Package for stacked articles

Abstract

A package for containing and picking up stacked articles and a method for making the package, which make it possible to reduce the production costs of the package and, in any case, obtain a package which is sufficiently rigid to keep the shape of the above-mentioned package.

1 . A package for containing and distributing a plurality of stacked articles in such a way as to form a stack, comprising a stiffening structure and a piece of plastic film which surrounds the stack and the structure in such a way as to close the package, wherein:
 the stiffening structure comprises a covering portion positioned to cover at least partly an upper outer face of the stack and two sealing portions positioned to cover at least partly two mutually opposite lateral faces of the stack respectively, the upper face being defined by at least one upper article, of the stack;   the piece comprises a first portion positioned superposed on the covering portions and a second portion of the piece positioned to cover a lower outer face of the stack;   the package forms, in use, a system for picking up the articles, the picking up system comprising an opening made in the covering portion and a weakening made in the first portion of the piece,   the sealing portions extending from the covering portion, respectively on opposite sides of the covering portion, and towards the second portion of the piece, in such a way that the second portion of the piece and the structure define between them a space inside the package, the stack being positioned in the space;   wherein the opening and the weakening are positioned in such a way as to allow a progressive passage of the upper article from the space to an environment outside the package and through the opening and the weakening, in order that a user can pick up the upper article from the package:   wherein:   the first portion of the piece and the covering portion belonging to the structure are mutually superposed in such a way as to define an upper wall of the package;   the opening is made in the covering portion belonging to the stiffening structure;   the sealing portions and are lateral and inner stiffening wings of the package, and the covering portion is an internal stiffening upper face of the package;   each of the sealing portions extends from a respective sector of an outer edge of the covering portion up to a respective free edge of the same sealing portion, the respective sector being opposite the respective sector from which extends the other of the sealing portions.   
     
     
         2 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the weakening is deformable in such a way as to define an open section designed to allow the passage. 
     
     
         3 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the opening and the weakening are mutually superposed in such a way as to be in communication to allow the passage. 
     
     
         4 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the package is configured so that the structure can exert an action opposing the reduction of the space which could otherwise occur, due to the flexibility of the piece, following the picking up from the package of the articles of the stack. 
     
     
         5 . The package according to  claim 4 , wherein the respective free edges of the sealing portions make contact with the second portion of the piece in such a way as to exert the opposing action. 
     
     
         6 . The package according to  claim 5 , wherein the structure comprises at least a further portion positioned to cover at least partly a further outer lateral surface of the stack, the further portion of the stiffening structure extending from the covering portion of the stiffening structure and towards the second portion of the piece, in such a way that the space is also defined by the further portion. 
     
     
         7 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the weakening comprises a cut, the package being configured so that the cut can hold in position the upper article in a pick-up position wherein the upper article is situated through the opening and the weakening, to protrude partly in the outside environment, in such a way that the upper article is ready for this picking up. 
     
     
         8 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the weakening is a cut. 
     
     
         9 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the opening is completely made through the covering portion, in such a way to be completely delimited by the covering portion, so that said opening is located completely on said covering portion and therefore on said upper wall of the package. 
     
     
         10 . A method for producing a package for containing and distributing a plurality of stacked articles in such a way as to as define a stack of the articles, comprising:
 a step of preparing the stack, the stack having at least an upper outer face, a lower outer face and two mutually opposite lateral outer faces, the upper face being defined by at least one upper article of the stack;   a step of preparing a stiffening structure comprising a covering portion and two sealing portions;   a step of preparing a pieced of plastic film;   a step of obtaining an opening in the covering portion;   a step of obtaining a weakening in the first portion of the piece;   a step of positioning the covering portion to cover at least partly the upper outer face of the stack;   a step of positioning the two sealing portions to cover at least partly the two lateral faces, respectively;   a step of wrapping the piece around the stack and the structure so as to close the package;   
       wherein:
 the step of positioning the covering portion and the step of positioning the sealing portions are performed in such a way that the sealing portions extend from the covering portion, respectively from opposite sides of the covering portion, and towards the second portion of the piece, so that the second portion of the piece and the structure define between them a space inside the package and the stack is positioned in the space; 
 the wrapping step is performed in such a way that a first portion of the piece is positioned superposed on the covering portion of the stiffening structure and a second portion of the piece is positioned to cover a lower outer face of the stack; 
 
       the steps of positioning the covering portion and wrapping the piece are performed in such a way that the opening and the weakening are positioned in such a way as to allow a progressive passage of the upper article from a space inside the package to an environment outside the package and through the opening and the weakening, in order that a user can pick up the upper article, from the package.