GB1571391A

GB1571391A - Containers

Info

Publication number: GB1571391A
Application number: GB14689/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Airfix Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Airfix Industries Ltd
Priority date: 1977-05-23
Filing date: 1977-05-23
Publication date: 1980-07-16

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENT IN AND RELATING TO CONTAINERS (71) We, AIRFIX INDUSTRIES LIMITED, a British Company of 17 Old Court Place, London W.8., do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention is concerned with improvements in and relating to container elements and more particularly composite container elements that is to say container elements comprising a blank of card, plastics, metal or any other suitable flexible sheet material on which is formed an injection moulding.

The container elements may be containers or lids or elements for incorporation in either.

In patent no. 1348370 there is described and shown an open ended composite container where the peripheral wall is formed by a single panel of a blank, two edges of which are brought to juxtaposition and are then joined by an injection moulded seam.

An end closure may be formed at the same time as the juxtaposed edges are being seamed. Such an end closure may be formed by injection moulding, by a separate blank or by part of the blank which forms the wall. In Patent Specification No. 1504526 there is shown and described a blank which comprises a pair of side panels each extending from an end closure panel. When brought to the desired shape each of two opposite edges of each side panel is adjacent a like edge of the other side panel and edge portions of each side panel are located adjacent the edge of the end closure panel. Again all juxtaposed edges are seamed by injection moulding.

According to the present invention there is provided a container element comprising a panel formed from a flexible sheet material, the panel including means for rupturing the panel along a predetermined path, said means comprising an elongate injection moulding on that face of the panel which will be internal of the container which moulding extends along the path and at a point along the length of the moulding extends outwardly of the panel through an aperture preformed in the panel for that purpose, the moulding on the exterior of the panel forming a pull tab pull on which will cause the moulding on the internal face of the panel to rupture the panel.

The panel may include a zone of weakening adjacent the injection moulding and that injection moulding may be coupled by a frangible moulded element to a moulding of the composite container.

In order that the invention may be well understood there will now be described some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for a container; Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross section of a container and reclosure lid together with two scrap sections; Figure 3 is an end view from above as viewed in Figure 2, but turned through 90 ; Figure 4 is a scrap section of an alternative base rim; Figure 5 is an internal view of an alternative rupturable closure, Figure 6 is a section on the line A-A of Figure 5, and Figure 7 is a section through a container closure.

A blank shown in Figure 1 comprises an end closure panel 1 and side panels 2, 3. The blank which is of any suitable sheet material such as card with any desired coatings or barriers, such as aluminium for example on the internal surface, will fold to define a frusto-conical container open at the end of larger diameter. The blank can be clamped between a pair of mould tools such as is described in our co-pending application No.

14691/76 Serial No. 1570072.

The end closure panel 1 has a pair of recesses 4 which register with pin gates in the cavity tool, has an aperture 5 and a line of weakening 6 which takes the form, pret erably, of a partial cut, from the face which will be outermost, in the thickness of the blank material. Additionally, the face of the blank end closure panel which will be outermost has an area 7 coated with a material, such as wax, which will prevent an injection moulding formed on that area from adhering to it.

The core tool will have two side seam channels extending from the region of t'le pin gates in the cavity tool, a seam channel extending around the periphery of the end face of the core, which may be such as is described in Patent Specification No.

1504526, a tear band channel on the end face of the core tool adjacent to which the line of weakening in the blank end closure panel will be located and a lip bead channel around the root of the core tool adjacent to which the edges of the side panels remote from the end closure panel will lie.

When the blank has been trapped between the tools material is injected through the pin gates and forms internal seam 8 joining the side panels to the end closure panel, two internal side seams 9 and a lip bead 10 which will serve a purpose to be described.

Extending radially inwardly from the seam channel extending about the periphery of the end face of the core tool, are two sprue channels which will allow material in that channel to flow into the tear band channel and form an internal elongate tear band 11 here shown located slightly inwardly of the line of weakening 6 and two frangible sprue pieces 8a. Injected material will flow along the tear band channel and at a point therealong will flow through aperture 5 formed for the purpose to extend into a tear ring channel in the end face of the cavity tool to form a tear ring 12 which will not adhere to the area 7 of the blank over which it lies because that area has been treated as explained. When the injected material has hardened sufficiently, the container is ejected from the mould.If desired the container may be provided with a bead 14 adjacent the end where the end closure panel lies. This bead can be formed as described in Patent Specification No. 1504526 and will form an outward projection with which a lid can engage. A lid is shown at 15 which may be of any suitable construction, e.g. a blank 15a of card and a moulded rim 1 sub.

To close the container which is open at its larger end when ejected from the mould, a foil 17, such as of aluminium, may be crimped on to the lip bead 10 after the container is filled or, as shown in Figure 4, a foil may be heat sealed on to a flat end face of a lip bead lOa.

To open the container, the tear ring can be grasped since it is free of the external surface of the end closure panel 1 and a pull on that ring will become an outward force applied to the interior surface of the end closure panel. Fhis will rupture the line of weakening 6 and result in removal of the centre of the end closure panel 1. The container can be reclosed by application of the lid.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the construction is substantially similar, save only that in addition to a tear band moulding on the internal surface of the end closure, there is a spoon or measuring device 18 moulded on that surface which will be formed by material fed to it by way of the tear band channel. Once again the surface over which the spoon is moulded is provided with a coating which will prevent adherence of the spoon to the enclosure panel.

The particular advantages of the constructions described are that access to the contents 9f the container cannot be had without materially tampering with the container and the tear ring cannot be pulled away without rupture of the end closure panel.

Whereas the invention has been described in relation to a composite container having an end closure panel integral with the side panels it is applicable to containers of many kinds and is not confined to providing a tear band in the end closure panel.

