CONTAINER INSERT APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20100284634A1
• Filed: 05/11/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cutting Edge Converted Products
• Original Assignee: Cutting Edge Converted Products
• Inventors: Hadley, Bob
• Granted Patent: US 8,465,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 383/211
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2105/00 Rigid or semi-rigid containers made by assembling separate sheets, blanks or webs
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2120/407 involving forming of the liner before inserting
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/38 with thermal insulation vacuum bottles or the like A47J41/00 ; thermal insulation of domestic water storage heaters F24H1/182
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3858 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls; for shock absorbing purposes B65D81/1275

Abstract

A container insert, and an apparatus and a method of producing the container insert. The container insert is formed as a deformable pouch adapted to be received in an interior of an associated container. The pouch has a closed lower end, an open upper end, and spaced apart sealed edges. The lower end of the pouch includes two leg portions. The pouch is manipulatable to generally conform to the interior of the contained and form a hollow interior space therein for receiving an object and providing a lining for the interior of the container. The apparatus and the method for producing the insert provides for a substantially automatic and continuous production of the insert from a roll of material.

Claims

1. A container insert comprising;

a deformable pouch adapted to be received in an interior of an associated container, the pouch having a closed lower end, an open upper end, and spaced apart sealed edges, the lower end including two leg portions, wherein the pouch is manipulatable to form a hollow interior space therein for receiving an object and providing a lining for the interior of the container.

2. The insert according to claim 1, wherein pouch is formed from a foil laminated material.

3. The insert according to claim 2, wherein the foil laminated insulated material includes a laminate of bubble pack material.

4. The insert according to claim 1, wherein the sealed edges are spaced apart from the closed lower end when the pouch is manipulated to form the hollow interior space therein.

5. The insert according to claim 1, further comprising a flap formed at the open upper end of the insert and extending upwardly therefrom, the flap adapted to fold to a closed position over the open upper end.

6. The insert according to claim 1, including an adhesive disposed on the insert.

7. The insert according to claim 6, wherein the adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive.

8. An apparatus for producing a container insert comprising:

a dispensing station for dispensing a material and folding the material upon itself along a longitudinal axis thereof to form a generally U-shaped folded material having opposing sides, a folded end, and an open end;

a folding station for receiving the generally U-shaped folded material from the dispensing station and causing the folded end to be received between the opposing sides to form a generally W-shaped folded material;

a sealing station including a seam forming element to form a seam extending from the closed end to the open end of the w-shaped folded material;

a material advance mechanism to advance the material through the apparatus;

a cutting station to cut the w-shaped configured material along the seam formed therein.

9. The apparatus for producing a container insert according to claim 8, wherein the dispensing station includes a framework for supporting a roll of the material to rotatingly dispense the material therefrom.

10. The apparatus for producing a container insert according to claim 9, wherein the dispensing station includes a folding member and a pair of cooperating rollers coupled to the framework, wherein the folding member folds the material to form the generally U-shaped folded material and directs the generally U-shaped folded material to be received between the rollers.

11. The apparatus for producing a container insert according to claim 8, wherein the folding station includes a framework to support a pair a pair of spaced apart plates, a pair of reciprocatively mounted material gripping members adapted to move toward and away from the plates, and a reciprocatively mounted material folding member selectively received between the plates, wherein the griping members secure the opposing sides of the generally U-shaped folded material against the plates while the material folding member is received between the plates to push the folded end of the generally U-shaped folded material therebetween to form the generally w-shaped folded material.

12. The apparatus for producing a container insert according to claim 11, wherein the folding station includes a guide moveably mounted to the framework adjacent the plates to facilitate maintaining the shape of the generally W-shaped folded material while dispatching the material from the folding station.

13. The apparatus for producing a container insert according to claim 8, wherein the seam forming elements are reciprocatively mounted heating elements.

14. The apparatus for producing a container insert according to claim 8, wherein the material advance mechanism includes a pair of drive rollers to frictionally engage the material and pull the material through the apparatus.

15. The apparatus for producing a container insert according to claim 8, wherein the cutting station includes a cutting member.

16. The apparatus for producing a container insert according to claim 8, wherein the cutting station is one of a rotating cutting member, a shear, and a heated wire.

17. The apparatus for producing a container insert according to claim 8, further comprising a dispenser coupled to the framework of the folding station to apply an adhesive strip to the material.

18. The apparatus for producing a container insert according to claim 8, further comprising a control system in communication with a user interface and the apparatus, the control system receiving inputs from the user interface and providing outputs effective to control the operation of at least one of the material dispensing station, the folding station, the sealing station, the material advance mechanism, and the cutting station of the apparatus.

19. The apparatus for producing a container insert according to claim 18, wherein the control system includes an electronic storage device to receive and store inputs from the user interface.

20. A method of making a container insert comprising the steps of:

dispensing a material while folding the material upon itself along a longitudinal axis thereof to form a generally U-shaped folded material having opposing sides, a folded end, and an open end;

causing at least a portion of the folded end of the generally U-shaped folded material to be received between the opposing sides thereof to form a generally W-shaped folded material;

forming spaced apart seams in the generally W-shaped folded material, the seams extending from the closed end to the open end of the generally W-shaped folded material; and

cutting the material along the seams from the closed end to the open end.