively. Other shapes are also possible, such as an L shape.
[0047] FIG. 1G shows a cross-section of the assembly 1 shown in FIG. 1F through plane X. The same reference figures as in FIGS. 1A-F are used for the same cases. Corner elements 6a and 6b extend in the same direction perpendicular to the base plane B with a height of Ha and Hb respectively, which is the same in the case shown. Film 4 forms wall 5a of chamber 5 and is connected to wall element 2 at the location of the truncated sides of corner elements 6a5 and 6d5, and at side walls 6a2 and 6d1 of corner elements 6a and 6d respectively. The film is bent outward at the base of the corner elements, i.e. at the level of plane B, and connected to strip sections 7a and 7c that extend into the base plane B between corner elements 6a and 6b, and 6c and 6d, respectively. Wall element 2 forms room wall 2a that extends essentially parallel to the room wall 5a formed by film 4. The side walls 6a2, 6d1 of the corner elements 6a, 6d describe an angle F of approximately 120° with the adjacent strip sections 7a and 7c.
[0048] FIGS. 2A-D show the assembly of FIGS. 1-3 schematically. It is clear that the film is connected to the wall element without stretching or buckling. In FIG. 2C the shaded area shows the edge of the film 4 attached to the bonding strip 3.
[0049] FIGS. 3A-D show an assembly as of FIG. 1, where the corner elements 36A-D are spherical and thus have only one wall. The angles A of the chamber are 90°. The applied film is shown in FIG. 3B, whereby the angles A are truncated at the intersection of two opposing sides in such a way that angle A is described by two distant angles α1 and α2, which are both equal and 135° in the case shown. FIG. 3C shows that, with this configuration, the film can be connected to the wall element without stretching or buckling. In this case, the strip sections also coincide with the base plane B. It is also possible that the spherical shape is truncated within the chamber, so that the chamber is bounded at the corner element by a wall extending mainly at right angles from the base plane B to the top of the corner element. Thus, the spherical shape does not extend into the chamber and, in that case, has two walls, the convex wall outside the chamber and the straight wall delimiting the chamber.
[0050] FIGS. 4A-D show an assembly in which corner elements are L-shaped with a quarter-round outer edge. The legs of the corner elements may extend for a relatively short distance parallel to the base plane as shown by dotted lines b1 and b2 for corner element 46B. It is also possible for the legs of an corner element to extend halfway to an adjacent corner element, so that the legs of the corner elements merge into each other. This is the case for corner elements 46a and 46d in FIG. 4A, where the legs of these corner elements extend halfway to the distance to the next corner element, shown by dotted lines α1, α2 and d1. The legs between corner elements 46a and 46d merge into each other. In such a configuration, the corner elements form a circumferential elevation, over which the bonding strip runs. The strip sections 47B and 47C of bonding strip 47 may coincide with base plane B as shown in FIG. 4C, and are shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C as 47B1 and 47C1, but they may also extend over the legs of the corner elements with a distance from the base plane which is less than the distance by which the corner elements extend from the base plane. Such an bonding strip is shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C as a double dotted line and designated 47b2 and 47c2. When the configuration is chosen in which the bonding strip runs over the quarter round legs of the corner elements, the film has the dimensions defined in FIG. 4b by strip sections 47a2, 47b2, 47c2 and 47d2. Again, the film is connected to the wall element without stretching or buckling.
[0051] FIG. 5 shows an assembly wherein the corner elements are also L-shaped, but wherein the legs are directed away from the chamber. The film has corresponding L-shaped corners so that the edge of the film coincides with the bonding strip which runs over the L-shaped top surface 56c5 of the corner elements. The side walls over which the bonding strip runs describe in this case 90° with the adjoining strip sections which coincide with the base plane. Here, too, the film is connected to the wall element without stretching or buckling.
[0052] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment wherein wall element 62 defines two rooms 651 and 652, each with four corner elements 661a-d and 662a-d respectively. Film 64, shown in the top view of FIG. 6B has in the location of line 1-1 two spaced parallel folds, the distance corresponding to the height of the spacer elements 662a and 662d. As these folds are situated below each other, only the upper fold is visible in FIG. 6B. At the location of line 2-2, there are also two parallel folds at the same distance from each other, corresponding to distance elements 661b and 661c. Due to this configuration, the film forms a separating element 613 which separates the two chambers 651 and 652. Also in this embodiment, the film is connected to the wall element without stretching or buckling.
