FIELD OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a package for packaging one or more products, of the type including a handle intended to facilitate the transport of packaged products.

The invention also relates to a method for making a package with such a handle.

BACKGROUND

In the packaging industry, there is an increasing need to limit the use of plastic materials in packaging.

An example of products packaged by means of plastic fdms is toilet rolls or paper towels, such as the one described in patent application WO2018046476.

This document refers in particular to a package for toilet paper that uses a casing made from a sheet of plastic material wrapped around a series of rolls and provided with two flaps folded and joined together to close the casing itself. The package also includes a handle that extends between two opposing surfaces of the casing to enable the products contained therein to be carried.

As part of the search for alternatives to plastic, packaging made of recyclable materials, especially paper, has been developed.

International patent application W02021200269 describes, for example, a package for toilet rolls with a handle, in which both the casing that wraps the products and the handle are made of paper material.

However, the Applicant has noted that these solutions do not fully meet the needs of users in terms of robustness and user-friendliness.

In fact, in known solutions, and in particular in the one described above, the handle is applied in such a way that it extends close to the surface of the casing and can be grasped by inserting the hand between the casing and the handle, lifting the latter slightly.

However, the use of paper makes it difficult to achieve an optimal compromise between flexibility and robustness of the handle.

It will be understood that in order to be able to grasp and use the handle in the manner described above, it is necessary to use a strip of paper that is not too thick, which makes the handle easily prone to tearing and breaking.

A further disadvantage associated with this solution is the ease with which a user can be subject to scratches, cuts and minor injuries when grasping the handle. Indeed, it is well known that paper, especially when particularly thin, can lead to this type of injury.

EXPOSURE AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the technical problem underlying the present invention is that of providing a package for one or more products which allows to improve the known solutions and can at least partially overcome one or more of the identifiable disadvantages in relation to the prior art.

In the context of this problem, an aim of the present invention is to make available a package comprising a wrapper and a handle which, although made of paper materials, has characteristics in terms of strength and ease of use that are at least comparable with those made of plastic or otherwise non-recyclable materials.

It is also the purpose of the present invention to provide a package made of paper material that can be easily carried by a user.

This problem is solved and these purposes are achieved by a package for one or more products comprising a casing and a handle, in which the casing and handle are advantageously made of paper material.

The casing is preferably wrapped around the products in such a way as to define two opposing head surfaces and one peripheral surface.

The handle comprises a strip made of said paper material, which defines opposite portions attached to one and the other of the two head surfaces respectively.

Preferably, the two opposite portions define the respective opposite ends from the handle.

The handle also comprises a reinforcement element connected to the strip.

Preferably the reinforcing element has an elongated shape and extends between the two opposing portions.

Advantageously, the package according to the present invention can be easily transported, using the relevant handle, even though it can be made entirely of paper material.

The risk of accidental handle breakage is also minimised due to the presence of the reinforcing element.

The use of an elongated reinforcing element between the opposite portions of the strip that forms the handle also allows the thickness of the handle to be increased, allowing for solutions that minimise the risk of cuts and accidental injuries when the package is being transported.

It should be understood that, in the context of the present invention, the term “connected”, referring to the connection between the reinforcing element and the strip, includes both a connection made by joining two separate elements, and embodiments in which the strip and the reinforcing element are made as a single piece, for example by folding a portion of the strip back on itself in order to obtain the reinforcing element.

Furthermore, the term “paper material” includes any material obtained, for a representative percentage thereof, typically more than 50% by weight, from cellulose or other fibres of plant origin. In particular, this term also includes multilayer materials in which at least one material consisting of cellulose or another fibre is present.

In a further aspect, the present invention also relates to a method for making a package for products comprising: providing at least one reel of paper material to form the casing of said package; providing at least one reel of a strip of paper material to form the handle of said package; wrapping said paper material onto said products; folding at least one folding flap of said strip to obtain said reinforcing element; attaching said handle to the head surfaces of the package.

The method may involve performing the above steps in the order listed or in any order.

Accordingly, it is possible to obtain a package capable of conferring the above-mentioned advantages by simply folding a flap of the strip, thus enabling the package to be produced by a process that can easily be implemented industrially.

The implementation of such a method on an industrial plant allows for high productivity, as there is no need for gluing or other complex processes for the reinforcing element on the handle.

The present invention, in at least one of the aforementioned aspects, may have at least one of the further preferred features listed below.

In preferred embodiments, the reinforcing element is obtained by folding one folding flap or two opposing folding flaps of the strip forming the handle. Advantageously, the folding takes place on a respective fold line along the longitudinal extension of the handle and, preferably, parallel to that longitudinal extension.

