Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A CONTAINER FOR FOOD
This invention relates to a container for receiving a food product and in
particular
the invention is concerned with containers that can be formed by folding a
shaped
blank of paper, paperboard, cardboard or a similar material.
This invention provides a partially assembled container for receiving a food
product and formed from a blank, the container having triangular side walls
and
substantially rectangular end walls to enable the formation of a generally
triangular
prism-shaped container with an opening for receiving the food product, wherein
hinge
means comprising a first hinge part hingedly connected to a second hinge part
are
provided between one of said side walls and one of said end walls to enable
the
partially assembled container to be moved between a substantially flat
position for
storage and transportation and a substantially erect position for receiving a
food
product.
This novel container construction provides a partially formed container that
has a
number of advantages over known constructions. In particular it can be moved
quickly
and easily between a flat configuration to an erect configuration without the
need for
tabs or tongues to be inserted in pre-cut slots or additional gluing. The
container "pops
up" from the flat configuration to the erect configuration when the sides of
the flat
container are pulled apart. Also, the partially formed container makes very
efficient use
of the blank material, thereby decreasing costs. Further, the partially formed
container
can be transported in the flat condition, and then erected easily by the food
producer.
In one embodiment the first hinge part is hingedly connected to said one side
wall, and the second hinge part is rigidly connected to said one end wall. The
first and
second hinge parts lie in substantially the same plane when the container is
in a
substantially flat condition, and the first hinge part and said one end wall
sandwich the
second hinge part when the container is in a substantially erect condition.
In another embodiment the hinge means additionally comprises a third hinge
part hingedly connected to the second hinge part and rigidly connected to the
said end
wall. Preferably, the third hinge part is hingedly connected to the second
hinge part
and rigidly connected to the said end wall such that the said end wall is
sandwiched by
the second and third hinge parts. In a first preferable alternative, the third
hinge part.is
hingedly connected to the second hinge part and rigidly connected to the said
end wall
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such that the said third hinge part is sandwiched by the end wall and the
second hinge
part. In a second preferable alternative, the third hinge part is hingedly
connected to the
second hinge part and rigidly connected to the said end wall, and the first
hinge part is
securely fastened to one of said triangular side walls when the container is
in its
substantially erect position provision.
The provision of the third hinge part complicates the construction of the
container slightly, but its provision is advantageous because it improves the
integrity of
the seal between the second hinge part and the said end wall to improve the
shelf life
of the food product contained in the finished container.
The third hinge part and the surface of the end wall to which it is connected
may
substantially congruent so that the third hinge part of the hinge means and
the said end
wall provide a basal surface for the container with double thickness. This
double
thickness basal surface helps to prevent or delay leakage for the contents of
the food
product from the container.
The hinge means are preferably integral with the said side wall. This feature
simplifies the blank from which the partially formed container is constructed,
and it
helps to improve the integrity of the finished container.
The partially assembled container according to the first and second preferable
alternatives is particularly suited to a relatively automated process where
the container
is opened by machinery provided for that purpose such that a food product can
then be
inserted manually or by further machinery, and this development is realised by
adopting
a two stage construction process in which:
1) the third hinge part is fastened to the said end wall and the
partially
fastened container is folded into a substantially flat configuration;
2) the partially fastened container is stored and transported to a food
producer or user;
3) the partially fastened container is opened; and
4) the container is erected by bringing the hinge parts into abutment, or
by
securing the first hinge part to one of the triangular side walls and then
securing the hinge parts in the abutting configuration.
The partially fastened container described in step (i) is suitable for
transportation
and storage prior to use. The partially fastened container can be folded
quickly and
easily by apparatus provided for that purpose and then the container can be
secured in
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its erect condition ready for receipt of a food product by fastening the first
and
second hinge parts as described in step (iii). The configuration of the
partially formed
container allows steps (ii) and (iii) to be accomplished at high production
speeds on
known forms of folding and fastening apparatus, or apparatus of that type with
simple and inexpensive modifications. These benefits are achieved because the
partially fastened container lies flat, making it easier for the machinery to
pick and
denest it.
It is preferred in the first preferable alternative that the third hinge part
is
secured to the inner face of the end wall, such that the end wall and the
first hinge
part sandwich the second and third hinge parts. In this configuration the
sandwich
pack provides four blank external faces and this simplifies printing onto
those
external surfaces with advertising, nutritional information or other matter.
Overall the combination of these features allow a container to be formed from
a blank with very minimal scoring of the joints to provide a good shelf life
performance, and also enable the partially assembled container to be made up
easily into a flat configuration for transportation and storage and opened
equally
easily into an erect configuration for insertion of a food product. The
preferred three
part hinge arrangement provides an excellent seal and extended shelf life for
the
food product, but a two part hinge arrangement would also be possible and
might be
used where the shelf life of the food product is not a crucial factor.
