AU593074B2

AU593074B2 - Laminated paperboard container and blank for constructing same

Info

Publication number: AU593074B2
Application number: AU70414/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Richard L. Joosten
Original assignee: Ex-Cell-O Corp
Current assignee: Ex-Cell-O Corp
Priority date: 1986-03-24
Filing date: 1987-03-19
Publication date: 1990-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 2007-03-19
Also published as: EP0239316A3; FI871282A; YU50687A; FI871282A0; NO871213L; AU7041487A; ZA872117B; ES2003239A6; BR8701343A; EP0239316A2; NZ219731A; TR23002A; NO871213D0; JPS62279943A

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION 593074 Form

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: 7a 7 Lodged: Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: Priority: Related Art: This document contuins thy Amndrllnts MAde undr Section 49, and la orrect Wil p*Wtbg.

I I I 1 Ir, 111 TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: EX-CELL-O CORPORATION Address of Applicant: 2855 COOLIDGE

TROY

MICHIGAN 48084

USA

Actual Inventor: Address for Service: CLEMENT HACK CO., 601 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: LAMINATED PAPERBOARD CONTAINER AND BLANK FOR CONSTRUCTING SAME The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- //l >4 i~~par~~N LAMINATED PAPERBOARD CONTAINER AND BLANK FOR CONSTRUCTING SAME Technical Field This invention relates generally to paperboard containers and, more particularly to a laminated wall construction for same, including oxygen resistant barriers or layers.

Background Art s Various industries have found that central packaging for distant markets is a beneficial approach in their business activity and can assist them in -developing strong market bases. With the increased emphasis on volume prioducing and marketing, many centers of population in reference to a product market base may extend across international boundaries. Thus, out of both necessity and 2 convenience, situations have developed 'where essential So.. production marketing areas extend across vast market areas.

Hence, longer shelf life for difficult to contain liquids, such as fruit juices and products, is needed so that producers and suppliers can provide uniform top quality merchandise throughout their areas of distribution.

It is well known to include a layer of aluminum foil, which generally serves as a means of preventing oxygen from penetrating through the walls or a paperboard container when the latter contains fruit juices. However, aluminum as a barrier is expensive and subject to cracking at score lines. r It is also well known to coat the barrier layer with a heat-sealable material, such as low density polyethylene.

Such a coating tends to scavenge flavor essences and aromas trom various fruit juices.

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-mm -2- According to the present invention there is provided a one-piece foldable, laminated blank for forming a sealed liquid container, said blank comprising: a layer of bulk material having a predetermined thickness; a first layer of a suitable amorphous polyester having a predetermined thickness and forming a uniform coating on the outer surface of said layer of bulk material; a second layer of a suitable amorphous polyester having a predetermined thickness and forming a uniform coating on the inner surface of said layer of bulk material adapted to being sealed to said first layer; and a layer of polyvinylidene chloride having a predetermined thickness and forming a uniform outer coating on selected areas of said second layer of polyester for contact with contents of the container when formed from the blank.

D0 According to the present invention there is also 20 one-piece container formed from a one-piece foldable laminated t, o blank of paperboard, said container comprising: 4 fit four side wall panels forming a tubular body of rectangular cross section having fold-in top and bottom closures; 25 said container being formed from paperboard V tr S having a thickness on the order of .022 inches and thermally S" bonded between inner and outer layers of an amorphous polyethylene terapthalate on the order of .0015 inches thick; and a layer of polyvinylidene chloride on the order of .005 inches thick secured to selected areas of said inner layer of polyethylene terapthalate.

t A _C\1' i I-a~-l-Lac-~n~pa~ 2a Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a layout view of the inside surface of a container blank body, to which the present invention could be adapted; Figure 2 is a flat side seamed blank made from the container blank shown in Figure 1, and showing the outside surface thereof; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a container fabricated from the blanks shown in Figures 1 and 2; and A L t4 *4 t t T" I i Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through a side panel taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, Figure 1 illustrates the inside surface of a container blank The container blank 10 is separated into three general groups by staggered score lines 12 and 14. The group above the staggered score line 12 is referred to as the top closure group 16. The group between staggered score lines 12 and 14 is referred to as the body group 18. The group below the staggered score line 14 is referred to as the bottom closure group 20. The container blank 10 is defined on its sides by side edges 22 and 24 and is separated vertically by a series of score lines 26, 28, 30 and 32.

The score lines 26, 28, 30 and 32 divide the body group 18 into side wall panels 34, 36, 38 and 40, -with the edge 22 and the score line 26 defining a side seam flap 42.

The top closure group 16 is mounted on the upper end of body group 18. Triangular end panels 44 and 46 are mounted t S, to upper ends of the side wall panels 34 and 38, respectively. The triangular end panel 44 has a pair of 1 adjacent fold-back panels 48 and 50 mounted on its upper sides and the triangular end panel 46 has a pair of fold-back end panels 52 and 54 mounted on its upper sides.

