Decorative grass and packaging material formed of renewable or biodegradable polymer materials and methods of producing same
A method for forming decorative grass and packaging materials from renewable polymer materials are provided. Methods of utilizing such decorative grasses and renewable polymer materials are also provided.
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to decorative and/or packaging materials and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to strip material, shredded material or cut material formed of renewable or biodegradable polymer materials, and methods of producing same.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
Decorative grass has been used for many years in Easter baskets and for other decorative purposes. The decorative grass of the prior art has been produced by numerous methods and from a variety of materials such as polymeric materials, paper, cellophane or the like. Typically, such materials are cut and shredded to produce segments having predetermined dimensions. One such prior art method for making decorative grass is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,266, issued to Weder, et al., wherein a plastic film is extruded and cut into plastic strips which are passed through a slow-speed godet, an oven and a high-speed godet so that the strips are drawn down in width and thickness without breaking. From the high-speed godet, the strips or strands are chopped to a desired length and conveyed to a storage area for subsequent bagging and packaging.
While the prior art methods for making decorative grass have been widely accepted, new and improved methods for making decorative grasses having improved aesthetic qualities and bulk are being sought which are less costly and more environmentally friendly. It is to such decorative grasses and methods for producing same that the present invention is directed.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
The present invention is related to decorative grass and packaging materials that are formed from a renewable and/or biodegradable polymer material.
The term “renewable polymer material” as used herein will be understood to refer to environmentally-friendly materials that are renewable and/or sustainable. The terms “renewable polymer material” and “sustainable polymer material” are therefore used herein interchangeably. Renewable polymer materials are known in the art and have been developed to replace petrochemical polymer materials and reduce carbon emissions. Renewable polymer materials are formed from crop or raw materials such as, but not limited to, wheat, potatoes, corn, farmed wood, plant-derived sugars or lipids, soy or castor oil, and the like. Examples of polymers formed from these crop or raw materials include, but are not limited to, starch-based polymers, Polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), and the like. In addition, the term “renewable polymer materials” utilized in accordance with the present invention will also be understood to include copolymers of any of the above.
Particular examples of renewable polymer materials that may be utilized in accordance with the present invention include, but are not limited to, a starch polymer such as MATER-BI® (Novamont, Novara, Italy); a Polylactic acid, such as NatureWorks® PLA (Nature Works/Cargill, Minneapolis, Minn.) a PHA, such as MIREL™ (Metabolix, Cambridge, Mass.); and the various materials disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,421, issued to Brinton, Jr. on Oct. 21, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,216, issued to Tomka on Sep. 2, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,771, issued to Tokiwa et al. on Dec. 30, 2003; U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,171, issued to Naito et al. on Oct. 30, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,379, issued to Wang on Jul. 13, 1999; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,536, issued to Tomka on Jan. 6, 1998; the contents of each of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. However, the above-referenced materials are provided for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to use of such materials, but includes any renewable polymer materials known in the art that are capable of functioning in accordance with the present invention.
The term “biodegradable polymer material” as used herein will be understood to refer to environmentally-friendly materials that are degradable and/or compostable. Such materials may be degradable/compostable by various living organisms or by exposure to light and/or oxygen. Therefore, the term “biodegradable polymer material”, as used herein, will be understood to include materials that are oxobiodegradable, photobiodegradable and microbial biodegradable. Such materials may also be referred to as “bioplastics” within the art, and therefore the term “bioplastic” may also be used interchangeably herein with the term “biodegradable polymer material”.
Examples of biodegradable polymer materials that may be utilized in accordance with the present invention include, but are not limited to, bioplastics made with plastarch material (PSM), and polylactic acid (PLA), certain aliphatic-aromatic co-polyester compounds such as succinates and adipates, and the like. In addition, the term “biodegradable polymer materials” utilized in accordance with the present invention will also be understood to include copolymers of any of the above.
The degradation products of biodegradable polymer materials utilized in accordance with the present invention may be recycled or subjected to proper disposal methods, such as but not limited to, incineration or landfill disposal. If the degradation products are suitable for recycling, the biodegradable polymer material may also be described as a renewable polymer material, as described in detail herein above.
