Heat-Shrinkable Holder for Articles, Heat-Shrinkable Package of Articles, Heat-Shrinkable Sleeve for Articles and Method and Device for Packaging and Sleeving Articles

Abstract

A heat-shrinkable holder for securing articles, a package securing such articles using heat-shrinkable sheets, a shrinkable sleeve, and a method and device for securing such articles using heat-shrinkable sheets and sleeves are disclosed. The holder is constructed so that it is separable when desired, and may comprise the labeling or the like for an article to be packaged. Releasable fasteners such as adhesives, heat seals, and/or perforations may be employed on the sheets. If desired, articles may be individually sleeved with a heat shrinkable film blank portion, which may function as labeling.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method of packaging articles comprising:
 creating a first and second blank strip by joining a first sheet of heat-shrinkable material and a second sheet of heat-shrinkable material at discrete joinder portions spaced along the first and second sheet so as to form a plurality of openings, each opening located between each adjacent pair of joinder portions;   perforating the first and second sheets at the discrete joinder portions;   joining the first and second blank strips by applying a releasable fastener to the first and second blank stops spaced from the perforations;   inserting an article into each of the openings;   separating the sheets are articles at predetermined locations into groups of articles; and   heating the first and second sheets to shrink the first and second sheets thereby forming a unitary package of the sheets and the groups of inserted articles.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the joining step is achieved by applying an adhesive. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , further including opening the openings before the inserting step. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the opening step includes blowing a gas into the openings. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the blowing step is performed by a separator inserted into the openings during at least part of the blowing step. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the separator is removed as the article is inserted. 
     
     
         28 . A device for placing a pre-made shrink-wrap blank on articles, the device comprising:
 a conveyor belt for conveying a plurality of the articles;   a feed for feeding the shrink-wrap blank to the articles;   a guide for sliding the blank onto the articles with articles sliding into openings in the blank;   a separating device for separating the plurality of articles from each other along with respective portions of the blank by separating the blank into portions at predetermined locations; and   a heat source for shrinking the discrete articles and respective blank portions to secure the blank portion to the articles.   
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 28 , wherein a separator blows a fluid into the openings in the blanks to assist in opening the openings for the articles. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 29 , wherein the separator includes extending elements driven along a track, the extending elements extending into the openings to assist in opening the openings for the articles. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 28 , wherein the portion of the blank is disposed around one article. 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 31 , wherein the portion of the blank includes a label for the article. 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 28 , wherein the portion of the blank is disposed around a plurality of articles, thereby forming a package of articles secured by the shrunken blank portion. 
     
     
         33 . A method of attaching heat-shrinkable sleeves on articles comprising:
 creating a blank strip by joining a first sheet of heat-shrinkable material and a second sheet of heat-shrinkable material at discrete joinder portions spaced along the first and second sheet so as to form a plurality of openings, each opening located between each adjacent pair of joinder portions;   perforating the first and second sheets at the discrete joinder portions;   inserting an article into each of the openings;   separating the sheets and articles at the joinder portions to form a sleeve about each article made from a portion of the first sheet and a portion of the second sheet; and   heating the sleeve, thereby shrinking the sheet portions to secure them to the respective article.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the creating step includes creating perforations at the joinder portions to assist in the separating step. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the shrunken sleeve comprises a label for the article.