CA2028405A1 - Container and methods of making same - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A container made from a laminate of plastics sheet and stiff material which is self-erecting on filling.

Description

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Th~s inveQlion relal~ lu ~;o~ r~ ~nd m~thud~ ~)f ~i~ ~ame.

A~C~ JND OF TH~ ~I'IO~

Our N~w Zealand patent application No.s 200~5, 202266, 203278, 204265, 2n.~072, a22~4s ~nd ~U~iU~(), and ~v~ra~a8 cquiv llsnt~ describ~ contsiners formcd from a lam~n~te of a 6ti~matcr~al ~nd ~ flo:Riblo mutcn~l(s) which ~re erectable into containers with th~ free ~dges o~ fl~xible m~ten~l being u~ r ~curin~ the container in an erected condition ~nd for closure.
The cont.~iner~ c~n be m~d~ of R l~minate. of plaaticE~ ahe.et material and cardboard with th~ cardbo~rd compl~tely encap6ulatcd within two ~hcet~
of pl~6tic.

IT~ ~Ptent No~ 4,(~ 16 by h;li Lilly and Company de~cnbes a carton and b~6 container. Thc product dc~oribcd i9 m~nuf~cturcd firo~L ~ l~inatc of pla~tics oheet and ~ardboard. Th~ manufacturing m~thod invol~8 producing a ~wo ply lamiIlate of p1astics sh~et mat~rial and cardboa:rd overl~yi~ the laminat~ ~nd ~orming side ~eams by joi~ing the plR~tic~
8h~et mat0ri~1 a~ thc cdg~ of tho l~min~to to form ~n open end3d cvntainer~ The Lily mallufaclurln~ n~ od m~ke~ ~oo~l 8cononlic u8~ Or m~terialP.. ThQ~ T,ily bl~nk incorp~r~to8 th~ f ~l~at p~n~l~ d~ign~d.
to ~e~ure tho container in an ereoted condition. Howevar the ~u~3ets . .
` ~ which aro extsrnal are taped into pOBitiOn and may becnme IOOBe a~ a re~ul~ Or ~ub~ u~ h~ of ~e cont~iner. In ~ddition ~e Lily -~ onntainer r~ ir~s th~ u8el of the hand or m~chRnical m~An~ pr~ad the - cont~iner pI'iG~ to fiIlin~
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An obj~ct of th~ pr~nt invention is to pro~lde a container, ~nd a metho~
of formln~ a contain~r of th~ kind de.scribed which furth~r enh~nco~ th~
r~nge of potential USe8 of ~me and which t~nds it~clf to Quto~n~t~d m~nu~cturc and filli~g.

Further o4j~cts and adv~nt~ges of the pr~8ent inve~tion will bocome apparent from tho an~uing descnption which i~ gi en by way of o~ample.

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According to the pres~nt inv~ntion th~ pronted a cont~iner formed by l~minating a blanl; of ~ at~rial with ~ larger picc~ ~f fl~xibl~ matenal said bl~k provldin~ s~de and b~ttom p~nela fnr the cont~iner. folding AeaTn~ between the side panel~ ~nd tha bottom panol and a fold lino bis~cting the bottom pAncl~ wher~in gho lamination i8 forrn~d into n cont~iner by folding ~o th~t the ~ids pan~l~ of t~e blank oY~rli~ ullo~nother ~nd the ~Id line of the botton~ p~nel i~ ingst ~nd .li~ between ~dj~!er)t lower portions OI the side panels by jQini~ o~verlaid pO~4~18 of the fla~nble matari~l a~j~cent tho ~ide pRrlels.

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~cco~dlr~g to a ~urther ~pecs nf th~ l~r~ent invention ther~ i~ provided mathod of ~rm~n~ a con~inor as 3for~ssid comprising t~o stops of:
. (u) bond~rlg the ~tif~m~nal with the fl~;nbl~ ~at~rial, ~b) foldi~l~ t~l~ lamination 8~ tha~ ~e ~lde panQl~ of ths blank ~verlie oneanother ~nd the f~ld lina of th~ bottom p~nel i0 in~t and li~
bet-veen lower portion~ o~ front snd re~r pa~ol~ d (c) fi~i:ing togother o~erl~id portion~ of tho ~le~ible materi~l tog~ther adj~cant ~aid side p~n~

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, - , Tll~ end u~ar call open th~ cont~in~r lto remOYQ the conte~t~ ~ply by - 61itting tha SeRttlEl.
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If a tnpl~ ply laminate of pl~ticg gl~ rdboard~pla~tic~ ~heet i8 u~sd tic~ materlal form~ ~n inn~r liner for th~ container which hygienic~lly 8eR18 tho contents.

