BE1028605A1 - CONTAINER FOR FOODSTUFFS. - Google Patents

Abstract

A sealed container for food products is defined by an envelope (1), formed of a material containing components chosen from the family of cellulosic materials, and comprising a base or bottom (2); side and head walls (3) which, in reciprocal combination, surround a product receiving cavity; the side and head walls (3) have an upper edge (4) extending continuously along the contour of the casing (1); an annular reinforcing element (5), formed of a material containing components chosen from the family of cellulosic materials, associated overlapping and in surface correspondence with the upper edge (4) of the side and head walls (3) ; a film (6) adhering and associated with the casing (1) serving to completely cover the internal surface of the bottom (2), the internal surfaces of the side and head walls (3) and the free surface of the annular element ( 5) reinforcement so as to create a layer or covering skin of the container (100) to protect and seal the cavity for receiving the products.

Description

CONTAINER FOR FOODSTUFFS. This model relates to a container for food products. In particular, this model is intended for a container, display, waterproof for perishable products, in particular for food products. Currently, the use of containers (also acting as real trays) for the presentation and sale of food products, such as meat, vegetables, fruit, etc., in stores and supermarkets or hypermarkets is very widespread. .

These trays make it possible, in fact, to define a packaging of a product enclosed in a protected environment (thanks to the use, in general, of a plastic cover film), possibly already weighed and provided with the selling price.

The manufacture of these containers has so far followed two different philosophies: - The first consists in manufacturing the container in a single body and in plastic material by a process of injection into molds or thermoforming; - The second of these philosophies is to make the container from a paper material, preferably cellulose, derived from sheets of cardboard paper, paper or cardboard of different weights, of different thicknesses and in monolayer or multilayer according to the type of food to contain and its "shelf life".

Typically, product within the containing compartment of the container is protected by isolating the compartment from the external environment by means of an insulating barrier associated with the container and creating a vacuum or protective atmosphere environment within. of the compartment.

The gas barrier essentially serves to keep the gas mixture introduced at the time of packaging inside the container for as long as possible.

Depending on the partial pressure of gases in the container, we will experience a leak/entry of gas from the inside to the outside or vice versa.

Normally the barrier (preferably to gases and liquids) is achieved by applying a thin film of plastic material (preferably, but not limited to, a multi-layer plastic material of suitable thickness) to the container. , which is stretched over the contents of the container, subtended to the edges of the same container and continuously welded or glued to the edges of the same container.

In the case of containers with strictly flat and smooth edges (such as, for example, the aforementioned plastic containers obtained by thermoforming in a mould), the continuous welding of the film can be easily carried out, so that the insulation of the internal compartment of the container is relatively easy to obtain and maintain over time.

In the case of the aforementioned containers obtained instead by stamping a flat sheet of cardboard, cardboard paper or other equivalent material (of particular interest in the present development), obtaining a weld of the barrier (a plastic film with a barrier to gases or liquids, or a rigid lid) which is able to seal the container is, on the other hand, much more difficult to obtain.

In fact, the forming process (for example by stamping) is responsible for the creation of characteristic surface undulations (or grooves) of the material which are mainly concentrated around the concave in-space angles delimited between two contiguous side walls of the container and around the convex spatial angles bounded by the edge of the container and the side walls.

These undulations are in fact due to local foldings and overlaps to which the material constituting the sheet is forced to conform in order to take, from a flat configuration,

a configuration in space comprising in particular a curved and/or folded side surface.

Given that these undulations represent potential channels (capillaries) of intercommunication between the internal compartment of the container and the surrounding external environment, the production of a localized seal in correspondence with these undulations is very problematic.

To this end, the Applicant has developed its own technology illustrated in the patent documents EP 1 365 964 and EP 1 792 844, which provides a solution, in addition to other problems arising from the annular reinforcement of the container, also to the problem of how to obtain a better sealing of the containers suitable for the use thereof as sealed containers for fresh food products and/or in any case highly perishable by contact with the ambient air.

This technology brings an improvement to the aforementioned problems thanks to the production of special reinforcing edges that have particular geometric conformations capable of continuously overlapping and wrapping the upper parts of the side walls of the container in order to seek to improve the seal.

Such a known solution has given, in industrial practice, only partially satisfactory results for the current requirements in terms of gastightness, which require a guarantee of tightness for periods of time that this solution cannot satisfy.

The object of the present model is to provide a container for food products which overcomes the disadvantages of the known technique mentioned above.

In particular, the objective of this model is to provide a container for food products able to combine high resistance of the cellulose container with a high guarantee of tightness of the packaging gases and the product contained.

Another objective of this model is to provide a container for food products at low cost and with a high ecological gradient and recyclability. These objectives are fully achieved by a container for food products subject of this model, which is characterized by the content of the claims provided below.