The present invention also provides a blank for forming a container for
receiving a food product, the blank having triangular side walls and
substantially
rectangular end walls to enable the formation a generally triangular prism-
shaped
container with an opening for receiving the food product, the blank further
comprising
hinge means, the hinge means comprising a first hinge part hingedly connected
to a
second hinge part and arranged between one of said side walls and one of said
end
walls to enable a partially assembled container formed from the blank to be
moved
between a substantially flat position for storage and transportation and a
substantially erect position for receiving a food product.
In another aspect, there is provided a partially assembled container for
receiving a food product and formed from a partially fastened folded blank,
the
container having triangular side walls and substantially rectangular end walls
to
enable the formation of a generally triangular prism-shaped container with an
opening for receiving the food product, wherein hinge means are provided
between a
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first side wall and a first end wall, the hinge means comprising a first hinge
part
hingedly connected to a second hinge part and a third hinge part hingedly
connected
to the second hinge part and rigidly connected to said first end wall, and
wherein the
partially assembled container is formed by fixing one of said first and second
hinge
parts to said first side wall or to said first end wall and is moveable
between a
substantially flat position, in which the first and second hinge parts lie in
substantially
the same plane, for storage and transportation and a substantially erect
position, in
which the first and second hinge parts overlie one another, for receiving a
food
product.
In another aspect, there is provided a blank for forming a container for
receiving a food product, the blank having first and second triangular side
walls and
first and second substantially rectangular end walls to enable the formation
of a
generally triangular prism-shaped container with an opening for receiving the
food
product, the blank further comprising hinge means, the hinge means comprising
a
first hinge part hingedly connected to a second hinge part and a third hinge
part
hingedly connected to the second hinge part.and being arranged between a first
of
said side walls and a first of said end walls, wherein the blank enables a
partially
assembled container to be formed by folding the blank into a substantially
flat
position, in which the first and second hinge parts lie in substantially the
same plane,
and fixing one of said first and second hinge parts to said first side wall or
to said first
end wall, and to be moved between said substantially flat position for storage
and
transportation and a substantially erect position, in which the first and
second hinge
parts overlie one another, for receiving a food product.
A clear understanding of the present invention will be gained from the
following detailed description, given by way of example only, with reference
to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a container according to the invention;
Figures 2 and 3 are plan views of the blank in an intermediate stage of
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construction;
Figure 4 is a plan view of a partially assembled container in a flat
configuration;
Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views of a partially assembled container
between a flat configuration and an erect configuration;
Figures 7 and 8 are perspective views of a partially assembled container in an
erect configuration;
Figure 9 is an underside view of the partially assembled container of Figures
7
and 8;
Figure 10 is a plan view of a blank according to a second embodiment of the
invention with an integral lid;
Figures 11 and 12 are perspective and underside views respectively of the
blank
shown in Figure 10 assembled into a container, with Figure 11 showing the lid
open
and Figure 12 showing the lid closed.
Figure 13 is a plan view of a container according to third embodiment;
Figures 14, 15 and 16 are views of the blank shown in Figure 13 in an
intermediate stage of construction;
Figure 17 is a perspective view of a partially assembled container in an erect
configuration;
Figure 18 is a plan view of a container according to a fourth embodiment;
Figures 19, 20 and 21 are views of the blank shown in Figure 18 in an
intermediate stage of construction; and
Figure 22 is a perspective view of a partially assembled container in an erect
configuration.
The container blank or skillet shown in Figure 1, and generally designated 1,
may consist of paper, paperboard, cardboard or a similar material. A pair of
congruent
isosceles-shaped side walls 2a and 2b are alternately arranged with and
hingedly
connected to generally rectangular end walls 3a and 3b. (The end walls may be
rectangular, but they are preferably trapezoidal so that in the fully
assembled container
they taper inwardly towards an apex to allow a number of assembled containers
to be
stacked together.)
The end walls have opposed major and minor edges, designated 4a and 4b
respectively. Both of the major edges 4a of the end walls 3a are flanked by
the
congruent edges of the side walls 2a and 2b. Side wall 3b has one of its major
edges
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4a integrally formed with a congruent edge of side wall 2b.
A hinge arrangement integrally formed with side wall 2a has three parts:
generally rhombic flap or tab 5; a triangular central part or panel 6; and a
three sided
part or panel 7. These three parts are integrally formed and connected by fold
lines.
5 Panel 7 is integrally formed with side wall 2a. The flap 5 is hinge*
connected to the
minor edge 4a of end wall 3a and this hinge point forms the apex of the
finished
triangular prism-shaped container.
All of the connecting lines shown in Figure 1 represent valley or hill folds
with
valley folds shown with icon A and hill folds shown with icon B. Icon C shown
between
flap 5 and end wall 3a represent a cut line.
Oral flaps or tabs 8a to 8e formed with side walls 2, the end walls and the
panel
7 cooperate in the assembled container to define a flange which is surrounds
the mouth
9 of the container.
