Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
TITLE OF IN~IENTION: IMPROVEMENTS TO PACKAGES
TEC~NICAL FIELD
The presen-t invention relates to a container of
the type having a container body including an opening port-
ion and in which the container includes a lid sealingly con-
nected to the opening portion in at least one sealing joint
disposed continuously about the opening or mouth of the
opening portion. The invention also provides a method of
filling and sealing a container having an opening portion
provided with an opening edge, in which the container is
supplied with filling goods including liquid as a component
part.
BACKG~OUND ART
In the packaging Art, it is a general desideratum
to be able to design containers and lids such that, in each
filled container, its storage space is utilized to the most
efficient and purposeful possible extent. It is also of con-
siderable importance that the space - often termed the
"headspace" - between the filling goods and the closure
(lid~ of the container be minimized in order that, when the
filling goods include liquid, the space above the surface of
the liquid be as small as possible and thereby the negative
action which this space may, in many physical applications,
exercise on the enclosed goods be minimized. This re-
quirement applies in particular to goods in which solid mat-
ter or bodies are included whose quality runs the risk of
deterioration if the bodies are not wholly submerged and
surrounded by the liquid. Examples of practical applications
in which such a minimization of this space is of crucial
value are containers for the storage of herrings in brine or
other preserving liquids. These demands for the minimization
of the space between the liquid surface and the closure of
the container are accentuated in physical appllcations in
which the container has a low proportional ratio between its
height and its circumference.
One drawback inherent in the employment of as
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slight a space as possible between the liquid surface and
the opening edges o~ the open container is that in and/or
after the filling operation with filling goods, the liquid
may unimpeded run or slop over the opening edg~ and thereby
cause problems in conjunction with the filling of the
container.
In particular in containers with a low proportion-
al ratio between the container's height and its circumfer-
ence - and in which there is a need for but a slight space
between the closure and the filling surface, it is difficult
to guarantee the opened container sufficient space between
the filling surface and the opening edges of the container
in order to preclude liquid from slopping over the opening
edges, for example when the opened con-tainer is set on a
table~
In containers which are subject to the requirement
of small space between the closure of sealing and the liquid
surface it is a not uncommon occurrence that the liquid
level will be too high in physical applications in which the
filling goods include, apart from the liquid, solid bodies -
and in particular when these are added manually (for example
in the packing of soused herring). This is because the total
volume of the solid bodies added to the container varies
from container to container.
SUMMARY OF THE IN~ENTION
The present invention relates to a container which
satisfies the above-outlined criteria and in which the draw-
backs considered in the foregoing are obviated.
A container in accordance with the invention has a
container body which includes an opening portion, the con-
tainer further comprising a lid which, in -the factory sealed
container, is sealingly connected to the opening portion in
at least one sealing joint disposed continuously about the
opening or mouth of the opening portion. Each respective
~oi~t a~d ~h~rek~ ~he bo~lndin~ definition of the stora~e
space of the container formed by the lid is disposed in one
plane which makes an acute angle with the plane through the
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standing surface or standing surfaces, respectively, of the
containerO
The invention also provides a method of filling
and sealing a container having an opening portion provided
with an opening edge, the container being supplied with
filling goods including liquid as a component part. The con-
tainer is placed on a substrate with an orientation en-
tailing that the opening edge of the container will, in one
region, be on a lower level than in other regions, where-
10 after the filling goods are supplied to the container. A lid
with a lid pane] surrounded by a circumferential edge region
is fixed in the edge region sealingly against the opening
portion by means of at least circumferential joint and in a
position in which the lid foil is substantially parallel to
15 the surface of the liquid and makes an acute angle with a
plane through the standing surface or standing surfaces,
respectively, of the container.
In one preferred embodiment, the container body is
provided with a shoulder or ledge located in the opening of
20 the container body, the shoulder being at least partly
countersunk in relation to the upper edge of the opening and
surrounding the opening interiorly, against which shoulder
the lid of the container is connected.
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by means of at least one part of the sealing connectlon between -the
lid and the container body. Further purposeful embodiments of the
container according to the present invention are disclosed in the
remaining dependent Claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACC~MPANYING DRA~INGS
The nature o~ the present invention and its aspects will be
more readily understood from the -following brief description of the
accompanying Drawings, and discussion relating thereto.