In one embodiment, the present invention is related to a method for producing a decorative grass. The method includes providing at least one renewable/biodegradable polymer material and forming the at least one renewable/biodegradable polymer material into segments of decorative grass. The renewable/biodegradable polymer material may be selected from the group consisting of starch-based polymers, polylactic acid, cellulose, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and copolymers thereof. The forming step may be defined as cutting the at least one renewable/biodegradable polymer material into strips to provide segments of decorative grass, or as extruding the at least one renewable/biodegradable polymer material into segments of decorative grass. However, the present invention is to be understood to not be limited to any particular method of forming decorative grass, and thus other methods of forming decorative grass also fall within the scope of the present invention.
The present invention also includes a decorative grass of packaging material that includes a plurality of strips of at least one renewable/biodegradable polymer material, wherein the at least one renewable/biodegradable polymer material is selected from the group consisting of starch-based polymers, polylactic acid, cellulose, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and copolymers thereof.
The present invention also includes a packaging material the comprises a plurality of flexible strips of material. Each of the strips of flexible material have a first end and a second end. The plurality of flexible strips of material are formed of at least one renewable/biodegradable polymer material, wherein the at least one renewable/biodegradable polymer material is selected from the group consisting of starch-based polymers, polylactic acid, cellulose, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and copolymers thereof. The packaging material also includes a border portion along which the strips of flexible material are integrally interconnected to one another along one end thereof.
In one embodiment, a bonding material may be disposed on at least a portion of at least one of the strips of flexible material and the border portion.
In another embodiment, the plurality of flexible strips of material may extend from a first end of the border portion, and the packaging material may further comprise a second plurality of flexible strips of material extending from a second end of the border portion in a direction opposite the plurality of flexible strips of material extending from the first end of the border portion such that the strips of material extending from the first and second ends of the border portion are integrally interconnected to one another. Optionally, a bonding material may be disposed on at least a portion of at least one of the border portion, the strips of flexible material extending from the first end of the border portion, and the strips of flexible material extending from the second end of the border portion.
The present invention also includes a package that comprises a container, any of the packaging materials described herein above, and an article positioned in the container so that the packaging material cushions the article. In one embodiment, the packaging material may have a bonding material disposed thereon, as described in detail herein above, so that the packaging material may be bondingly connected to the container and/or the article.
Any of the decorative grasses and packaging materials described herein above may be provided with at least one of a color, design and decorative pattern disposed on at least a portion thereof.
Some of the Figures of the subject application will be described herein after with reference to strips of decorative grass; however, it is to be understood that segments of packaging material may be formed exactly as described herein as well. In addition, some of the Figures of the subject application will be described herein after with reference to segments of packaging material; however, it is to be understood that strips of decorative grass may be formed exactly as described herein as well. Therefore, the term “decorative grass” as used herein after will be understood to include “packaging material”, and that the terms “strips of decorative grass” and “segments of packaging material” may be used herein interchangeably.
Shown in
The strip 10 of decorative grass comprises an upper surface 12, a lower surface 14, a length 16 and a width 18. The strip 10 of decorative grass may be directly extruded into such strip 10, or the strip 10 may be produced by slitting and/or cutting a sheet or web of material, as described in detail herein after.
The strip 10 of decorative grass may be constructed of a single layer of material or a plurality of layers of the same or different types of materials. The layers of material comprising the strip 10 may be laminated together or connected together by any method known in the art. When the strip 10 is formed of more than one layer of material, at least one layer of material is constructed of a renewable/biodegradable polymer material; however, such layer may be connected to another, non-renewable/non-biodegradable layer of material.
In addition, when the strip 20 is provided with two or more design(s) and/or pattern(s) 30, the design(s) and/or pattern(s) may be in register with one another or out of register with one another. Alternatively, a portion of the two or more design(s) and/or pattern(s) may be in register with one another, while another portion of the two or more design(s) and/or pattern(s) may be out of register with one another.
In addition, the color(s), design(s) and/or pattern(s) 30 may be oriented along a length 26 and/or a width 28 of the strip 20. The color(s), design(s) and/or pattern(s) 30 may be complete in either or both directions, (i.e., length 26 and width 28) or the color(s), design(s) and/or pattern(s) 30 may be incomplete (i.e., cut-apart) in one or both directions.