A pair of inner rib panels 56 and 58 are mounted adjacent the fold-back panels 48 and 50, respectively. A pair of inner rib panels 60 and 62 are mounted adjacent the told-back panels 52 and 54, respectively.

A pair of roof panels 64 and 66 are mounted to the body group 18 at the upper end of the side wall panels 36 and respectively. A top edge member 72 defines the upper free end of top closure group 16. A complete description of the top closure group 16 is not necessary to understand the :I 1~ 4 principles of the present invention. However, reference is made to U.S. Patent 3,270,940 which issued September 6, 1966 for a complete description of a top closure group similar to top closure group 16.

jI The bottom closure group 20 is mounted on the lower end of body group 18. A flap 74 and a fold-over flap 76 are mounted at the lower ends of the side wall paneli 36 and respectively, along the staggered. score line 14. A first minor flap 78 and second minor flap 80 are mounted at the bottom of the side wall panels 34 and 38, respectively, along the staggered score line 14. A pair of fold-back panels 82 and 84 connect the first minor flap 78 to the side seam flap 42 and the flap 74, respectively. The second minor flap 80 is cornnected to the flap 74 and the fold-over flap 76 by fold-back panels 86 and 88, respectively. A bottom edge 90 defines the free end of the bottom closure -group 20. A fold-under flap 92 is connected by a score line 94 on the edge 90 at the center of the flap 74 for a purpose to be described.

When the container blank 10 is being prepared for assembly as a container it will be side seamed by having the triangular end panel 44 and its associated panel segments, the side wall panel 34 and the first minor flap 78 and its associated fold-back panels 82 and 84, along with the side ,t seam flap 42, folded about the score line 28, moving their ~inside surfaces into contact with the inside surfaces of the roof panel 64, the side wall panel 36 and the flap 74, with 30 the side seam flap 42's inside surface extending past the score line The roof panel 66, the side wall panel 40 and the fold-over flap 76 will be rotated about the score line 32 so their inside surfaces will move toward the inside surface of the triangular end panel 46, the side wall panel 38 and the second minor flap 80 and the associated fold-back panels 86 and 88. The side edge 24 will then be substantially aligned c with the score line 30 and its associated edge portion will be aligned with and in contact with the outside surface of the side seam flap 42. The outside surface of side seam flap 42 is secured to the inside surface of the various panel and flap members being positioned along the side edge 24. This can be accomplished in many ways. One of the preferred methods is heat sealing which will establish a surface bond between the above -stated members. The container blank 10 can then.be opened into tubular form.

In normal production operations the bottom closure group 20 will be closed and sealed, the contents will be passed into the tubular container and then the top closure group 16 will'be closed and sealed, as illustrated in Figure Y5 3. The forming of the side seam blank and the closing of the top closure group is covered in detail in the above s mentioned U.S. Patent 3,270,940. The forming of the bottom closure group 20 is covered in detail in U.S. Patent Nos.

3,120,335 and 4,341,340. The' fold-under flap 92, folded along the score line 94 serves to eliminate a raw edge at the -enter of the four folded and sealed bottom closure panels, substantially as shown and described in U.S. Patent No. 3,294,310.

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Referring now to Figure 4, wherein a cross-sectional view of the wall of the container is represented, an arrow I identifies the inside surface of the container represented as 96, and an arrow 0 identifies the outside surface of the container 96. The identification of the progressive layers from the outside to the inside is as follows. Lavers 98 and 100 each consist of a suitable polyester, such as an amorphous polyethylene terapthalate, on respective surfaces of a central layer 102, which is the bulk or miain body layer, and which may consist of a kraft paperboard, foam plastic, a synthetic paperboard, or a composite paperboard.

The amorphous polyethylene terapthalate has been selected for its superior heat sealing characteristics. The extreme inside layer 104 is a polyvinylidene chloride. The latter 6 is applied to the layer 100 by conventional printing techniques. Accordingly, it is possible to apply the polyvinylidene chloride coating in a precise pattern, avoiding those areas of the blank which are involved in the heat sealir. operation. The preferred pattern is shown by the cross hatched lines on Figure 1. The end result is a superior and economical container where the durability and heat seal characteristics of the amorphous polyethylene terapthalate, and -the flavor retention and barrier properties of polyvinylidene chloride are both fully utilized without having to use supplementary adhesives for laminating or additional coatings for heat sealing.

Figure 4 is not drawn to scale, and the following are examples of 'ranges of thicknesses of the respective layers which could be used in a practical embodiment of a container ~in accordance to the invention: layer 98 .0005" .0010" (00075" preferred) layer 100 .001" .003" (.0020" preferred) 99 9 9 layer 102 .0123" .0254" (varies with container size) 4 9 layer 104 .0003" .0010" (.0005" preferred) The thickness range for the layer 102 applies to the range of standard container sizes, half pint, pint, quart, half gallon, and gallon. For the popular half gallon 30 size, for example, the preferred thickness is .022", with a recommended range of .020" .024".