In the accompanying Drawings:
Fig. 1 is a section through a container in the filling posi-
t;on;
Fig. 2 is a section through a closed and sealed container in
the storage and opening positions;
Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line III-III in Fig. 2;
lS Fig. 4 is an oblique perspective view from above of a first em-
bodiment of a container according to the present invention and,
Fig. 5 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the
container body.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRE~ EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the Drawings, there is there shown a container 1
with a container body 10, lOa in which is included a sealed bottom
19 and an opening portion or mouth 13. A lid 20 which is provided
with a central lid panel 24 surrounded by an edge region 25, is, in
its edge region, connected, by means of one or more sealing and con-
tinuous joints 21, around the opening to the opening portion of the
container body. As a rulel each joint consists of a glued or welded
seam joint. Generally, the joints are of tear-off design, whereby
the opening of the closed container 1 will be facilitated. In the
Drawings, the lid is illustrated in one preferred embodiment ac-
cording to which it is designed as a foil or membrane. The bottom 19
of the container body is provided with one or more standing surfaces
12 located in a plane 11. In one preferred embodiment, one or more
circumferentially extending standing surfaces are employed. In the
illustrated embodiment, the opening 13 of the container body is pro-
vided with a continuous shoulder or ledge 14 which, as a rule, isdisposed but partly to surround the opening interiorly and is at
lèast partly counter~unk ln r~lat~on to an opènlng edge sur~ace 15
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which constitutes an upper bounding surFace for the opening 13 of the
container body 10. In other embodiments, the shoulder or ledge sur-
rounds the entire opening and, in this instance, is countersunk in
relation to a most proximally located opening edge surface 15. In the
embodiments illustrated in the drawings, the opening edge portion
merges into a portion of the opening in a flared flan~e 16 with an
upper bounding surface 17. The distance between the shoulder 14 and
the opening edge surface 15 varies about the circumference of the
opening portion and is at its greatest in the one end region of the
container body, this region being, in the embodiment provided with
the flared flange 16, located opposite the flange.
In the embodiments shown on the Drawings, the lid is continuously
and sealingly connected to the flared flange 16 as well as to the
shoulder or ledge 14 by means of the joint or joints 21, respec-
tively. As a rule, the shoulder and the flared flange, respectively,are provided with at least one continuous and generally circumfer-
entially extending ridge 18 to which the lid is connected in a fac-
tory-sealed container. In Fig. 4, the ridge is shown with a tip 50
which, according to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4, is disposed
on the flared flànge 16. The provision of the tip reduces the magni-
tude of the rupture forces required for initiating, on opening of the
factory-sealed container, the separation of the lid from the ridge
18. The ridge is disposed on the upper surface of the shoulder 1~
and, in the embodiments shown on the Drawings, continues along the
upper bounding surface of the flared flange 16. The joint 21 is
located in a plane 22 which makes an acute angle with the plane 11
through the standing surface 12 of the container and also as a rule
makes an acute angle with the opening edge surface 15. Usually said
angles are of the order of magnitude of between 0 and 15, prefer-
ably between 2 and 10. The above described construction refers toan embodiment which satisfies the disposition, as called for accord-
ing to the present invention, of that defining bounding of the
storage space constituted by the lid, namely a dispositon in which
bounding or definition portions of the lid are loacated more proximal
the standing surface or surfaces of the container than other
portions.
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In Fig. 4, an alternative embodiment is shown by broken lin~s,
according to which a folded portion 23 of the lid forms A gripping
device for opening the factory-sealed container. The folded lid por-
tion is illustrated in one embodiment in which it is located in a
region of the opening where the distance between the opening edge 15
and the shoulder 14 is at its greatest. As a rule, the shoulder is
here provided with a broader portion 51 in order to make room for
the spiculated design o-f the ridge 18. In Fig. 4, it is assumed that
the lid consists of a translucent material.
In certain embodiments, the edge region 25 of the lid 20 is lo-
cated on a level which differs from the level of the lid panel 24.
In such instance, the orientation of the lid panel is such as to
correspond substantially with the orientation of the edge region.
