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EP-4739590-A1 - SUPPORT TRAY AND CORRESPONDING PRODUCTION METHOD

EP4739590A1EP 4739590 A1EP4739590 A1EP 4739590A1EP-4739590-A1

Abstract

Support tray (10) for elongated elements (200) obtained from a single blank (110). The support tray (10) comprises: an upper transverse wall (11) provided with a plurality of first holes (25) for positioning the elongated elements (200), a lower transverse wall (12) parallel to the upper transverse wall (11) and provided with a plurality of second holes (26) axially aligned with the first holes (25), each of the second holes (26) being encircled by deformable flaps (28) configured to be bent, and at least a first side wall (13) and a second side wall (15) opposite each other, perpendicular to the upper (11) and lower (12) transverse wall, and extending from said upper transverse wall (11) beyond the lower transverse wall (12) so as to define respective support legs (19, 20).

Inventors

  • TAROZZI, Luca
  • CAPORALE, ANTONIO

Assignees

  • I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240702

Claims (15)

  1. 1. Support tray (10) for elongated elements (200), in particular smoking articles, obtained from a single blank (110; 110’) shaped and folded so that said support tray (10) comprises: an upper transverse wall (11) provided with a plurality of first holes (25) for positioning said elongated elements (200), a lower transverse wall (12) parallel to the upper transverse wall (11) and provided with a plurality of second holes (26) axially aligned with said first holes (25), each of said second holes (26) being encircled by deformable flaps (28) configured to be bent, and at least a first (13) and a second (15) side wall opposite each other, perpendicular to said upper (11) and lower (12) transverse wall, and extending from said upper transverse wall (11) beyond said lower transverse wall (12), so as to define respective support legs (19, 20), characterized in that each of said support legs (19, 20) comprises an end portion which consists of two superimposed and joined with glue panels of said blank (110; 110’) formed by a portion of a first side panel (113a, 115a) hinged to said upper transverse wall (11), and a second side panel ( 113b, 115b) hinged to said lower transverse wall ( 12), said respective end portions protruding from said lower transverse wall (12).
  2. 2. Support tray (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises a third (16) and a fourth (17) side wall opposite each other and perpendicular to said first (13) and second (15) side wall, said first, second, third and fourth side walls defining a side skirt (14) around said upper (11) and lower (12) transverse wall, said third (16) and fourth (17) side wall extending from said upper transverse wall (11) beyond said lower transverse wall (12), defining further respective support legs (21 , 22), each of said further support legs (21 , 22) comprising a further end portion which consists of two further superimposed and joined with glue panels of said blank (110; 110’) and which is formed by a portion of a third side panel (116a, 117a) hinged to said upper transverse wall (11), and by a forth side panel (116b, 117b) hinged to said lower transverse wall (12), said respective further end portions protruding from said lower transverse wall (12).
  3. 3. Support tray (10) as in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first holes (25) of said upper transverse wall (11) are circular and/or said deformable flaps (28) are hingedly arranged around the second holes (26).
  4. 4. Support tray (10) as in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said first holes (25) is circular and has a respective first diameter (DI) such as to allow the passage of said elongated elements (200), and said second holes (26) have a respective central circular portion having a respective second diameter (D2) which is smaller than the respective first diameter (DI) of the first holes (25).
  5. 5. Support tray (10) as in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said blank (110; 110’) comprises: a first main panel (111) defining said upper transverse wall (11); a second main panel (112) aligned with said first main panel (111) and defining said lower transverse wall (12); a first (113a) and a second (115a) larger central panel connected, on opposite sides, to said first main panel (111); and a first (113b) and a second (115b) smaller central panel connected, on opposite sides, to said second main panel (112) and provided with a layer of adhesive material (Ml) which, when said blank (110; 110’) is bent, joins with glue said first (113b) and second (115b) smaller central panel to an end portion of said first (113a) and second (115a) larger central panel, thus forming said first (13) and second (15) side wall and defining the opposite end portions of said support legs (19, 20), said first larger central panel (113a) being contiguously adjacent to said first smaller central panel (113b).
  6. 6. Support tray (10) as in claim 5, when claims 3-5 depend on claim 2, characterized in that said blank (110; 110’) further comprises: a first (116a) and a second (117a) larger side panel connected, on opposite sides, to said first main panel (111); and a first (116b) and a second (117b) smaller side panel connected, on opposite sides, to said second main panel (112) and configured to be respectively superimposed and joined with glue to an end portion of said first (116a) and second (117a) larger side panel, thus forming said third (16) and fourth (17) side wall and defining the opposite end portions of said further respective support legs (21, 22).
  7. 7. Support tray (10) as in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said deformable flaps (28) has a curved portion (28a) facing the center of the respective second hole (26) and is configured to be bent, said curved portion (28a) belonging to an arc of the circle with a center outside the respective second hole (26).
  8. 8. Support tray (10) as in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said second holes (26) has a multi-lobed or polygonal shape with at least three sides which are curved towards the center of the second hole (26).
  9. 9. Support tray (10) as in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said deformable flaps (28) is convex.
  10. 10. Support tray (10) as in any claim 1-6, characterized in that each of said deformable flaps (28) is defined by radial incisions (27).
  11. 11. Blank (110; 110’) for forming a support tray (10) for elongated elements (200), in particular smoking articles, comprising: a first main panel (111) provided with a plurality of first holes (25); a second main panel (112) aligned with said first main panel (111) and provided with a plurality of second holes (26) encircled by deformable flaps (28) configured to be bent; a first (113a) and a second (115a) larger central panel connected, on opposite sides, to said first main panel (111); and a first (113b) and a second (115b) smaller central panel connected, on opposite sides, to said second main panel (112), characterized in that on said first (113a) and second (115b) smaller central panel there is a layer of adhesive material (Ml) to join with glue said first (113b) and second (115b) smaller central panel to an end portion of said first (113a) and second (115a) larger central panel, said first larger central panel (113a) being contiguously adjacent to said first smaller central panel (113b).
  12. 12. Blank (110; 110’) as in claim 11, characterized by further comprising: a first (116a) and a second (117a) larger side panel connected, on opposite sides, to said first main panel (111); and a first (116b) and a second (117b) smaller side panel connected, on opposite sides, to said second main panel (112) and configured to be respectively superimposed and joined with glue to an end portion of said first (116a) and second (117a) larger side panel.
  13. 13. Process for making a support tray (10) for elongated elements (200), in particular smoking articles, characterized by comprising folding steps in which said support tray (10) is formed by consecutive folding of panels (111, 112, 113a, 113b, 115a, 115b) of a blank (110; 110’) as in claim 11 or 12, and by comprising joining with glue the first (113b) and second (115b) smaller central panel to the lower end portion of the first (113a) and second (115a) larger central panel, respectively, thus forming respectively a first (13) and a second (15) side wall of said support tray (10) and defining respective support legs (19, 20), wherein each of said support legs (19, 20) consists of two superimposed and joined panels of said blank (110; 110’).
  14. 14. Process as in claim 13, characterized by comprising a shaping step, in which said blank (110; 110’) starting from a flattened configuration is shaped into a three- dimensional upright configuration, and in that in said shaping step, the first (111) and the second (112) main panel of said blank (110; 110’), firstly are partially superimposed and in contact with each other, then are separated from each other and spaced apart to a position in which they are parallel each other, thus forming said upper (11) and lower (12) transverse wall perpendicular to said first (13) and second (15) side wall, in said upright configuration.
  15. 15. Process as in claim 14, characterized by comprising further folding steps, subsequent to said shaping step, in which the first (116b) and the second (117b) smaller side panel of said blank (110; 110’) are folded towards said respective support legs (19, 20), and in which the first (116a) and the second (117a) larger side panel of said blank (110; 110’) are folded so that a respective lower end portion thereof is superimposed and then joined with glue to said first (116b) and second (117b) smaller side panel, thus forming respectively a third (16) and a fourth (17) side wall of said support tray (10) and defining further respective support legs (21 , 22) consisting of two superimposed and joined panels of said blank (110; 110’).