[0053] Between corner elements 661b, 661c, 662a and 661d there may be a separation element 613 extending from the base with a height equal to or less than that of corner elements 661b, 661c, 662a and 661d. This is shown in FIGS. 6F, G, H and I. This separation member 613 is capable of separating chambers 651 and 652 liquid-tight from each other. However, in the illustrated case, separation member 613 is provided with multiple regularly spaced channels 614 to allow liquid exchange between the chambers. The separation member extends with a lower height in relation to the base plane B than the corner elements which have the same height. However, corner elements 661b, 661c, 662a and 662d may also extend with lower height from the plane B than the corner elements 661a, 661b, 662b and 662c, so that the latter corner elements retain their support function, the height of corner elements 661b, 661c, 662a and 662d preferably being equal to that of the separation member 613. The strip sections connecting two corner elements of two separate chambers, such as between corner elements 661c and 662d and between 661b and 662a, may be located at a distance from or coincide with the base plane (B in FIGS. 1F and 1G).
[0054] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment where a wall element as shown in FIG. 2 contains an additional separating member 713, which extends from base plane B with the same height as corner elements 76a-d. The corner elements are therefore the same height as the wall element. The film 47 extends over the truncated sides of the corner elements 76a5, 76b5, 76c5 and 76d5, as well as over the side 713a of the separating member 713 that is turned away from the wall element. This creates two chambers 751 and 752. The ends of the partition element 713 have an angle of 90° with the base plane B in the case shown, but this angle may advantageously be greater, as explained above for angle F of the side walls of the corner elements. The angle of the end of the base element preferably corresponds to angle F of the corner elements. The separation member may also have liquid passages so that there is an open liquid connection between the chambers.
[0055] FIG. 8A shows the wall element of FIG. 1 as a receptacle, with the corner elements 6a-d and connecting elements 12a-d facing upwards, as well as a support member 81 shown below the holder. This support member 81 has a top side 810 which supports the bottom side of the wall element 2, i.e. the side of the wall element facing away from the corner elements in the area of the bonding strip 3. To this end, top side 810 follows the contour of the bonding strip 3 as shown in FIG. 1B at its lower end.
[0056] Above the wall element, a pushing member 82 is shown with a rounded lower side 820, which lower side 820 follows the contours of the bonding strip 3.
[0057] In FIG. 8B a film 4 is placed above the wall element 2. The outer circumference of the film 4 corresponds to that of the bonding strip 3 as shown in FIG. 1B.
[0058] The film is attached to the wall element by placing the wall element 2 on support member 81, supporting the bonding strip 3 of the wall element 81. Subsequently, the pushing member 82 is held against the wall element so that the film is pushed against the bonding strip at its outer circumference and is connected to it. This can take place by heating the underside 820 of the pushing member 82 so that a heat weld is formed between the wall element and the film, which heat weld can be either sealing or interrupted, as desired. With a sealing heat weld, a closed chamber is formed. Bonding can also be achieved by applying an adhesive to the bonding strip 3 before pressing film 4 against the wall element 2. Openings in the chamber may nevertheless be created by inserting openings in the wall element as shown in FIG. 1B. In the case shown, the film 4 is already fitted, i.e. its outer circumference corresponds to that of the bonding strip 3, but it is also possible that the film is not fitted until after the film has been bonded to the wall element, or during the bonding process. For example, the outer circumference of the bottom edge 820 of the pushing member 82 may include a sharp cutting edge enabling the film to e cut to fit, or the heat of the pushing member may cause the film to be formed to fit during the pushing process.
[0059] It is also possible that the film 4 is fixed to the wall element 2 prior to bonding to the bonding strip 3 by locally bonding the film to one or more of the spacing elements 12a-d, for example with a bonding agent or by means of a heat weld, after which the pushing member 82 is pressed against the film 4 for bonding to the bonding strip 3.
[0060] After pushing by the pushing member 82, the support member 81 and the pushing member 82 move away from each other and the formed assembly 1 is released from the pushing member. The assembly is then ready for further processing. For example, a fresh foodstuff which may lose moisture during storage or transportation may be placed in the space 9, shown in FIG. 1G, and this space may be closed at the open side with a subsequent film by bonding it to the flange 10, shown in FIG. 1A, by means of an adhesive or with a heat weld.
