EP0052560A1 - Package for a stack of sheets, particularly photosensitive films - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to the packaging of flat, stacked articles. The package 1 comprises a locally breakable, sealed envelope 2 for insulating its contents from the surrounding environment, and means such as reinforcements 5 and a band 9 for protecting it against impacts. The envelope comprises a device consisting of a lateral bellows 3 and of at least one end flange 4 which facilitates both manual and automatic handling. Identification and grouping-together means are associated with the envelope. Application to the packaging of, in particular, radiographic films. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention, due to the collaboration of Mr. Jean, Paul THIBAULT and produced in the Services of the Applicant, relates to the packaging of photosensitive products and, more particularly, the packaging of radiographic films.

As with any virgin photographic product, it is necessary to protect radiographic films from actinic radiation to which they are sensitive, before their actual exposure to an image and until their final processing so that they are not veiled, partially or completely , before their exploitation.

Photographic products and, in particular radiographic films, must also be preserved from ambient atomospheric conditions to protect them from humidity variations: in wet atmospheres, radiographic films in packets risk adhering to each other, by their emulsified faces in contact which are then made sticky.

In addition, it is necessary to preserve the radiographic films from any mechanical shock. Indeed, X-ray films are particularly sensitive to mechanical stresses, for example shocks or bends, which risk locally causing untimely changes in sensitivity. After exposure to an image and processing, such constraints result in artifacts, sometimes difficult to spot, which then produce parasitic images which can lead to erroneous diagnoses.

The situation becomes even more complicated when we observe that packaging of X-ray films must, in addition to the protection it provides, meet the needs of end users: members of the medical profession, who use it to taking pictures.

Experience shows that these users can be divided into two distinct categories, each with its own specific requirements.

Users in hospitals, private and public, large consumers, have complex facilities equipped with high performance automatic equipment, operating in daylight, to load the radiographic cassettes into films for taking pictures and unloading them. to process exposed films. All the necessary operations are done mechanically by specialized machines, without human intervention, with the exception of the initial placement of the film packages packed in hoppers. The machines, thus loaded with films of various formats and / or of different types, then ensure all the manipulations in particular the opening of the em filming and extracting the films it contains.

For such a use, the packaging of the films must have its own characteristics which allow intensive, systematic use, almost on the chain.

Users of medical offices, although often specialized in radiology, do not have such very expensive facilities, although they also use large quantities of radiographic films. Usually, the loading of the cassettes for taking the pictures and their unloading to process the exposed films are done manually, in black or in actinic or attenuated light, in a specialized room very often serving as a processing laboratory. Radiographic films of various formats and / or types are usually stored in this room where they are stored in film drawers or, simply, on shelves, the boots stored side by side, in an upright position. The cassettes are then loaded, as required, by removing the necessary films which are extracted one by one. The packaging must therefore allow a secure identification of the films it protects, authorize their storage in an upright position, the removal of the films with the minimum of opening and closing manipulation of the container. For this last intervention, it is therefore desirable that the packaging ensures, at least temporarily, from the beginning to the end of each daily service, sufficient protection so that the films are not veiled, even for the relatively frequent case, where all of the various constituent components of the container are not, all, systematically closed after each film removal.

For such use, the packaging of the films must have particular characteristics which allow sporadic use, on demand, piecemeal in a way.

It goes without saying that, unfortunately, the characteristics which a packaging must have to satisfy the wishes of these two categories of users while protecting the films are, sometimes, contradictory, and the manufacturers of radiographic films are forced to deliver radiographic films. identical in format and type in two separate presentations.

To satisfy these two categories of users, the manufacturer must therefore have two types of packaging with all that this involves disadvantages for the supply of supplies, tools and equipment, storage, distribution, accounting. management, orders, catalogs in particular.

One of the objects of the invention is the construction of a new packaging for photosensitive products, in particular for radiographic films, which makes it possible to protect them and the ambient conditions, both actinic and hygrometric, and mechanical stresses while being relatively universal so that it can be used without distinction by any of the users.

The packaging for photosensitive products which are the subject of the invention consists, in particular, of a locally frangible sealed envelope to isolate the photographic products from the ambient environment and of means to protect them against mechanical attack. This packaging is characterized by the fact that its envelope is provided with a manual and automatic handling device and in that with the envelope are associated identification means by marks and grouping by an arrangement.

• - la figure 1 représente une vue en perspective schématique d'un mode de réalisation d'un emballage suivant l'invention ;
• - la figure 2 est une vue analogue à celle de la figure 1 d'une autre variante d'exécution ;
• - les figures 3a et 3b représentent des détails des rabats terminaux du dispositif de manipulation de l'enveloppe ;
• - les figures 4a et 4b représentent des détails d'éxécution dés renforts constituant les moyens de protection associés à l'enveloppe ; et
• - les figures 5a et 5b représentent des variantes d'exécution de l'agencement de regroupement.

