Method of packaging a coiled trimmer line

• US 6,109,005 A
• Filed: 08/13/1999
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rotary Limited (Hastie Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Robert L. Phillips
• Inventors: Fogle, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desai, Hemant M.
• Application Number:
  US09/374,720
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 53/430, 53/471, 53/473, 53/478, 53/116, 206/388, 206/409, 206/471, 206/461, 206/463, 206/459.5, 206/63.3
• US Class Current: 53/430
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/50 Enclosing articles, or quantities of material, by disposing contents between two sheets, e.g. pocketed sheets, and securing their opposed free margins apparatus or devices for forming pockets in or from sheets, blanks or webs B65B47/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/36 one sheet or blank being recessed and the other formed of relatively stiff flat sheet material, e.g. blister packages , the recess or recesses being preformed B65D73/0057, B65D73/0092 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/04 for coils of wire, rope or hose

Abstract

A method and apparatus for packaging coiled nylon copolymer trimmer line comprises making the package of plastic material which is capable of melt bonding, either by the application of heat and pressure, radio frequency (RF) or by ultrasonic welding. The container comprises a backing sheet and a pre-formed bubble having an opening in it, with a flange extending outwardly around the opening. The flange is placed on the backing sheet; and the two sheets are heat-melt bonded together by a suitable technique, to produce a strong, integral package which significantly resists separation of the flange from the backing sheet. After the package has been formed, nylon or nylon copolymer, or other plastic, trimmer line is wound into the package, and the bond between the flange and the backing sheet is greater than the compression spring force exerted by the wound trimmer line against the package, preventing separation of the package parts from one another.

Claims

1. A method of packaging coiled plastic trimmer line including the steps of:

placing a pre-formed plastic container having an opening, with an outwardly-extending flange about the opening thereof, on a backing sheet of plastic material having an aperture formed therein, with the flange of said pre-formed plastic container engaging the sheet;

heat-bonding the flange of the pre-formed plastic container to the backing sheet to form a melt seal of the flange with the backing sheet; and

winding plastic trimmer line having a range of diameter from 0.050" to 0.155" through said aperture into said opening of the pre-formed plastic container into a coil, having approximately one twist per coil, after the flange thereof is bonded to the backing sheet.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the pre-formed plastic container and the backing sheet are made of thermoplastic material, and wherein the step of bonding comprises the step of melting together, under pressure, the plastic material of the flange and the region of the backing sheet contacted by the flange to cause a melt-fusion of the flange with the sheet.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the bonding of the flange of the pre-formed plastic container to the backing sheet is effected by ultrasonic welding.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of bonding the flange of the pre-formed plastic container to the backing sheet is effected by the application of heat and pressure between the flange and the backing sheet to cause a melt seal of the plastic of the flange with the plastic of the backing sheet.