The term “optical effect material” as used herein is to understood to mean any material capable of changing appearance, such as perspective and/or color, as the angle of view of such material changes. Optical effect materials include, but are not limited to, iridescent materials, materials having one or more holograms and the like.
The term “cloth-like” will be used interchangeably herein with the term “texture and/or appearance simulating the texture and/or appearance of cloth”. Examples of decorative grass having a texture or appearance simulating the texture or appearance of cloth have previously been disclosed by the inventor in U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,967, issued Jul. 30, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,735, issued Jan. 28, 2003; U.S. Pat. No. 6,673,422, issued Jan. 6, 2004; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,902,644, issued Jun. 7, 2005. The contents of each of the above-referenced patents are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
The term “paper-like” will be used interchangeably herein with the term “texture and/or appearance simulating the texture and/or appearance of paper”. Examples of decorative grass having a texture or appearance simulating the texture or appearance of paper have previously been disclosed by the inventor in U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,960, issued Oct. 9, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,651, issued Jun. 18, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,997, issued Dec. 10, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,555,198, issued Apr. 29, 2003; U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,408, issued Nov. 11, 2003; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,242, issued Nov. 18, 2003. The contents of each of the above-referenced patents are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
In addition, the decorative grass of the presently claimed invention may have a scent disposed thereon or therein. The scent may be disposed on or in the decorative grass by any methods known in the art. Examples of decorative grass having a scent disposed therein have been previously disclosed by the inventor in U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,593, issued Dec. 2, 2003; U.S. Pat. No. 6,737,161, issued May 18, 2004; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,764, issued Mar. 8, 2005. The contents of each of the above-referenced patents are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
The slit web of renewable/biodegradable polymeric material 58 having a plurality of strips of predetermined width is then passed through a cutting unit 60 where the strips of the slit web of renewable/biodegradable polymeric material 58 are cut into segments to form the decorative grass 42, which can be identical to the strips 10 or 20 shown in
Any conventional device and method can be employed as the slitter or shredder unit 56 for slitting of the web of renewable/biodegradable polymeric material 44 to produce the slit web of renewable/biodegradable polymeric material 58 having a plurality of strips of predetermined width and as the cutting unit 60 for cutting the strips of the slit web of renewable/biodegradable polymeric material 58 to form the decorative grass 42 constructed of renewable/biodegradable polymer material. Examples of conventional devices which can be used as the slitter or shredder unit 56 and/or as the cutting unit 60 are rotary knives, reciprocating knives, die cutting, laser cutting, water jet cutting, air jet cutting and the like.
It is to be understood that portions of the system 40 may be omitted. For example, the web of renewable/biodegradable polymer material 44 may be provided with the desired width of a single strip of decorative grass 42, and therefore the slitter or shredder unit 56 would not be required. Optionally, sheets of renewable/biodegradable polymer material may be provided instead of the roll 46 of renewable/biodegradable polymer material, and such sheets may be provided with a desired length for the strips of decorative grass 42; in this instance, the cutting unit 60 would be omitted from the system. Further, the pair of tension or nip rollers 52 and 54 may be omitted, duplicated, or placed anywhere along the system 40, and therefore their positioning in
In addition, the system for producing decorative grass may further include steps for applying color(s), design(s) and/or pattern(s) to the web of renewable/biodegradable polymer material and/or to the strips of decorative grass.
It is to be understood that the system 80 may comprise more than one ink roller 86 that apply one or more color(s), design(s) and/or pattern(s) to the renewable/biodegradable polymer material 84. In addition, the positioning of each element shown in
In the system 110, a roll 114 of renewable/biodegradable polymer material 116 having an upper surface 118 and a lower surface 120 is rollingly supported so that the renewable/biodegradable polymer material 116 is passed between embossing rollers 120 and 122 which are rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows 124 and 126, respectively. The embossing roller 122 has a plurality of raised portions 128 (only one of the raised portions being designated by the reference numeral in
The embossed renewable/biodegradable polymer material 136 is then passed through a slitter 138, which slits or cuts the embossed renewable/biodegradable polymer material 136 into strips or strands of desired width to produce a slitted web 140. The slitted web 140 is then passed into a chopper unit 142 where the slitted web 140 is chopped to produce the embossed decorative grass 112 having a predetermined length and width.
