Naked collation package with tube form

Abstract

A naked collation package comprising a plurality of individual units laid end-to-end or side-by-side to form a unit row comprising at least one interface between a neighbouring pair of individual units in the unit row, the unit row being overwrapped with a sheet of polymeric film having a length and a width, the length of the sheet being sufficient to envelop the unit row with sufficient overlap between the ends of the sheet to provide an overlap region for providing a girth seal along at least part of the length of the unit row, the sheet being sealed to itself in that region to provide the girth seal, and the sheet being provided along its length, or part or parts of it, with a line of weakness positioned in substantial register with the interface.

1 . A naked collation package comprising:
 a plurality of individual units laid end-to-end or side-by-side to form a unit row comprising at least one interface between a neighbouring pair of individual units in the unit row;   the unit row being overwrapped with a sheet of polymeric film having a length and a width,   the length of the sheet being sufficient to envelop the unit row with sufficient overlap between the ends of the sheet to provide an overlap region for providing a girth seal along at least part of the length of the unit row, the sheet being sealed to itself in that overlap region to provide the girth seal,   the width of the sheet being not substantially longer than the unit row so that the wrapped and girth-sealed sheet forms an open-ended sleeve around the unit row,   the sheet being provided along its length, or part or parts of it, with at least one line of weakness positioned in substantial register with a respective interface.   
     
     
         2 . The naked collation package according to  claim 1  wherein flexing the package in the region of the interface causes an individual unit or group of units to be snapped off from the remainder of the package whilst leaving the remainder of the package substantially intact. 
     
     
         3 . The naked collation package according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one interface comprises a plurality of interfaces between neighbouring pairs of individual units and the at least one line of weakness comprises a plurality of lines of weakness along the length of the sheet; respective lines of weakness positioned in substantial register with respective interfaces. 
     
     
         4 . The naked collation package according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one line of weakness comprises a substantially straight line of weakness. 
     
     
         5 . The naked collation package according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one line of weakness comprises an oscillating line of weakness. 
     
     
         6 . A process for production of a naked collation package, the process comprising the steps of:
 providing a plurality of individual units laid end-to-end or side-by-side to form a unit row comprising an interface between a neighbouring pair of individual units in the unit row;   providing a sheet of polymeric film having a length and a width, the length of the sheet being sufficient to envelop the unit row with sufficient overlap between the ends of the sheet to provide an overlap region for providing a girth seal along at least part of the length of the unit row, the width of the sheet being not substantially longer than the unit row;   providing along the length of the film a line of weakness;   registering the line of weakness with the interface; and   wrapping the length of the film around the unit row and sealing the film to itself in the overlap region to provide a girth seal, so that the wrapped and girth-sealed sheet forms an open-ended sleeve around the unit row.   
     
     
         7 . The process as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the process results in a package wherein, when the package is flexed in the region of the interface, an individual unit or group of units is snapped off from the remainder of the package whilst leaving the remainder of the package substantially intact. 
     
     
         8 . The process as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the interface comprises a plurality of interfaces between neighbouring pairs of individual units, the line of weakness comprises a plurality of lines of weakness; and each line of weakness is positioned in substantial register with a respective interface. 
     
     
         9 . The process as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the line of weakness comprises a substantially straight line of weakness. 
     
     
         10 . The process as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the line of weakness comprises an oscillating line of weakness.