In the Figures, filling goods supplied to the container i5 de-
signated by reference numeral 30. In the Figures, the filling goodsare marked as consisting of a liquid whose surface is designated
32. In certain physical applications, the liquid consists of a brine
solution in which, for instance, herring or herr;ng pieces are
stored. A stratiform space 31 is formed between the lid and the
liquid surface 329 the space being, in Fig. 1, of substantially uni-
form thickness, while being, in Fig. 2, of cuneiform cross section.
The volumes of these spaces substantially agree in both Figures.
Fig. 1 shows a retainer 40 provided for supporting the con-
tainer body against the underside of the shoulder 14 and against the
underside of the flared flange 16. The upper abutment surface 41 of
the retainer 40 for cooperation with the underside of the shoulder
14 and the flared flange 16 is located substantially in the hori-
zontal plane. The plane 22, whose orientation corresponds to the
orientation of that plane in which the connection or joint 21 is lo-
cated, will consequently be of an orientation which lies substan-
tially in the horizontal plane. In the embodiments shown in the
Drawings, the orientation of the plane 22 has its counterpart in the
plane in which the upper bounding surface of the shoulder 14 and the
upper bounding surface 17 of the flared flange 16 are located.
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Fig. 2 shows a section of the factory-sealed container placed
on a substantially horizontal substrate and with the container
resting on the substrate by means of the standing surface 12. It
will be apparent from this Drawing Figure that the extent of the
space 31 has been reduced, in that a portion of the lid 20 is lo-
cated below the level 33 which the liquid surface would have assumed
if the lid had not prevented the liquid from assuming that level. As
a result of the reduced extent of the space 31, and thereby of the
liquid surface 32, the risk is reduced that, For example, herring
packed in brine would rise above the surface of the liquid.
Fig. 5 shows one embodiment in which the container body is of a
design which entails that when the closed container is p1aced on a
flat substrate, the size of the liquid surface 32 is reduced in com-
parison with that which applies for substantially rectangular con-
tainers, at the same time as the thickness of (the height of) thestratiform space 31 is increased in the region most proximal the
flared flange 16.
When a container is filled, this is placed in the retainer 40
and a pre-determined amount of liquid, for instance brine, is filled
into the contàiner. Thereafter, solid bodies such as herring pieces
are, where applicable, added, the liquid level rising somewhat. Such
packing of these solid bodies is often eFfected manually, with the
result that the number of bodies thus packed and the total volume
thereof may vary slightly from container to container and thereby
also the liquid levels which are obtained in each container. The
shoulder 14 and the flared flange 16 are located in the horizontal
plane, for which reason overfilling of the container will be pre-
vented because any possible excess liquid will run out over the
flared flange 16. In those physical applications where the liquid is
supplied ;n a pre~determined amount once the bodies have been placed
in the container, a corresponding overflow drainage of liquid will,
naturally, take place.
When the filling operation is completed, the lid is sealingly
connected, by means of one or more joints 21 which are formed by,
for instance~ heat welding, ultrasonic welding, hot melt etc., to
the upper side of the shoulder 14 and, where applicable, to the
flange 16. The ridge 18 ensures that no liquid gathers in the region
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where the sealing connec~ion between the con-tainer body and the lid
is established. This procedure avoids the risk of untight closure of
the container in applications in which, for instance, the choice of
materials for the lid and container body - in combination with the
connection technology employed - entails a risk of untight con-
nection at points where liquid miyht gather.
During transport and in opening of the factory-sealed con-
tainer, the container is of an orientation which corresponds to that
illustrated in Fig. 2. This implies that the opening edge surface 15
of the container body is located substantially in the horizontal
plane and, thereby, at approximately equidistant spaced apart re-
lationship from that level the liquid surface assumes in conjunction
with the opening of the container. The distance between the upper
bounding surface of the opening edge surface 15 and the liquid sur-
face will, thereby, be sufficiently great to minimize the risk thatliquid slops over the opening edge surface in conjunction with op-
ening of the container or when the container is handled while being
opened.
The above detailed description has referred to but a limited
number of embodiments of the present invention, but the skilled
reader of this specification will readily perceive that the present
invention encompasses a large number of embodiments without de-
parting from the spirit and scope of the appended Claims.
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