Other characteristics of the invention will emerge from reading the description and the claims which follow and from examining the drawing in which:

• - Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a package according to the invention;
• - Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 of another alternative embodiment;
• - Figures 3a and 3b show details of the end flaps of the envelope handling device;
• - Figures 4a and 4b show details of execution of reinforcements constituting the protection means associated with the envelope; and
• - Figures 5a and 5b show alternative embodiments of the grouping arrangement.

As can be seen, in particular in FIG. 1, the drawn embodiment of the packaging 1 according to the invention comprises an envelope 2 and protective means 5 and 9 for example.

In the envelope are arranged radiographic films cut in format, for example fifty or one hundred films, not shown. These films are, if necessary, separated from each other by intermediate sheets or jumpers so that their two faces coated with photographic emulsion do not come into contact with each other, as is sometimes conventional in the case. However, these intermediate sheets are not essential if certain precautions are taken as to the choice of the material constituting the envelope.

The envelope is made of a heat-sealable plastic material, the air impermeability of which makes it possible, for example, to place it in depression with respect to atmospheric pressure so as to ensure good isolation of the radiographic films with respect to the ambient medium, in particular to remove them from the humidity variations in the air. This envelope has, initially, the conformation of a tube having, if necessary, one or two longitudinal welds which is closed at its two ends by. transverse welds. At least one of these transverse welds, or the envelope in the vicinity thereof, is frangible so as to allow the opening, automatic and / or manual, of the envelope.

As it is conventional to do, this envelope carries a coating or a filler which makes it opaque to actinic radiation liable to veil the films before use.

According to the invention, this envelope comprises a handling device which facilitates its implementation, manual or automatic, by any user.

As has been recalled, radiographic films, in particular for medical use, are intended for two categories of users: hospitals or clinics and doctors' offices. The frequencies of use and the quantities of radiographic films exposed are notably different in these two traditional situations and, if hospitals and clinics have automatic equipment allowing the extraction of films from packaging for their use without them have to be handled by the personnel, it is not the same during the use made of it by the practitioners, or their assistants, the films being taken out manually, one by one, from the packaging to be loaded, also by hand, in a cassette.

The concern of manufacturers of radiographic films is therefore to be able to have a single, universal packaging, which satisfies conditions of use that are as different from each other.

This is what the packaging according to the invention allows thanks to the handling device with which it is provided.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the handling device with which the envelope is provided consists of a lateral bellows 3 and at least one end flap 4. This bellows is formed of lateral folds, of which only those of one side are visible, intended to give ease, a certain clearance for the destacking of the films; at least one of the end flaps is intended to form, when deployed, a funnel, a sleeve for the extraction of the films and, when folded, a baffle to ensure impervious to actinic radiation.

When such an envelope has been filled with films, sealed and placed under vacuum, its walls are pressed against the films by atmospheric pressure and it forms a relatively compact and rigid block before opening. To extract one of the films from the envelope, or the entire stack, depending on the conditions of use to which one has to deal, one breaks the frangible part of one of the end welds and / or of the envelope nearby of it to allow air to enter. The lateral folds which form the bellows give comfort and allow a certain latitude of movement of the films; this creates play and facilitates destacking, whether manual or automatic. If necessary, to facilitate manual opening of the envelope, there is provided in the latter, for example in a longitudinal weld, a notch which creates a zone of less resistance and constitutes a starting point for rupture.

The formation of a bellows, a cut is a classic operation familiar to specialists in packaging techniques, so we will not stop there.

Under the usual conditions of use only one of the end flaps is used. But for manufacturing convenience it may be more practical to make a symmetrical packaging, or almost such, so as not to have to solve orientation problems, for example during labeling.

The terminal flaps have a dual function; they form a funnel or sleeve and facilitate extraction and ensure sealing. This case of extraction and sealing is particularly important when manually removing the films, one by one, in the practitioner's cabin. Indeed, the room usually available to the practitioner provides only relatively poor protection of films against actinic radiation when a package has been opened and is used gradually, in particular because of the time during which it stays there after opening. , before being empty. The user must be able to plunge his hand into the envelope to grab a film and then fold the open end of the latter so that the envelope is again closed. This drawdown very often is not done because it constitutes an embarrassment, a hindrance.