It is to be understood that the system 110 may comprise more than one set of embossing rollers 120 and 122 that apply one or more embossed design(s) and/or pattern(s) to the renewable/biodegradable polymer material 116. In addition, the positioning of each element shown in
Further, it is to be understood that the printing and embossing steps disclosed in
Rather than directly extruding the renewable/biodegradable polymer material in the form of strands of decorative grass, the renewable/biodegradable polymer material may be extruded in the form of a sheet or web of renewable/biodegradable polymer material; this change is simply made by changing the profile of the extrusion die 164. In this instance, the cooled, extruded polymer material may be subjected to a shredder and/or cutting unit as described in relation to systems 40, 80 and 110 of
Any of the decorative grass and packaging materials constructed in accordance with the present invention may be provided with one or more distortion formed therein. Such distortions may include, but are not limited to, curls, crimps, corrugations, and combinations thereof.
For example,
In another example,
The methods of forming distortions described herein above are provided for purposes of illustration only, and are not to be regarded as limiting. Any methods of forming distortions in a decorative grass or packaging material (or the material from which the decorative grass or packaging material is formed) may be utilized in accordance with the present invention.
Packaging materials constructed in accordance with the present invention may be formed by any of the methods disclosed herein above or otherwise known in the art. Particular, non-limiting examples of prior packaging materials known in the art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,561,356; 6,534,136; 6,401,436; 6,390,300; and 6,253,921. The contents of each of the above-referenced patents is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. A novel packaging material constructed of a renewable/biodegradable polymer material may be formed as described in any of the above-referenced patents.
The packaging material 220 shown in
The term “bonding material” when used herein refers to an adhesive, frequently a pressure sensitive adhesive, or a cohesive or any adhesive/cohesive combination having adhesive qualities (i.e., qualities of adhesion or adhesion/cohesion, respectively) sufficient to connect a packaging material disclosed and claimed herein to a container or other desired object. Since the bonding material may comprise either an adhesive or an adhesive/cohesive combination, it will be appreciated that both adhesives and cohesives are known in the art, and both are commercially available. When the bonding material is a cohesive, a similar cohesive material must be placed on the adjacent surface for bondingly contacting and bondingly engaging with the cohesive material. The term “bonding material” also includes materials which are heat sealable and, in this instance, the adjacent portions of the material must be brought into contact and then heat must be applied to effect the seal. The term “bonding material” also includes materials which are sonically sealable and vibratory sealable. The term “bonding material” when used herein also includes a heat sealing lacquer or hot melt material which may be applied to the material and, in this instance, heat, sound waves, or vibrations, also must be applied to effect the sealing.
The term “bonding material” when used herein also includes any type of material or thing which can be used to effect the bonding or connecting described herein. For example but not by way of limitation, a cold seal adhesive may be utilized as the bonding material. The cold seal adhesive adheres only to a similar substrate, acting similarly as a cohesive, and binds only to itself. The cold seal adhesive, since it bonds only to a similar substrate, does not cause a residue to build up on equipment, thereby both permitting much more rapid disposition and use of such equipment to form articles and reducing labor costs. A cold seal adhesive binds quickly and easily with minimal pressure, and such a seal is not readily releasable. This characteristic is different from, for example, a pressure sensitive adhesive.
The term “bonding material” when used herein also includes any heat or chemically shrinkable material, and static electrical or other electrical materials, chemical welding materials, magnetic materials, mechanical or barb-type fastening materials or clamps, curl-type characteristics of the film or materials incorporated in material which can cause the material to take on certain shapes, cling films, slots, grooves, shrinkable materials and bands, curl materials, springs, and any type of welding method.
The packaging material 230 may be placed in a container as described in detail herein above with reference to
The sheets of material 242 are shown in
In one embodiment, the packaging material 250 may be placed in a container as described in detail herein above with reference to
In another embodiment, the packaging material 250 may include a plurality of sheets of material 252 stacked and/or bonded together, as described herein above with reference to
Any of the packaging materials described herein above may further be provided with at least a portion of at least one color, design and/or decorative pattern disposed on at least a portion thereof, as described in detail herein above with reference to
Thus, in accordance with the present invention, there has been provided decorative grass and packaging materials, as well as methods of producing same, that fully satisfy the objectives and advantages set forth hereinabove. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with the specific drawings, experimentation, results and language set forth hereinabove, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A method for producing a decorative grass, comprising:
- providing a polymer material, wherein the polymer material is at least one of a renewable polymer material and a biodegradable polymer material; and
- forming the polymer material into segments of decorative grass, wherein the segments are renewable and/or biodegradable.