Tho specific~tian for the l~ in~te can be depend~nt upon the cu~tomer r~quirement8 ~nd it w~ll be ~pparent th~t the structure can be msde to bu very ~t.rong.

The ~ontainer i8 8e~l ~ aIl alternativ~ to cardboard boxe~ w~th plaatio bs~g liners aIld would ~le~rly ~ninimiYe the problem of tha liner bei embedded in frozen or settin~ food, e.g. procc3sod ch~es~.

The c~ntai~e~ uf~:tured ~rom a mple ply 1aminate a~ de~cribeA c~n ba ~ade waterproof inRili~ 8ncl out and high tluid ~ont~t product~ c~n e.f~ectiv01y be 0e~10d in the container alld p~clccd in ~ wet onYironment~

t C~ll b~ u~ed ifor th~ lamlnation proce~ including f.orming ~ide ~eam~ ~nA the s~aling o~ the op~ning, and ~o ~dhe~i~es are u~cd.

; ~ Whore incroa8ed colltsinor ~l~ck~bility i~ r~lauir~d non gl~p tilmR which I:an bo us~d for th~ outer film. Alt~rn~ively where high 81ip it~ ~equired thi8 fe~tura COtllCl be dc~ignsd into the out~r film.

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W~ bolieva thnt the contain~r ~yst~m will roducsd overall pruducti~n.
packaging and asso~ ted co~t8 plus incr~e m~sn~gement control Qll bein~ or cost reduction benefit~.

Intorn~lly th~ contain~r hQ~ inim~l ma~ri~l o~rerlsps to form air p~cketl~ which would fill with i~e lf It ig uaed ~or fro~en food~ at transfgr to and from ths cont~iner i~ improvad throu~h t~ eoonomiaal use of material~. If it i~ dc~irod to in~ulate tho contain~r, the Bl;iff' matori~l c~n b~ mnde fro~ a recogni~ed insula~ion mat~riHl ~uch a6 polystyr~ne~

Th~ clear film lid allowB produot to b~ ~en ~ithout oponing ~h~ c~ntainer.
Product~ within the cont~iner can bs made r~2~dily vi~ibl~ by t~e pro~i~ion of viewin~ ports (not sho~n) in the blank of ~tif~ matorial arldJor by shDrtaning t.h~ de.pth of the sid~ or end p~nol~

. ~ ` The laminate provide~ pnl~ntial for th~ u~e film~ of g~s b~r~ar or permestion propertie~ in acc~rdanca with cu~tomer requir~Ynents.
Barrier fi]~ns which may be usod includo lill~ar low-don~ity EVOH~EV~
film~ wath the E~A ~urf~ce being used a~l the int~rnRl ~urîac~ of the laminate .
~, 1 Where appropriata films thst aotivol~ modify the contaix~r'~ int~rn~L
environment c~n ba u~ed ~8 part of the struclur~.
, Tho Container c~n inc-~rporate t~mper ovide~t B~alin,~, 4 ~:

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. ~ A8pects of ~h~ pre~ent in~rention will now be dascribod by way of e~ar~ple only w~th reference to thc acco~panying drawing~ in whicil;