It is one of the flaps, the conformation of which will be specified below, which forms a funnel or a sleeve through which one can pass, slide the hand to reach the films, flap which, as will be explained by the following, has a certain natural tendency to resume its initial configuration, which ensures - automatically, without additional operation, the light tightness although the packaging remains open.

As can be seen in particular in FIG. 1 and in the two drawings of FIG. 3, at least one of the flaps is rolled up on itself or else folded in accordion or in zig-zag and ordered parallel (FIG. 3a) or perpendicularly (Figure 3b) to the edge of the stack of films.

Because of the inherent elasticity of the material from which the envelope is made, the folds thus "printed", especially during manufacture and storage, tend to close spontaneously on themselves, like a spring which has been temporarily relaxed, to form a baffle so as to seal the light in the sleeve or the funnel after the removal of a film. In the case of use in a practitioner's office, it can therefore be seen that, thanks to the invention, it is no longer necessary to close a box or fold up a tab in order to preserve the radiographic films of the veil, when these are stored upright on a shelf.

If the material chosen for the envelope does not have sufficient natural elasticity for the folds formed to spontaneously resume a configuration close to that which they had before the first opening of the envelope, the folds can be given additional elasticity. To achieve this one can associate with the flaps, or one of them, elements which give them the elasticity which they lacked or which reinforces the latter. For example, glue on the flap or drown in its thickness a wire or a bar (not shown), for example metallic, which has this elastic property. Another way of obtaining this result consists in depositing in the inner dihedrons of the folds a few drops or points (not shown) of an elastic substance, for example natural gum or a synthetic elastomer.

As indicated, the packaging according to the invention must also provide protection against mechanical attack of the type that results from shocks or falls.

As mentioned, protective packaging is associated with the packaging.

According to a particular embodiment shown in the drawing of Figure 1, these means are constituted by reinforcements 5 on the faces of the envelope. Different execution variants are possible; as seen in Figure 1 and in particular in Figure 4a these reinforcements consist of hollow pleats 6 which are, if necessary, reinforced by ribs 7 so as to obtain the necessary stiffness. It is possible, as drawn in FIG. 4b, to make folded folds 8 which are, for example, kept closed by dots of glue or solder (not shown) judiciously arranged. It is clear that these two variants can be combined.

These means associated with the envelope to provide protection against mechanical attack can also consist of a rigid blank, for example of cardboard of suitable texture, slipped into the envelope, between the inner wall thereof and the extreme films. from the stack. These blanks can be used alone or with reinforcements. To facilitate automatic extraction of the films from the envelope, it is preferable that these cardboard blanks are held, for example by gluing against the inner wall of the envelope so as to remain fixed to the latter when the radiographic films leave the 'envelope. For the case where the packaging is not emptied automatically but where the films are removed manually one by one, it is preferable to practice, at least that of the ends of the cardboard blanks which is close to the end of the envelope to be opened, two incisions about a few centimeters long made near and parallel to the side edges of the envelope. So when you put your hand in the envelope while deploying the funnel that constitutes the flap to take a film, the incisions allow the reinforcement blank to curve locally to contribute to the ease given by the bellows. This embodiment is not shown.

The means associated with the casing 2 which provide mechanical protection for its lateral and extreme edges are for example, as seen in FIG. 1, made up of a peripheral belt 9 whose width is slightly greater than the thickness an envelope filled with films and placed under vacuum before opening. This belt is made, for example, of a ribbon of plastic material of appropriate rigidity and robustness or of a steel strip which encircles the envelope. This belt is kept tight by welding, gluing or stapling of its ends, for example, if necessary supplemented by fixing to the envelope itself. For convenience of design only, this belt is assumed to be transparent. This belt allows stacking, contributes, if necessary to keep folded or rolled the flap and can wear markers. For example, this belt has a straight section in U whose parallel branches are relatively short.

To use such packaging, it is enough to break this belt to be able to access the flap to be deployed and opened in order to make it possible to extract the radiographic films.

According to another alternative embodiment, drawn in FIG. 2, the protection means associated with the casing 2 consist of a box 10 made of a parallelepipedic case 11, the two opposite end sections of which are open to form a sheath , and in which can slide a drawer 12 made of a bottom of which two opposite ends (of which only one is shown) are folded in U. The envelope is deposited in the drawer, the two U folded over it and the whole slid in the case.

To extract a film, after breaking the guarantee strip, all you have to do is push on the bottom of the drawer to remove one of the U's from the opposite end of the case and thus be able to access the terminal flap of the 'envelope and operate as already indicated above.

