Improvements to packaging material

Abstract

The invention relates to the packaging of one or more articles in a packaging sheet material which is moveable from a first condition to a second, expanded, condition to improve the packaging effect of the sheet material. In accordance with the invention the sheet material includes a first portion with apertures which can be moved to an open position to create the second, expanded, condition and at least one, but typically a plurality of spaced apart, second portions which have no apertures, or a different shape and/or pattern of apertures than the apertures of the first portion, so as to form a surface of the said second portion more suitable for the application of a label and/or indications thereon when the sheet material is in the second expanded condition.

1 . A packaging material formed from at least one layer of sheet material, said sheet material having a first portion with a plurality of apertures formed in a predefined and repeating pattern on said sheet material such that, when a movement force is applied in at least one direction to the said sheet material, an opening effect is applied to at least some of said apertures and moves the sheet material from a first condition to a second, expanded, condition, wherein the sheet material includes at least one second portion which is provided with no apertures, or a different shape and/or pattern of apertures than the apertures of the first portion, so as to form a surface of the said second portion suitable for the application of a label and/or indications thereon when the sheet material is in the second expanded condition. 
     
     
         2 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein when the movement force is applied the area and/or volume of the packaging material is increased by the opening of the apertures. 
     
     
         3 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein said surface of the at least one second portion receives the label with a layer of adhesive thereon to retain the label on said surface and/or indications in the form of ink which is printed or handwritten onto said surface. 
     
     
         4 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein the said surface of the at least one second portion include an adhesive material to allow a further sheet material to be applied thereto or another part of the same sheet material to be retained thereon. 
     
     
         5 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein when the said second portion of the sheet material has no apertures formed thereon the same has a surface area with edges defined by the adjacent apertures of the first portion of the sheet material, 
     
     
         6 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein when the said second portion includes apertures, the spacing between adjacent apertures is greater than the spacing between the adjacent apertures formed in the first portion. 
     
     
         7 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein a plurality of said second portions are located at predetermined spaced apart locations on the said sheet material. 
     
     
         8 . A material according to  claim 7  wherein the said location and spacing of the said second portions are determined with respect to the particular use of the packaging material such that when a section of the sheet material of a sufficient size to be used to package a known article or articles is removed from the packaging material supply at least one of the said second portions is located on the separated section, 
     
     
         9 . A material according to  claim 8  wherein the location and spacing of the second portions is predefined such that a plurality of said second portions are present on the said separated section. 
     
     
         10 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein when the movement force is applied the said first portion expands to a greater extent than the at least one second portion. 
     
     
         11 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein the said packaging material is provided as a roll to be dispensed in a first direction from a dispensing apparatus in which the roll is retained and the length of the sheet material is parallel to the direction of the application of the movement force to the leading edge of the sheet material so as to dispense a section of the sheet material which is cut from the supply and used to package one or more articles. 
     
     
         12 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein the sheet material is formed of one layer. 
     
     
         13 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein the sheet material is formed of a plurality of layers. 
     
     
         14 . A material according to  claim 13  wherein the said first and second portions of the respective layers are located in register so as to be provided at the same respective locations, 
     
     
         15 . A material according to  claim 13  wherein at least one of said layers is provided with the said first and second portions and the remainder of the layers are provided with a pattern of slits of a first portion and no second portion is provided and the at least one layer with the second portions formed thereon is located to form an external surface of the sheet material. 
     
     
         16 . A material according to  claim 13  wherein a first of said layers is provided with first and second portions and located to form a first external surface of the sheet material and a second of said layers is provided with first and second portions and located to form the opposing external surface of the sheet material. 
     
     
         17 . A material according to  claim 16  wherein said external surfaces of the sheet material are provided so that the second portions are in register. 
     
     
         18 . A material according to  claim 13  wherein each of the layers has its own aperture pattern to create interlocking layers of expansion sheet packaging materials of at least the first portions when the sheet material is moved to the second, expanded, condition. 
     
     
         19 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein when the sheet material is expanded to the second condition the apertures of the first portion expand to create a three dimensional packaging configuration of a series of cells of hexagons 
     
     
         20 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein the apertures are provided in the form of slits and which, when the sheet material is moved to the second condition, open. 
     
     
         21 . A material according to  claim 1  wherein the material includes paper or card fibres. 
     
     
         22 . A packaging sheet material, said sheet material moveable from a first condition to a second, extended condition by the exertion of a movement force thereon, wherein said sheet material includes a first portion including apertures formed therein in a predefined pattern, and at least one second portion, and when the said movement force is applied to the sheet material the first portion expands to a greater extent than the second portion. 
     
     
         23 . A material according to  claim 22  wherein the expansion of the first portion includes the said first portion moving so as to be substantially non planer with respect to the second portion. 
     
     
         24 . A method of packaging an article in a packaging sheet material, said method comprising the steps of forming a series of apertures in a repeating pattern on a first portion of at least one layer of the sheet material, providing the sheet material in a roll to be dispensed from a dispensing apparatus, pulling a leading edge of the said roll from the dispensing apparatus so as to open the apertures of the said first portion and expand the dimensions of the sheet material, removing a section of the sheet material from the roll and wrapping one or more articles in said sheet material and wherein providing a plurality of second portions in the sheet material with no or a lower density of apertures than in the first portion and providing said second portions in a predefined pattern on said sheet material such that when the section of sheet material of the required size to package said one or more articles is removed, at least one of said second portions is located on said section. 
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 24  wherein a label and/or indications are applied to a surface of the said at least one second portion located on said section. 
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 25  wherein the said label and/or indications include an address to which the packaged article is to be posted or delivered.