Ei~Ql~ cro~s ~ction of a container l~minats in accordanco ~th the pr~3ent inv~o~, Qnd .
i8 a pl~ view of a laminatlon pr~c0ss in ac~orda~c~ with on~
po8slble ~mbodimant of t~lP.. pre~ent invPlltion, and howa~c lon~inate ~folded prior to th~ adj~c~xlt edges of the ~lexibl~ ~enal th~reof b~lng joined, and ~ .
i8 A per~pectiv~ view of t~a formod container, in a s~ flat :; . conditiorl, , ` -i~.re ~: i3 ~ p~r~p~cti~ view o~ the ~los~d end of th~ oon~incr of ~: Figure 3 in ~ ~rcotod condi~onl and Q 4B and ~5 to ~B: ar0 long-~ection~l ~nd cross-~ection~l drawings of the collta~ner i~ var~oua Bt~ge~ of c~2p~n~ion.
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Wit~ re~poct to the dra~nng~ ~ contain~r l~minate in aooord~nco ~ith the presQnt invention'.compr~e~ a ~tiff m~tcrial 1 and orlo o~ two layors of ~ ~ flo~ible matcnal 2 laminated ~illl lh~ ~tiff matori~l 1. The fl~xible :; s : ~ .

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-matc~i~l iD lar~r t~n th~ ~tif~ maleri~l and pro~d~a a p~ripherhlborder.

'l'h~ ~tiff material 1 oan bc c~rdboard ~Ithough other matenQls can ~
u~d. The flox}ble ma~rial 2 IIlay be pla~ticg gh~et. but again other ~aterial~ ~y be u~ed.

'l`he l~minat~ of Figures 1 Qnd 2 can be for~sd aPter a blank generally indicated by arrow 3 i~ la~d onto a ~et of pla~tlc~ material 2 wi~h a larger si~d ~heet OI pla~tic~ mat0ri~1 ~ h~ing overl~id on th8 blarlk 3 once it hFs h~n correctly centrcd. Th~ overlaid ~heets of pllll3tiC9 material 2 and blank 3 ~re lamin~ted togeth~r u~ing el heat~d roller method ~ descnbed in ollr earli~r patent~ (not ~hown) ~o that th~r~ ~6 adherenc~ of th~ pla~ticA
mst;eri~l to th~ blank and al~o adher~nce of overl~id ~ur~ce~ of t;he pla~tic~ material 2.
' H~ing c~pleted ~1~ lamillation the }~minat~ ov~rlaid ~o that one ma~or portion therenf av~r]ie~ the oth6r ~nd th~ plastics od~s of the overlaid portions of tho l~inate arc joinod to ~orm the op~nod onded oont~incr ~ illustrated by ~i~ure~ 3 to 5B.
, It will be apparent that th~ proce~ d~cribed l~nds itself to autom~tion with the at~p~ ~f l~r~inntion, ~olding, and joi~ g of th~ ~dge~ bein~
compl~tcd a3 ~ub~e~ueIIli ln-lin~ productioll step8. It ~9 en~ d that the open-~nd~d cont&in8r c~uld. h~ fi11~d ~nth g~od8 ~t th~ end of the laminatlion~ joining and erection proce~ae~ d~p~ndant upon cu~tom~r requiroment~ And abiliti~. No Qn~ r gu~et~n{~ or other erection or ~'`, . .

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prooc6s ~top~ ~re requir~d, and all B~ep9 r~quire~ It) r~ d clo~e of~ the contain~r call b~ cted exterrlally.

In th~ a~mpl~ illustr~ted th~ ~tiff material 3 i~ a blan~ eom~)ri~ wv large s~ction~ 4, four fl~nhiuK ~e~:tion~ ~ and end flap ~ection~ 6 aI1 joined a~uut fold ~ 8 7. The blank can be Cut l~ing H 8impl~ clickin~ l~ife or di~ wit}t ~irQu]t~neot~3 or lat4r ~rmQtion of the ~oldin~ s~ 7.

The blank ~ clude~ a bi-~ec~in~ ~ld line 7A which divids~ what i8 to '. b~;ome tho bottom pan~l of the cont~in~r.