In FIG. 2, the package has been drawn partially open, in the configuration which it occupies after manual removal of a film. The folds of the extremal flap are closed on themselves and form a baffle which prevents the infiltration of light by the open end between the opening and the funnel which remains ajar. This / more, protected by the U of the drawer which partially covers it, even if the drawer is not pushed back completely into the case and the U reintroduced into the latter. For the convenience of the representation, the packaging is drawn flat but it is clear that the latter can rest on edge, on one or the other of its slices.

It is also essential, both for the manufacturer and for the user, as for all those who have to handle the radiographic films between the producer and the consumer, to be able to identify the products which contain the packaging and, also, to be able to combine such packaging, at least at certain stages of its distribution.

To do this, means associated with the envelope are used to identify and group. The identification is, for example, obtained by physically detectable markers which indicate in clear and / or code the film format, their type, the brand, the expiration date ... Such markers are, at least for some of them readable by eye or by optical, magnetic, etc. sensors Such references 13 are drawn in FIG. 2 only.

These means associated with the envelope must also allow the packaging to be grouped together, at least momentarily during their storage, with a view to their distribution and their use. In fact, depending on the ordering party, the user may want only the batch of films contained in a single packaging or, simultaneously, several batches of films of the same type and format as is the case. case for example of a practitioner or a hospital center, respectively. It is then necessary for unitary packages to be grouped and yet easily separable from each other once the grouping unit has been formed.

This grouping arrangement for constituting units can take several forms, some of which are shown in the drawings in FIG. 5.

As seen in Figure 5a, this arrangement consists of a strip 14 on which are periodically distributed packages which are attached to it for example by glue dots. This strip is then folded to form a Greek for example. There are batches of five packages for example which form a grouping unit and these packages are held together by a strap 15 or else by dots of adhesive placed between them and judiciously distributed.

Instead of using a strip, one can use, as can be seen in FIG. 5b, a sheath 16 made of a heat-shrinkable material into which packages of strings have been inserted. After conformation in Greek of the filled sheath, the packages of a batch are grouped into a unit by means of a strap 15 or with dots of glue as indicated with reference to FIG. 5a.

Thanks to this arrangement, it can be seen that it is convenient to constitute grouping units which are easily split or resectable at the time of distribution and / or implementation so that each unitary packaging that can be easily removed we then use as already explained.

In the drawings of FIG. 5, the representation is schematic, in particular the distances are exaggerated. The description which relates to it only gives a cursory description of the methods of making up the grouping units since these are classic techniques in bundling.

From reading the above description and examining the drawing figures which relate to it, it can be seen that the packaging according to the invention, while ensuring the protection of the radiographic films, is of almost universal use since '' it makes it possible to satisfy the very distinct needs of the two categories of users with a single configuration.

In addition, it will be observed that the packaging according to the invention has a significant additional advantage in its variant embodiment drawn in Figure 2 in particular. This advantage which conventional throat boxes do not have consists in the space saving obtained during the storage of the components of the packaging before their film filling. When using protective means made of a box it is clear that the sheath-shaped case 11 can be deformed in parallelogram and laid flat. Similarly, the drawer can be deployed, its ends flattened in line with the bottom.

This space saving is appreciable for storage before use but also for transporting empty packaging from their manufacturers to film manufacturers.

Automatic machines exist on the market for shaping, "straightening" the case and the drawer delivered flat for their use.

Claims (14)

1 - Packaging for photosensitive products in stacked sheets, in particular for radiographic films, consisting of a locally frangible sealed envelope for the isolation of the content with respect to the ambient environment, both actinic and atmospheric and of means for protection against attack mechanical, packaging characterized in that the envelope comprises a manual and automatic handling device and in that the envelope are associated with identification means by marks and grouping by an arrangement. 2 - Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the device comprises a lateral bellows to give, after opening the envelope., A certain ease facilitating the unstacking of the contents and at least one deployable and elastic end flap to form a funnel making the collection of the contents convenient and contributing to sealing against actinic radiation. 3 - Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that the flap is rolled. 4 - Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that the flap is folded. 5 - Packaging according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the flap comprises elements to increase its elasticity. 6 - Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the protective means comprise a belt.peripheral. 7 - Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the protective means comprise a box consisting of a case and a drawer terminated by two U-shaped ends. 8 - Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the protective means comprise reinforcements associated with the envelope. 9 - Packaging according to claim 8, characterized in that the reinforcements consist of stiffening plies. 10 Packaging according to any one of claims 8 and 9, characterized in that the reinforcements include whales. 11- Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the protective means comprise rigid blanks associated with the walls of the envelope and having at least one of their transverse ends of the incisions close to and parallel to their edges. 12 - Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the arrangement comprises dots of glue. 13 - Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the arrangement comprises a ribbon. 14 - Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the arrangement comprises a heat-shrinkable sheath.

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