This makes it possible both to increase the strength of the handle and to make it symmetrical, so that the user can grasp the package from either one side or the opposite side.

Preferably the folding flap(s) are attached, when folded, to a central part of said strip by adhesive means. This feature also increases the robustness of the handle.

In some embodiments, the folding flap(s) have a transverse extension of at least 1/10 of the transverse extension of the handle. Preferably the folding flap(s) have a transverse extension of at least 1/6 of the transverse extension of the handle.

In some embodiments, the folding flap(s) have a transverse extension not exceeding 1/2 of the transverse extension of the handle. Preferably, the folding flap(s) have a transverse extension not exceeding 1/4 of the transverse extension of the handle.

These ratios between handle width and folding flap size allow for an optimal compromise between increased strength and ease of handle construction.

Preferably, the product or products contained in the package have a cylindrical shape, or the shape of a flattened cylinder, said products having a main axis X. Preferably the handle extends between the two opposite head surfaces along a direction parallel to said main axis X.

The structure is thus stronger because, particularly when the products are toilet rolls or paper towels, they typically have a higher resistance to bending in that direction.

In some embodiments, the reinforcing element is formed by means of an additional strip of said paper material superimposed on said strip and preferably glued to said strip.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the products are selected from one or more of the following: toilet rolls, paper towels.

Indeed, it will be appreciated that the present invention is particularly advantageous in the packaging of products with a low weight and relatively large dimensions, in light of the ease with which paper can be processed to make the casing and the mechanical characteristics of this material.

In some embodiments, the packaging comprises a plurality of products arranged in at least two parallel rows with respect to the main axis, the parallel rows determining an empty volume between the rows of products and said casing when two parallel rows are adjacent to each other. Preferably said handle extends between two adjacent parallel rows at said empty volume.

Thanks to this feature, the handle can also help to strengthen the package in the area between rows of products, particularly if the products are cylindrical. In fact, in such areas, gaps remain defined, where there may be a risk of damage to the casing if, for example, a user grabs the package in this area. The presence of the handle forms an additional layer that makes the package stronger between rows of products.

In preferred embodiments, the head surfaces of the casing are each formed by at least two wrapping flaps folded over each other. Advantageously, at least one of said wrapping flaps is superimposed on a respective end of the handle and, more preferably, said end is arranged between the two wrapping flaps in a sandwich configuration.

In some embodiments, both wrapping flaps are overlapped at one respective end.

These configurations allow for a particularly stable and strong attachment of the handle to the casing.

Preferably, the casing and handle are made of the same material.

Further features of the invention are more generally defined in the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features will be more apparent from the following description of certain embodiments illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings.

- figure l is a perspective view of a package according to the present invention in which the handle is not shown and in which a head surface is illustrated transparently for descriptive clarity; - figure 2 is a further perspective view of the package of figure 1, again without the handle shown;

- figure 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention in which the relevant casing is illustrated transparently for the sake of descriptive clarity;

- figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention, again with the related casing illustrated transparently; figure 5 is a detailed view the handle of the package of the present invention; and

- figure 6 is a detailed view of the handle of the package according to an alternative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

With reference initially to figure 1, a package of rolls 1 of toilet paper according to the present invention is generally indicated with the reference number 100.

In the present example, the package contains rolls of toilet paper arranged, one on top of the other, in several parallel rows. For example, in the embodiments of figures 3 and 4, there are eight rows, each comprising four superimposed rolls. The eight rows are also arranged in a 4x2 configuration. It goes without saying that this provision is purely illustrative and will be used for the sake of illustrative clarity of the invention. However, the invention can be applied in packages that include any number of products, even a single product. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in relation to a plurality of products, it being understood, however, that what follows will also apply in the case of a single product.

In this regard, it should also be noted that although the present invention is illustrated in connection with the packaging of toilet paper, the products contained inside the package may be of any nature or form.

In general, however, the products 1 may be cylindrical in shape, or in the form of a flattened cylinder, the latter shape being adopted, for example, in certain types of toilet rolls.

The package 100 essentially comprises a casing 2 that wraps the products 1 in such a manner as to define two opposing head surfaces 5a, 5b and a peripheral surface 6, as illustrated in figure 2.

The casing 2 is preferably made from a sheet of paper material, large enough to wrap all the products in package 100, leaving two flaps 10a, 10b defined, which are joined to close the package. Depending on the shape and arrangement of the products, however, additional flaps may also be provided to contribute to the creation of the head surfaces 5a and 5b.