Along with the inclusion of the above described special layers, it may be beneficial for the inner cut edge 22 be "skived" by some one of several known methods, such as that shown and described in U.S. Patent No. 4,254,693, resulting in a carton edge structure, as shown in U.S. Patent No.

4,239,150, or folded-over, as shown in U.S. Patent No.

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4 r cil 9 7 3,294,310. One of these techniques, coupled with the folded-under flap 92, serve to eliminate raw cut edges from being exposed to the liquid contents.

Industrial Applicability 4~rsr 4 It 4 44 0 4 4.

*0 0 4r 4444 4 44 4. t It should be apparent that the invention provides an improved paperboard package for carrying fruit juices.

It should also be apparent that the respective layers of materials described above may be varied in thickness independently of the other layers to suit particular liquid packaging applications.

While but one general embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, other modifications thereof are possible within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A one-piece foldablr laminated blank for forming a sealed liquid container, said blank comprising: a layer of bulk material having a predetermined thickness; a first layer of a suitable amorphous polyester having a predetermined thickness and forming a uniform coating on the outer surface of said layer of bulk material; a second layer of a suitable amorphous polyester having a predetermined thickness and forming a uniform coating on the inner surface of said layer of bulk material adapted to being sealed to said first layer; and a layeir of polyvinylidene chloride having a predetermined thickness and forming a uniform outer coating on selected areas of said second layer of polyester for contact with contents of the container when formed from the blank.

S2. The laminated blank described in Claim 1, wherein said layer of bulk material is from .0123 inches to .0254 inches thick.

3. TIh laminated blank described in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said bulk material is one of kraft paperboard, foam plastics, synthetic paperboard, or composite paperboard.

4. The laminated blank described in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said layer of bulk material is the order of .022 Sinches thick. r*

5. The laminated blank described in any one of Claims 1 4 tt to 4, wherein said first layer of a suitable amorphous S, polyester is between .0005 inches thick and .0010 inches S' thick.

6. The laminated blank described in any one o Claims 1 to 5, wherein said second layer of a suitable amorphous polyester is between .001 inches and .003 inches thick.

7. The laminated blank described in any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein said layer of polyvinylidene chloride is between .0003 inches and .0010 inches thick. _i_ -9-

8. The laminated blank described in any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein said layer of polyvinylidene chloride is applied to said second layer of a suitable polyester by conventional printing techniques.

9. A one-piece foldable, laminated blank for forming a sealed liquid container, said blank comprising: a layer of kraft paperboard material on the order of .022 inches thick; a first layer of an amorphous polyethylene terapthalate on the order of .00075 inches thick forming a uniform coating on one surface of said layer of kraft paperboard material; a second layer of an amorphous polyethylene terapthalate on the order of .002 inches thick formed uniformly on the other surface of said layer of kraft paperboard material adapted to being sealed to said first layer; and a layer of polyvinylidene chloride .0005 t, inches thick secured to selected areas of said second layer of an amorphous polyethylene terapthalate.

The laminated blank described in Claim 9, wherein the layer of polyvinylidene chloride covers only the area which is adapted to be exposed to the liquid contents of the container formed from the blank.

11. An oil, grease, and solvent resistant, heat-sealed one-piece container formed from a one-piece foldable laminated blank of sheet material, said container comprising four side wall panels forming a tubular body of rectangular cross section having a fold-in top closure and a fold-in bottom closure; said sheet material comprising first and second ,t thicknesses of an amorphous polyethylene terapthalate thermally bonded to opposite sides of a third thicknss of paperboard and sealed to each other and a fourth thickne'-s f polyvinyidene chloride bonded to selected areas of "r second thickness of an amorphous polyethylene tero conacting the contents of the container. 10

12. An oil, grease, and solvent resistant, heat-sealed one-piece container formed from a one-piece foldable laminated blank of paperboard, said container comprising: four side wall panels forming a tubular body of rectangular cross section having fold-in top and bottom closures; said container being formed from paperboard having a thickness on the order of .022 inches and thermally bonded between inner and outer layers of an amorphous polyethylene terapthalate on the order of .001.5 inches thick; and a layer of polyvinylidene chloride on the order of .005 inches thick secured to selected areas of said inner layer of polyethylene terapthalate.

13. The container described in Claim 12, wherein the range of the layer of paperboard is .0123 inches .0254 inches thickness; the range of each of the layers of polyethylene terapthalate is .0005 inches .003 inches thickness; and the range of the layer of polyvinylidene chboride is .0003 inches .0010 inches thickness.

14. The container described in Claim 12, wherein the layer of polyvinylidene chloride is applied in a predetermined pattern so as to conform only to the inner surfaces of the container which are exposed to the liquid contents, exposing polyethylene terapthalate -oated areas for sealing to one another.

The laminated blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

16. The container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustruted in the accompanying drawings. Dated this 1st day of November, 1989 EX-CELL-0 CORPORATIN By their Patent Attorneys: GRIFFITH HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent V Attorneys of Australia. o