Turning now to Figure 2, the hinge arrangement 5,6,7 is folded to overlie the
side and end walls 2a, 3a. End wall 3b is then brought into abutment with the
exposed
surfaces of the flap 5 by folding the side wall 2b about its central fold line
as shown in
Figure 3. The abutting surfaces of the flap 5 and the end wall 3b, both
designated as
Si in Figure 2, are glued together to form a permanent join. These surfaces Si
are
substantially (but not completely) congruent to form a double thickness wall.
This
double thickness wall can be used as the base on the finished container to
provide
addition resistance against the egress of the food product housed within the
container.
As shown in Figure 3, the blank is further folded about the join between the
tab 5
and the central panel 6 to bring part of the end wall 3b into abutment with
the exposed
surface of the central panel 6. The abutting surfaces of the first element 6
and the end
wall 3b, both designated as S2 in Figure 3, are glued together to form a
permanent join
and thereby sandwich part of the end wall 3b between the flap 5 and the
central panel
6. The resultant partially formed container is shown in Figure 4, and this
configuration
represents the partially formed container in its flat configuration.
The configuration of the container means that when it is opened by, say,
pulling
the side walls 2a and 2b in opposite directions, the container naturally opens
out into an
erect configuration ready for receiving a food product, such as a sandwich.
The
movement of the container between the flat configuration shown in Figure 4 and
the
erect configuration shown in Figure 7 is depicted, as far as it is possible to
do so, in
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Figures 5 and 6.
In the erect configuration the panel 7 and the end wall 3b sandwich the
central
panel 6, and the container can be fixed in a fully formed configuration by
permanently
joining the abutting parts of these panels 6,7. Alternatively, or in addition,
part of the
panel 7 will abut the part of the end wall 3b and the container can be fixed
in a fully
formed condition by joining these abutting surfaces. In an alternative
embodiment a
catch or detent mechanism can be provided so that the partially assembled
container
can be mechanically fastened in an erect condition without the use of glue or
other
permanent fastening.
The oral flanges 8a and 8e overlap in the erect configuration and these may
also
be glued or otherwise fastened together. Alternatively one of these flanges
could be
omitted from the blank.
The preferred embodiment of the invention, which is depicted in Figures 1 to 9
and described above, has a hinge arrangement made up from three parts.
However, it
will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that a two piece hinge
arrangement made
up from the panel 7 and the central panel 6 would function in the same manner.
The
use of the flap 5 is advantageous because it improves the integrity of the
seal between
the hinge arrangement and the end wall 3b, and it also provides a double
thickness
basal surface in the finished container, but if the shelf life of the food
product does not
need to be maximised then the flap 5 could be omitted to reduce the amount of
material
used in the blank.
In the second embodiment shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12, and integral lid 10
is
provided in place of the oral flap 8d adjacent side wall 2a. The lid is used
to close the
opening 9 in the finished container after the food product has been inserted.
The lid 10
has an opening 11 which is covered by a transparent film 12 to enable the
contents of
the assembled container to be viewed after the peripheral end of the lid is
sealed to the
oral flange 8. The blank and container configuration allow the lid to be
provided without
a fold lines passing through the lid.
In the third and fourth embodiments shown in Figures 13 to 22, like parts are
numbered in the same sequence as the first end second embodiments, but the
sequencing starts at 100 rather than at 1 in the third embodiment, and 200 in
the fourth
embodiment.
It should be noted that, in contrast to the first and second embodiments, the
fold
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line between the triangular central part or panel (106, 206) and the three
sided part or
panel (107, 207) in the third and fourth embodiments is a hill fold. This
enables the
hinge arrangement to be located internally in the erect container, and this
modification
could be applied to the first and second embodiments.
The construction of the third and fourth embodiments of the container involve
the
same steps, but the containers of these developments are particularly suited
to a "pick
and place" arrangement where the container is stored and shipped in a flat
pack form,
and then the construction finished at the site of the food producer by opening
the
container and securing the hinge arrangement. This second stage in the
construction
process of opening the container from a substantially flat condition and
securing the
hinge parts in secure abutment is well suited to automation. The hinge parts
can be
secured by an appropriate means such as gluing, heat sealing or RF welding.
A food product such as a sandwich can then be placed in the erected container
by hand or by apparatus designed for that purpose, and the opening to the
container
closed and seal with a lid or suitable covering.
In the third embodiment, the hinge parts and the end wall provide a quadruple
layer of paperboard, and this can be used as the base of the container to stop
or slow
down the egress of any moisture or liquid that might be contained in the
sandwich.
Also the construction of this development allows the hinge parts to lie within
the
container leaving four blank panels on which marketing information can be
placed.
In the fourth embodiment, the hinge parts also lie within the container
leaving
four blank panels on which marketing information can be placed.
The invention is not restricted to the embodiments of the invention explicitly
described herein, and modifications within the scope of the invention
described in the
claims will be apparent to the person skilled in the art. For example,
references to
sections of the blank being glued should be understood to encompass any form
of
fastening including RF welded by application of a suitable coating to the
surfaces that
are being joined.