2. The method for producing decorative grass of claim 1 wherein, in the step of providing a polymer material, the polymer material is selected from the group consisting of starch-based polymers, polylactic acid, cellulose, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and copolymers thereof.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the polymer material into segments of decorative grass is further defined as cutting the polymer material into strips to provide segments of decorative grass.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the polymer material into segments of decorative grass is further defined as extruding the polymer material into segments of decorative grass.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the segments of decorative grass are provided with at least one of a color, design and decorative pattern disposed on at least a portion thereof.
6. A packaging material, comprising:
- a plurality of flexible strips of material, each of the strips of flexible material having a first end and a second end, wherein the plurality of flexible strips of material are formed of at least one of a renewable polymer material and a biodegradable polymer material, wherein the at least one of a renewable polymer material and a biodegradable polymer material is selected from the group consisting of starch-based polymers, polylactic acid, cellulose, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and copolymers thereof; and
- a border portion along which the strips of flexible material are integrally interconnected to one another along one end thereof.
7. The packaging material of claim 6, further comprising a bonding material disposed on at least a portion of at least one of the strips of flexible material and the border portion.
8. The packaging material of claim 6, wherein the plurality of flexible strips of material extend from a first end of the border portion, and wherein the packaging material further comprises a second plurality of flexible strips of material extending from a second end of the border portion in a direction opposite the plurality of flexible strips of material extending from the first end of the border portion such that the strips of material extending from the first and second ends of the border portion are integrally interconnected to one another.
9. The packaging material of claim 8, further comprising a bonding material disposed on at least a portion of at least one of the border portion, the strips of flexible material extending from the first end of the border portion, and the strips of flexible material extending from the second end of the border portion.
10. The packaging material of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of strips are provided with at least one of a color, design and decorative pattern disposed on at least a portion thereof.
11. A package, comprising:
- a container;
- a packaging material comprising: a plurality of flexible strips of material, each of the strips of flexible material having a first end and a second end, wherein the plurality of flexible strips of material are formed of at least one of a renewable polymer material and a biodegradable polymer material, wherein the at least one of a renewable polymer material and a biodegradable polymer material is selected from the group consisting of starch-based polymers, polylactic acid, cellulose, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and copolymers thereof; and
- a border portion along which the strips of flexible material are integrally interconnected to one another along one end thereof; and
- an article positioned in the container so that the packaging material cushions the article.
12. The package of claim 11, wherein the packaging material further comprises a bonding material disposed on at least a portion of at least one of the strips of flexible material and the border portion.
13. The package of claim 12, wherein the packaging material is bondingly connected to the container.
14. The package of claim 12, wherein the packaging material is bondingly connected to the article.
15. The package of claim 11, wherein the plurality of flexible strips of material of the packaging material extend from a first end of the border portion, and wherein the packaging material further comprises a second plurality of flexible strips of material extending from a second end of the border portion in a direction opposite the plurality of flexible strips of material extending from the first end of the border portion such that the strips of material extending from the first and second ends of the border portion are integrally interconnected to one another.
16. The package of claim 15, wherein the packaging material further comprises a bonding material disposed on at least a portion of at least one of:
- (a) the strips of flexible material extending from the first end of the border portion;
- (b) the strips of flexible material extending from the second end of the border portion; and
- (c) the border portion.
17. The package of claim 16, wherein the packaging material is bondingly connected to the container.
18. The package of claim 16, wherein the packaging material is bondingly connected to the article.
19. The package of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of strips of the packaging material are provided with at least one of a color, design and decorative pattern disposed on at least a portion thereof.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 8, 2007
Publication Date: May 14, 2009
Inventor: Donald E. Weder (Highland, IL)
Application Number: 11/983,365
International Classification: B65D 75/00 (20060101); A41G 1/00 (20060101);