Preferably, the sheet making up the casing is wrapped around an axis that coincides with the axis X of the rolls of toilet paper, or other cylindrical or elongated product in the package 100.

Referring now also to figure 3, the package of the present invention further comprises a handle 3 attached to the casing 2.

The handle 3 is made of paper material, preferably the same material of which the casing 2 is made.

In preferred embodiments, the handle 3 extends between the opposite head surfaces 5a, 5b along a direction parallel to a main axis X of the cylinder.

It is to be noted that the head surfaces 5a, 5b are each formed by folding one of the two wrapping flaps 10a, 10b over the other.

To improve and simplify the attachment of the handle 3 each end 7a, 7b thereof is placed between two respective wrapping flaps 10a, 10b. In other words, the end, or more generally a relative portion, of the handle is sandwiched between the two flaps.

More generally, it can be envisaged that at least one of two flaps 10a, 10b is overlapped on the end of the handle 3, as can be seen, for example, in the embodiments illustrated in figures 3 and 4.

As can be seen from the figures, different arrangements can also be made for the handle 3 on the casing 2.

In some embodiments, such as the one described in figure 3, the handle 3 extends parallel to the fold lines I la, 1 lb of the wrapping flaps 10a, 10b along which these are folded to make the head surfaces 5 a, 5b.

In alternative embodiments, as illustrated in figure 4, the handle 3 extends perpendicular to the above-mentioned fold lines I la, 11b.

In both cases, the handle 3 can extend between two adjacent parallel rows of products 1.

Note that in preferred embodiments, the handle 3 is placed at an empty volume 101 of the package. As can be seen from figure 1, this empty volume 101 is defined between products 1 and casing 2, between two parallel rows of products.

The characteristics of the handle 3 will now be illustrated with reference to the preferred embodiment shown in figure 5.

In particular, the handle 3 comprises a strip 7 made of said paper material, which defines the aforementioned opposite portions 7a, 7b.

The handle 3 also comprises a reinforcing element 4 attached to said strip, which has an elongated shape and extends between said opposite portions 7a, 7b.

In preferred embodiments the reinforcing element 4 is obtained by folding two opposing folding flaps 8a, 8b of said strip 7 along a respective fold line 9a, 9b parallel to the longitudinal extension of the handle 3.

However, alternative embodiments may be envisaged for the reinforcing element 4. For example, it may be envisaged that the reinforcing element is formed by a single folding flap, or by an elongated element of another type, such as a wire or mesh, attached to the strip 7. For example, figure 6 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in which the reinforcing element 4 is formed by means of an additional strip 70 of paper material attached to the strip 7 forming the handle.

Adhesive means, e.g. by heat-sealing, may be provided to join the reinforcing element 4 to the strip 7, whether formed by the fold flap(s) or by the additional strip 70 or other elongated elements. Such a join may be intended either to join the reinforcing element 4 to the strip, in the event that it is made from a separate element with respect to the strip 7, or to retain the flap on the strip once it has been folded.

Returning now again to the description of the characteristics of the reinforcing element 4, with reference to the embodiment described in figure 5, the ratio between the transverse extension 1 of the folding flaps 8a, 8b and the transverse extension L of the handle 3 may be comprised between 1/10 and 1/2 or, more preferably between 1/6 and 1/4.

A further advantageous aspect of the invention relates to the possibility of producing a package made entirely of paper materials in a simple manner and with automated equipment.

In fact, the package can be made using two different reels of paper material, one intended for making the casing and the other for making the handle.

The first reel is then unwound in order to be wrapped around the products, placing the casing to close and collect them.

At the same time, the second reel is unwound, folding one or two flaps, while it preferably advances continuously. Once folded, the paper material unwound from the reel is attached to the casing and cut to size, making the handle.

The attachment of the handle, which can take place either before or after the strip has been cut, can be carried out in a further advantageous manner by folding and closing the second flap of casing 10b, attaching the end portion 7a of the handle to it. Next, the first wrapping flap 10a is also folded and closed, arranging the portion 7a in the sandwich configuration described above. Advantageously, the attachment of the handle or wrapping flaps can be achieved by heat-sealing. The invention thus solves the proposed problem, while at the same time achieving a number of advantages, including the possibility of making a package, with a handle, entirely from paper materials, without compromising its characteristics.

The risk of injury can also be minimised by the presence of folding handle flaps or other reinforcing elements that protect the hands from injuries caused by the paper sheets.