Description

“SUPPORT TRAY AND CORRESPONDING PRODUCTION METHOD” FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a support tray for elongated elements, for example tubular or stick or bar shaped, in particular, but not limited to, of the flexible or deformable type, for example smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos or suchlike. The present invention also concerns a process for making the support tray. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Packages, or packets, for containing elongated elements, for example tubular or stick or bar shaped, for example smoking articles, such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, or suchlike are known. In the case of smoking articles, these are normally grouped in such a way as to define, as a whole, a parallelepiped, around which an internal containing casing, or internal wrapper, is then wrapped, which is then inserted into an external containing body, thus forming the packet. However, a disadvantage of such known packets is that they are not suitable for containing elongated elements of the type in question and having a variable crosssection, for example having a frustoconical shape, because, since these are arranged against each other, each smoking article could be crushed and/or ruined, thus compromising its integrity. In this regard, solutions are known that provide a box-shaped package in which there is a support tray having a wall parallel to the bottom of the containing body and provided with a plurality of positioning holes for the elongated elements, keeping them positioned individually and, therefore, separated from each other. An example of these solutions is described in document GB 2040884, which describes stackable trays each having a plurality of holes, each configured to receive objects such as yoghurt pots or plant pots, for example. Other solutions known in the art describe box-shaped packages in which the support tray is conformed so as to have two walls parallel to each other and to the bottom of the containing body, and both provided with a plurality of positioning holes. Each positioning hole of the upper wall is axially aligned with a respective positioning hole of the lower wall, so that a same oblong element, for example a vial, a flask or a bottle, passes through both of them. Some examples of these types of packages are described in documents US 5057282, US 3682597, EP 1989119 and JP Hl 135081. However, known solutions have the disadvantage that they are rather complex and that special, bulky and expensive equipment is required to make them. Furthermore, the processes for making such support trays or the respective packages, as well as for preparing such trays to receive and support the elongated elements, can also be rather elaborate and complex. There is therefore the need to perfect a support tray that can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art. In particular, one purpose of the present invention is to provide a support tray that is easy to produce and has low production costs. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a support tray by means of a production process that is simple and highly efficient. The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims. The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants to the main inventive idea. In accordance with the above purposes and to resolve the technical problem disclosed above in a new and original way, also achieving considerable advantages compared to the state of the prior art, a support tray is provided according to the present invention for supporting elongated elements, in particular smoking articles, which is obtained from a single blank shaped and folded so that the support tray comprises: an upper transverse wall provided with a plurality of first holes for positioning the elongated elements, a lower transverse wall parallel to the upper transverse wall and provided with a plurality of second holes axially aligned with the first holes, each of the second holes being encircled by deformable flaps configured to be bent, and at least a first side wall and a second side wall opposite each other, perpendicular to the upper and lower transverse wall and extending from the upper transverse wall beyond the lower transverse wall, so as to define respective support legs. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, each of the support legs comprises an end portion which consists of two superimposed and joined with glue panels of the blank formed by a portion of a first side panel hinged to the upper transverse wall, and by a second side panel hinged to the lower transverse wall, wherein the respective end portions protrude from the lower transverse wall. In accordance with another aspect o