Referring to Figure 7 there is shown a container closure made of a disc 20 of flexible sheet material on which is moulded a peripheral skirt 21 which will make snap engagement with a lip of a container by means of a lip 22 which will engage under a rib of the container. The skirt 21 is coupled by a sprue member 23 to a tear band 24 on the underface of disc 20 which band extends through the disc at 20 to a pull ring 25.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A container element comprising a panel formed from a flexible sheet material, the panel including means for rupturing the panel along a predetermined path, said means comprising an elongate injection moulding on that face of the panel which will be internal of the container, which moulding extends along the path and at a point along the length of the moulding extends outwardly of the panel through an aperture preformed in the panel for that purpose, the moulding on the exterior of the panel forming a pull tab pull on which will cause the moulding on the internal face of the panel to rupture the panel.

2. An element according to claim 1 in which the panel is united to another part of a container or lid by an injection moulding

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

between a pair of mould tools such as is described in our co-pending application No.

14691/76 Serial No. 1570072.

The end closure panel 1 has a pair of recesses 4 which register with pin gates in the cavity tool, has an aperture 5 and a line of weakening 6 which takes the form, pret erably, of a partial cut, from the face which will be outermost, in the thickness of the blank material. Additionally, the face of the blank end closure panel which will be outermost has an area 7 coated with a material, such as wax, which will prevent an injection moulding formed on that area from adhering to it.

The core tool will have two side seam channels extending from the region of t'le pin gates in the cavity tool, a seam channel extending around the periphery of the end face of the core, which may be such as is described in Patent Specification No.

1504526, a tear band channel on the end face of the core tool adjacent to which the line of weakening in the blank end closure panel will be located and a lip bead channel around the root of the core tool adjacent to which the edges of the side panels remote from the end closure panel will lie.

When the blank has been trapped between the tools material is injected through the pin gates and forms internal seam 8 joining the side panels to the end closure panel, two internal side seams 9 and a lip bead 10 which will serve a purpose to be described.

Extending radially inwardly from the seam channel extending about the periphery of the end face of the core tool, are two sprue channels which will allow material in that channel to flow into the tear band channel and form an internal elongate tear band 11 here shown located slightly inwardly of the line of weakening 6 and two frangible sprue pieces 8a. Injected material will flow along the tear band channel and at a point therealong will flow through aperture 5 formed for the purpose to extend into a tear ring channel in the end face of the cavity tool to form a tear ring 12 which will not adhere to the area 7 of the blank over which it lies because that area has been treated as explained. When the injected material has hardened sufficiently, the container is ejected from the mould.If desired the container may be provided with a bead 14 adjacent the end where the end closure panel lies. This bead can be formed as described in Patent Specification No. 1504526 and will form an outward projection with which a lid can engage. A lid is shown at 15 which may be of any suitable construction, e.g. a blank 15a of card and a moulded rim 1 sub.

To close the container which is open at its larger end when ejected from the mould, a foil 17, such as of aluminium, may be crimped on to the lip bead 10 after the container is filled or, as shown in Figure 4, a foil may be heat sealed on to a flat end face of a lip bead lOa.

To open the container, the tear ring can be grasped since it is free of the external surface of the end closure panel 1 and a pull on that ring will become an outward force applied to the interior surface of the end closure panel. Fhis will rupture the line of weakening 6 and result in removal of the centre of the end closure panel 1. The container can be reclosed by application of the lid.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the construction is substantially similar, save only that in addition to a tear band moulding on the internal surface of the end closure, there is a spoon or measuring device 18 moulded on that surface which will be formed by material fed to it by way of the tear band channel. Once again the surface over which the spoon is moulded is provided with a coating which will prevent adherence of the spoon to the enclosure panel.

The particular advantages of the constructions described are that access to the contents 9f the container cannot be had without materially tampering with the container and the tear ring cannot be pulled away without rupture of the end closure panel.

Whereas the invention has been described in relation to a composite container having an end closure panel integral with the side panels it is applicable to containers of many kinds and is not confined to providing a tear band in the end closure panel.

Referring to Figure 7 there is shown a container closure made of a disc 20 of flexible sheet material on which is moulded a peripheral skirt 21 which will make snap engagement with a lip of a container by means of a lip 22 which will engage under a rib of the container. The skirt 21 is coupled by a sprue member 23 to a tear band 24 on the underface of disc 20 which band extends through the disc at 20 to a pull ring 25.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A container element comprising a panel formed from a flexible sheet material, the panel including means for rupturing the panel along a predetermined path, said means comprising an elongate injection moulding on that face of the panel which will be internal of the container, which moulding extends along the path and at a point along the length of the moulding extends outwardly of the panel through an aperture preformed in the panel for that purpose, the moulding on the exterior of the panel forming a pull tab pull on which will cause the moulding on the internal face of the panel to rupture the panel.
2. An element according to claim 1 in which the panel is united to another part of a container or lid by an injection moulding

formed in contact with the panel, that moulding being integral with the moulding on the face of the panel.
3. An element according to claim 2, in which the path along which the panel is to be ruptured is defined by weakening of the panel in a zone adjacent the part of the moulding which is on the internal face of the panel.
4. An element according to claim 2 or claim 3 in which the panel is a panel of a blank including an end panel from which extend side panels, the blank being shaped to the shape of the element whereby edges of the panels are juxtaposed and those juxtaposed edges are seamed by injection moulded means formed on the blank, the moulding on the internal face of the panel being integral with the moulded means.
5. An element according to any of the preceding claims in which the pull tab is moulded against a surface of the panel which has been coated so as to be nonadherent with respect to the moulded pull tab.
6. An element substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or 5 and 6 or 7 of the accompanying drawings.