[0001] This design patent concerns a system for piling paper plates whereby the flap of
each plate in one pile is staggered with respect to the flap of the underlying plate.
Disposable paper plates are made of plasticized paper or of plastic and are packaged
in compact piles in plastic bags or shrink- films.
[0002] The use of these plates has raised a practical problem: when a plate is removed from
its packaging pile, very often two or three plates come away together instead of only
one. This is caused not only by the very fine thickness of the plates but also because
they are piled very closely together in order to prevent the formation of air pockets
which would destabilize the pile and increase its height.
[0003] Attempts have already made to resolve this problem with a semicircular flap on the
edge of the plate which can be held to separate the plate from the pile individually
- this was done in the belief that it would be easier to hold the plate from this
flap in order to remove the plate from the pile rather than holding it from the edge
of the plate. From a practical point of view however these flaps have in no way resolved
the initial problem in that even if the flaps do provide a better holding area thanks
to their projecting profile, they are equally as difficult to separate since they
too are extremely fine as well as being overlapping and compacted on each other, just
like the plates.
[0004] In view of these problems, a system has been designed for packaging disposable plates
for which the issue of a design patent is requested; according to this invention,
the plates in the pile fit into each other with the flap of each plate staggered and
not overlapping the flap of the underlying plate.
[0005] This means that the pile of plates packaged according to this system has the flaps
distributed in a helicoidal arrangement; in this position none of the flaps overlap
or adhere to the others, but are, at the most aligned - in the case of piles with
numerous plates - with other flaps but always with a minimum distance between them
corresponding to the above helicoidal curve.
[0006] It is clear that the packaging system according to the invention is the final solution
to this problem since in a pile packaged in this way the flaps of the plates are extremely
easy to grasp.
[0007] The new packaging system is easy and convenient to realize for all standard plates,
but is more reliable if used with plates having several regularly spaced cup shaped
impressions on the circular crown, which fit into those on the underlying plate of
the pile.
[0008] This male - female coupling of the plates in the pile stops the flaps of two or more
piled plates from overlapping, should these be accidentally turned, thereby nullifying
the advantages offered by the packaging system in question.
[0009] The impressions on each plate can obviously be realized with many different shapes
provided the same can fit perfectly into those on the overlapping and underlying plates
in the pile.
[0010] For major clarity the description of the invention continues with reference to the
enclosing drawing which is intended for purposes of illustration and not in a limiting
sense, whereby:
- fig. 1 is a schematic and perspective view of a pile packaged using the system in
question.
- fig. 2 is a schematic and perspective view of a similar pile of plates to that shown
in fig. 1 with the difference that each plate has radial non-slip slots instead of
cup shaped impressions.
[0011] Fig. 1 illustrates a pile consisting of several plates (1) whose respective flaps
(2) are staggered at a regular angle along the external edge of the pile.
[0012] As already mentioned, each plate (1) has a series of regularly spaced cup shaped
impressions (3) on the circular crown (1a) which fit together perfectly with identical
impressions on the plates above and below.
[0013] Using the same packaging system, the pile of plates in fig. 2 consists of plates
(1) having a series of radial non slip slots (4), whose scope is the same as that
of the cup shaped impression 3 on the plates shown in fig. 1.
1. A packaging system for piling plastic or paper plates having a holding flap characterized
in that the plates (1) of the same pile are overlapped so that the flap (2) on each
plate is staggered with respect to the flap of the underlying plate.
2. A packaging system for piling paper plates according to claim 1), characterized in
that the plates of the same pile are packaged so that their flaps (2) are positioned
along a helicoidal line.
3. Plate packages (1) having flaps (2) piled according to the packaging system according
to claims 1) and 3).
4. A plate for use in the realization of the packing system according to claims 1) and
2) characterized by a series of regularly spaced cup shaped impressions (3) on the
circular crown (1a) which fit together perfectly with identical cup shaped impressions
on the overlapping and underlying plates in the same pile.
5. A plate for use in the realization of the packaging system according to claims 1)
and 2) characterized by a series of radial non-slip slots (4) on the circular crown.
