Envelope for packaging object(s)made of shrinkable material with raised design

Abstract

The invention relates to a wrapper for packaging one or more articles, the wrapper being constituted by a sleeve of heat-shrink plastics material for shrinking onto the article(s) for packaging, said sleeve being made from a film that is folded in half and whose corresponding end zones are united. According to the invention, the wall of the sleeve is embossed at least in part with a predetermined pattern so that said pattern appears in relief on the outside face and/or the inside face of the sleeve and remains after said sleeve has been shrunk onto the article(s) to be packaged. Preferably, a semi-rigid film is used that includes an elastomeric phase in its formulation.

1 . A wrapper for packaging one or more articles, the wrapper being constituted by a sleeve of heat-shrink plastics material for shrinking onto the article(s) for packaging, said sleeve being made from a film that is folded in half and whose corresponding end zones are united, wherein the wall of the sleeve is embossed at least in part with a predetermined pattern so that said pattern appears in relief on the outside face and/or the inside face of the sleeve and remains after said sleeve has been shrunk onto the article(s) to be packaged.  
   
   
       2 . An article-packaging wrapper according to  claim 1 , wherein the film constituting the sleeve is a semi-rigid film including an elastomeric phase in its formulation.  
   
   
       3 . An article-packaging wrapper according to  claim 1 , wherein the inside and/or outside face of the sleeve is coated at least in part, in the location of the embossed pattern, in a technical agent in a registered position for encouraging retention of the relief during shrinkage of said sleeve.  
   
   
       4 . An article-packaging wrapper according to  claim 3 , wherein the inside and/or outside face of the sleeve is coated in the technical agent in the location of embossed zones that are associated with a high shrinkage ratio during shrinking of said sleeve on the article(s) to be packaged, in particular a ratio exceeding about 10% to 15%.  
   
   
       5 . An article-packaging wrapper according to  claim 3 , wherein the technical agent is coated on the inside and/or outside face, and said technical agent is a thermosetting varnish or the like that locally blocks shrinkage of the wall of the sleeve in the location of the embossed pattern.  
   
   
       6 . An article-packaging wrapper according to  claim 3 , wherein the technical agent is coated on the inside and/or outside face, and said technical agent is a thermoswelling varnish or the like that locally pushes back the wall of the sleeve in the location of the embossed pattern during shrinkage of the sleeve.  
   
   
       7 . An article-packaging wrapper according to  claim 5 , wherein the thermosetting or thermoswelling technical varnish is selected to be reactivatable at a temperature compatible with the temperature range for heat-shrinking the film constituting the sleeve.  
   
   
       8 . An article-packaging wrapper according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermosetting or thermoswelling technical varnish is deposited on a zone surrounding the embossed pattern.  
   
   
       9 . An article-packaging wrapper according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermosetting or thermoswelling technical varnish is deposited on the inside or outside face of the sleeve in the recesses formed by the embossed pattern.  
   
   
       10 . An article-packaging wrapper according to  claim 3 , wherein technical agent is deposited on the inside or outside face of the sleeve in the recess formed by the embossed pattern, and said technical agent is a rigid or semi-rigid insert.  
   
   
       11 . An article-packaging wrapper according to  claim 10 , wherein the rigid or semi-rigid insert presents a fine screen on its free face, in particular a multiple-diffraction screen of lens type.  
   
   
       12 . An article-packaging wrapper according to  claim 1 , wherein the inside and/or outside face of the sleeve presents screening or the like on at least some of the portions in relief formed by the embossed pattern.  
   
   
       13 . A method of manufacturing an article-packaging wrapper according to  claim 1 , wherein the film for constituting a heat-shrink sleeve is embossed while flat with a predetermined pattern, the embossed film subsequently be folded in half so that said pattern appears in relief on the convex outside face and/or on the concave inside face of said film, and the end zones concerned are united.  
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein a semi-rigid film is used that includes an elastomeric phase in its formulation.  
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the film is coated, in the location of the pattern that is to be embossed or that has already been embossed, on the face of said film that corresponds to the recessed side of the embossing and/or on the opposite face, with a technical agent that is in a registered position for encouraging retention of the relief during shrinkage of the wall of the film.  
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the face concerned of the film is coated in a technical agent constituted by a thermosetting varnish or the like, or by a thermoswelling varnish or the like.  
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the steps of embossing and optionally of locally coating in a technical agent are imlemented continuously on the film while it travels flat, prior to said film being shaped into a continuous sheath that can be stored in the flattened state by being wound onto a reel, the sleeves used for packaging article(s) being obtained by cutting said continuous sheath into segments.  
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the face concerned of the film is coated in the recesses of the embossing in a technical agent constituted by a rigid i=or semi-rigid insert.  
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the free face of the rigid or demi-rigid insert is worked to present a fine screen, in particular a multiple-diffraction screen of lens type.  
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the step of embossing and of putting the insert(s) into place, and also optionally of working said inserts, are implemented continuously of the film travelling while flat, prior to said film veing shaped into a continuous sheath storable in the flattened state by being wound on a reel, the sleeves used for packaging article(s) being ontained by cutting said continuous sheath into segments.  
   
   
       21 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the film while travelling flat is subjected, in the location of at least some of the embossed patterns in relief, to screening or the like.