The main characteristics of the model will appear more clearly in the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated purely by way of example and not limitation in the attached drawing boards, in which: - Figure 1 indicates a container for food products making the object of this model, in a schematic plan view seen from above; - Figure 2 shows the container for food products shown in Figure 1 in a schematic side view; - Figure 3 shows a detail of the container for food products shown in the previous figures in a first embodiment and in an exploded schematic side view; - Figure 4 shows a detail of the container for food products shown in Figures 1 and 2 in a second embodiment and in an exploded schematic side view.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, and in particular with reference to Figure 1, the gas- and liquid-tight container of this model, indicated globally by 100, is used to contain perishable food-type products.

As we can also observe in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the container 100 is defined by an envelope 1 formed of a material containing components chosen from the family of cellulosic materials, and comprising a base or bottom 2.

The envelope also comprises side and head walls 3 which, in reciprocal combination, surround a cavity for receiving the products.

The side and head walls 3 comprise an upper edge 4 which extends continuously along the contour of the casing 1 (said edge 4 comprises a flat development).

The casing 1 also comprises an annular element 5 for reinforcement (therefore also for sealing) associated by overlapping and in surface correspondence with the upper edge 4 of the side and head walls 3. The annular element 5 is formed of a material containing components chosen from the family of cellulosic materials.

According to what has just been illustrated, the container 100 further comprises a film 6 adhering and associated with the casing 1 serving to completely cover the inner surface of the bottom 2, the inner surfaces of the side and top walls 3 and the free surface of the annular reinforcing element 5 so as to create a covering layer or skin of the container 100 to protect and seal the cavity for receiving the products.

In other words, the container 100 comprises a combination of components able to maintain and increase the rigidity of the envelope, thanks to the annular element and to a component having a barrier effect to gases and liquids which , thanks also to the presence of the annular element, can be placed and associated in a stable manner with all the surfaces of the envelope to allow perfect sealing of the entire containing cavity of the container.

Preferably, the film 6 is formed of a plastic material chosen from the family of thermoplastic polymers (for example, but not limited to, PE, PP, PET) having associations with other polymers and/or copolymers ( for example, but not limited to, PA or nylon, EVOH) to obtain a multilayer structure with a gas and liquid barrier effect.

Preferably, the film can be produced with polymers originating from fossil sources (non-compostable or compostable) or from renewable sources (non-compostable or compostable) monolayer or multilayer.

Preferably, the annular reinforcing element 5 comprises a lower surface 7 folded over the edges of the inner surfaces of the side and head walls 3 and on which the covering film 6 is made to adhere (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

The presence of the intrados surface allows linear coverage of the inner edges of the walls 3 also covering the corner areas of these same walls 3 where the surface undulations characteristic of the material are concentrated during the formation of the envelope.

Thanks, therefore, to the intrados surface, we obtain a linear surface with a "soft" angle towards the annular element 5 remaining able to allow both correct and safe adhesion of the film 6, with reduced risks of rupture of the film 6 during its adhesion to the surface, and a high overall barrier effect of the envelope 1.

In this context, the annular reinforcing element 5 also comprises an extrados surface 8 projecting outside the upper edge 4 of the container 100 and on which the covering film 6 is made to adhere (see FIG. 4).

The presence of the extrados surface 8 makes it possible to apply the film 6 also beyond the size of the edge 4 so as to also obtain, if necessary, on one or more of the external curves of the surface a "tongue" 11 to facilitate gripping and therefore opening the tray once sealed.

Furthermore, with this conformation, that is to say with the presence of the tab 11 on the container 100, it is also possible to use the container 100 on different packaging lines.

In other words, thanks to this technical solution, it is possible to adapt, if necessary, the container 100 to the dimensions and radii of the sealing molds used in the various packaging lines present on the market.

We will note that the container 100 comprises, when in use, a barrier 9 for leaktight closure of the container 100 placed on the casing 1 and associated, in correspondence of the upper edge 4, with the film 6 covering.

In this context, the barrier may comprise a plastic film 9 made adherent, that is to say associated, with the upper edge 4 of the container 100. Preferably, the plastic film 9 is heat-sealed on the upper edge 4 so as to be associated with the covering film or skin 6 of the casing 1. Thanks to the presence of the covering film or skin 6 and of the heat-sealed film 9, the product inside the casing 1 is protected in such a way to be able to guarantee the necessary durability of the product itself.