The blank is foldod about fold lino 7~ vhich i~ inB~t f~or~ e ~nd .,r ~,~
~- folded blank and side ed~ re joirled u8in~ len~th~Yits~ seam~ ~. The com!~leted contain~r i9 laid fl~t ~nd can ba stored ~r tr~n~poltation to a I)aekAg~ng f~ctors~ or ~lt~rn~tively packa~ing oan bo complet~d ~f~er lamination. Tho co~t~iner iB ~elf-er~cting a~ tho interiors of ~,he O~
ended conta~ner ar~ r~ d w~th materi~l or by applying ~tornal pre~allr~
tu the 8eam~ 8. Folding ~qmB 7 ~nd 7A and the joined odg~ 8 act ~
hir~e0 ~o that the contginer is croctcd iI~tO a r~ctas~gular box fo~mation a9 ia illu3trated by E~gures 3 and 3A. An inL~r~ et 9 (see Fieur~s 4A
d 6A) i8 ~rm~d to ea~h sid~ of the ~r~cted cont~iner at th~ baso ~nd i~ a very II~inor int.ru~ion. o~er otharwise ~mooth int~rnal ~ur~ace~. Ths contain~r h~ thQ ability to bc "~ol~-~r~cting" on ~Slling b~cauD~ the botltorn pan~ls 6 ~re in~6t and material ~llt~ring the container impact3 on th~
bottom panel straightening it ~fnd simultaneously pullin~ the ~ide pan~ls vi~ th~ gu~s~ts 9 inw~rd~ u~til th~y ~trai~ht~n. Thi~ i~ificant advanta~e a~ ~ho oroction of thfl container can ba readily ~utomated.
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: ' , It will b~ ~pparent from tho~ ~m~liar with the art that ~he simple lall~ination and ~r~ctlon steps dssc~bed pr~)~id~ m~or ~dvant~ to the u~er and or m~nuf~cturer e~p0cially if tho GontRincr is u~od for packagin~ bulk matcriQl~ ~uch ~g cheeses or powder~.

The contain~r can be readily ~d~pted for u~ as ~ w~terproof Rport~ or utility bag by the pro~ision of cut-out~ (not ~hown) for the hands in p~n~l~
and/or plAstic~ at tha ~pen ~nd t~ereof.

If t~e inner layer of the l~minate i8 sub~t~nti~lly corrosion reoi~t or rupture-pro~f the cont~iner m~y bo ~ d to ~aoilit~te the dispoaal of dan6~erous objectc or material~.

U~e ~f the contain~r for drinks and o~her liquids i~ ~180 1~ po~ibility. U6e of the cont~iner for pac~a~in~ drink~ or othor liquid~ ma~ in-rol~o dightly diffbrent ~ mbly steps to tho60 de~cribsd. One poB~ibl~ ~un~tion may invol~e ~aling o~ l,he open end of th~ container prior to farming ~id~
~eams~ A filling ~n~ outlet ~pout ~not shown) ~ay be incorpor~ted into the walls of the container pr~or to fo~D.ation of the side 3eal~, A~ f~r a~ other 31milarly con~truct~d contP~iner~ the shape of thQ
container p~nel~ det~rmincs the ~hape o~ the oontai~&r. On~ po~ible sh~pe of the conta~zlor do~cnb~d woilld ba to om~t two of the p~n~l~ G on one side of the carton blank ~o u~e tnangular pan~l3 6~ Similar a~embly step~ to tho~e de~cnbed for th~ r~ct~ngular contain~r ~ould ra~ult i~ the fnrm~t.ion of a triangular ~e~tion co2~tuner.

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Claims (10)

1. A container formed by laminating a blank of stiff material with a larger piece of flexible material said blank providing side and bottom panels for the container, folding seams between the side panels and the bottom panel, and a fold line bisecting the bottom panel, wherein the lamination is formed into a container by folding so that the side panels of the blank overlie oneanother and the fold line of the bottom panel is inset and lies between adjacent lower portions of the side panels and by joining overlaid portions of the flexible material adjacent the side panels.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the stiff material is cardboard.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the flexible material is a film of plastics sheet.

4. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the lamination is of plastics sheet, cardboard, and plastics sheet.

5. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the blank includes closure panels extending from opposite side panels.

6. A method of forming the container of claim 1 comprising the steps of:
(a) bonding the stiff material with the flexible material, (b) folding the lamination so that the side panels of the bland overlie oneanother and the fold line of the bottom panel is inset and lies between lower portions of the side panels, and (c) fixing together overlaid portions of the flexible material together adjacent said side panels.

7. A method of packaging comprising the method of forming a container of claim 6 and subsequent filling of the container from its open end.

8. A container substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A method of forming a container substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A packaging method substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.