Preferably, the bottom 2 of the envelope 1 comprises at least one slot 10 open on the outside (which may have different shapes, such as linear, continuous curvilinear or dotted) and closed, inside the cavity , by the covering film 6 adhering to the bottom 2. In this context, the bottom 2 of the casing 1 comprises a plurality of slots 10 open on the outside and closed, inside the cavity, by the film 6 cover adhering to the bottom 2. The presence of these slots 10 allows the cover film 6 to adhere in an optimal and safe manner during the application phase of the film itself, thanks to the use of a vacuum system air or vacuum (preferably with the simultaneous aid of above-ambient temperature control and regulation). Preferably, the envelope 1 is made from a sheet of material containing components chosen from the family of cellulosic materials which may be the same as the material in which the annular element 5 is formed. Other layers of material other than cellulose can be applied to this material to increase its physical characteristics.

Preferably, the annular reinforcing element 5 is made of a material containing components chosen from the family of cellulosic materials. The annular element 5 can be formed from a material different from the material from which the casing 1 is obtained.

Alternatively, the annular element 5 can be formed from a material similar to the material from which the casing 1 is obtained. Also for the annular reinforcing element 5, one or more thermoplastic materials are applied, in varying percentages, to its main cellulosic component on one or both surfaces of the annular reinforcing element 5 to increase its physical characteristics. This model also provides an embodiment of a container for perishable food-type products comprising the following steps: - predisposing a flat cutting die formed at least from components chosen from the family of cellulosic materials; - Predisposing an annular reinforcing element 5 formed at least from components chosen from the family of cellulosic materials; - form an envelope 1, by stamping, starting from the cutting die so as to define a base or bottom 2, side walls and head 3 which, in reciprocal combination, surround a cavity for receiving the products; the side and head walls 3 have an upper edge 4 which extends continuously along the contour of the casing 1; - associate the annular element 5 of reinforcement on the upper edge 4 of the casing 1. In addition, before or after the formation of the casing 1, there is provided a step consisting in making at least one slot 10 on the bottom 2 of envelope 1; and - adhering a covering film 6 along the inner surfaces of the bottom 2, the side walls and head 3 and on the outer surface of the annular element 5 of reinforcement. Preferably, the step of forming at least one notch 10 on the bottom 2 comprises the formation of a plurality of notches 10 on the bottom 2 itself.

In addition, the step of producing at least one slot 10 on the bottom 2 of the envelope 1 is carried out before the formation of the envelope 1. The step consisting in causing the film 6 to adhere to the surfaces of the envelope and the reinforcing element 5 is carried out using a source of air vacuum (passing through the notches 10).

Claims (10)

1. Sealed container for perishable food-type products defined by an envelope (1), formed of a material containing components chosen from the family of cellulosic materials, comprising: - a base or bottom (2); - side and head walls (3) which, in reciprocal combination, surround a cavity for receiving the products; the side and head walls (3) having an upper edge (4) extending continuously along the contour of the casing (1); - an annular reinforcing element (5), formed of a material containing components chosen from the family of cellulosic materials, associated overlapping and in surface correspondence with the upper edge (4) of the side and head walls (3 ), characterized in that it further comprises a film (6) adhering and associated with the casing (1) serving to completely cover the inner surface of the bottom (2), the inner surfaces of the side and top walls (3) and the free surface of the annular reinforcing element (5) so as to create a covering layer or skin of the container (100) to protect and seal the cavity for receiving the products. 2. Container according to claim 1, in which the film (6) is formed of a plastic material chosen from the family of thermoplastic polymers having associations with other polymers and/or copolymers to obtain a gas barrier effect and to liquids. 3. Container according to claim 1 or 2, in which the annular reinforcing element (5) comprises an intrados surface (7) folded over the edges of the interior surfaces of the side and head walls (3) and on which the cover film (6) is adhered. 4. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the annular reinforcing element (5) comprises an extrados surface (8) projecting outside the upper edge (4) of the container (100). and on which the covering film (6) is made to adhere. 5. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising, when in use, a closure barrier (9) ensuring the tightness to gases and liquids of the container (100) arranged on the casing (1) and associated , in correspondence of the upper edge (4), to the covering film (6). 6. Container according to claim 5, in which the barrier comprises a film (9) made of plastic made adherent, that is to say associated with the upper edge (4) of the container (100). 7. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bottom (2) of the casing (1) comprises at least one slot (10) open on the outside and closed, inside the cavity, by the covering film (6) adhering to the bottom (2). 8. Container according to any one of the preceding claims from 1 to 6, in which the bottom (2) of the casing (1) comprises a plurality of slots (10) open on the outside and closed on the inside. of the cavity, by the covering film (6) adhering to the bottom (2). 9. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the casing (1) is made with a sheet of material containing components chosen from the family of cellulosic materials other than the material chosen for the annular element (5) . 10. Container according to any one of the preceding claims of 1 to 8, in which the annular reinforcing element (5) is made of a material containing components chosen from the family of cellulosic materials similar to the type of material chosen for the envelope (1).