EP0460739A1

EP0460739A1 - Package

Info

Publication number: EP0460739A1
Application number: EP91201296A
Authority: EP
Inventors: C. Sieders; J.B.H. Derksen; G. Kloostra
Original assignee: KELDER PLASTIBOX BV
Current assignee: KELDER PLASTIBOX BV
Priority date: 1990-05-31
Filing date: 1991-05-30
Publication date: 1991-12-11
Also published as: NL9001243A; NO912055L; NO912055D0

Abstract

which is provided with an outwardly extending nesting means (5a,5b). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a package at least substantially consisting of a bottom and an upright wall.
Such a package is generally known. In order to be able to transport and store the known packages in an economic and practical manner it is usual to nest said packages for said transport or storage, i.e. to move them into each other.
A drawback of the known package is that when being nested in this manner said packages become jammed, so that in practice, when the packages are needed for use, it mostly takes quite an effort to move them apart again. It stands to reason that such a difficult and time-consuming "denesting" is highly undesirable, in particular when the packages are used for commercial purposes.
The object of the invention is to provide a package which substantially consists of a bottom and an upright wall, whereby it is possible to nest, in particular for transport or storage, and subsequently denest the packages in a very practical manner.
In order to accomplish this objective a package of the kind mentioned in the preamble is characterized in that the wall is provided with an outwardly extending nesting means. Preferably said nesting means is at least substantially constituted by a wall portion which extends conically towards the outside. It is precisely this conical shape that prevents that the packages according to the invention become jammed in their nested condition.
One embodiment of a package according to the invention is characterized in that the wall is provided with a lower wall portion, a centre wall portion extending conically towards the outside, said centre wall portion at least substantially forming the nesting means, and an upper wall portion, whereby said lower wall portion and said upper wall portion are interconnected via said centre wall portion. In the nested condition of the packages according to the invention the centre wall portion of the one package rests on the upper edge of the upper wall portion of the other package.
Another embodiment of a package according to the invention is characterized in that the lower wall portion extends conically towards the outside, and that the upper wall portion extends at least substantially in a straight line. The advantage of the fact that the upper wall portion extends in a straight line is that it will be easy to provide a detachable cover on the package according to the invention. Said cover may be mounted in a practical and solid manner so as to be self-gripping or by means of e.g. tape. Said tape is thereby provided in an overlapping manner, e.g. in the shape of a one-piece adhesive tape, around the joint of the cover edge and the upper wall portion.
Another embodiment of a package according to the invention is characterized in that the upper wall portion has an inwardly bent (collar) edge. Said edge, preferably being a curled collar edge, in particular gives a certain sturdiness to the periphery of the upper wall portion, which makes it easier to provide a detachable cover (possibly by means of tape) such as mentioned before. The advantage of the fact that the (collar) edge is inwardly bent is that the edge does not take up any external space, so that a volume reduction is obtained, in particular during transport and/or storage of the packages according to the invention.
Another embodiment of a package according to the invention is characterized in that the thickness of the edge substantially corresponds with the extensional width of the centre wall portion. As a result of this there is a small contact area between the conical centre wall portion of the one package and the edge of the other package in the nested condition of the packages according to the invention, which enables the packages to be denested "automatically", i.e. requiring hardly any or no force at all.
Another embodiment of a package according to the invention is characterized in that the package is at least substantially manufactured by means of a moulding technique. In this connection the term moulding technique is understood to mean a vacuum, compression, blowing or injection technique. Preferably the moulding technique is a vacuum technique, since such a technique makes it possible to manufacture a package according to the invention in a very efficient and accurate manner concerning the concical shape of in particular the lower and centre wall portions and the shape of the (curled) edge.
The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to Figures illustrated in a drawing, in which:

Figure 1: shows a perspective view of two nested packages according to the invention;
Figure 2: diagrammatically shows a longitudinal section of three nested packages according to the invention;
Figure 3: shows a part of the upright wall of one of the packages shown in Figure 1;
Figure 4: shows a plan view of one of the packages illustrated in Figure 1.

In Figure 1 two nested packages (1a,1b) can be distinguished, which are substantially made of a transparent plastic material, said packages (1a, 1b) each containing a bottom (2a, 2b) and an upright wall (3a, 3b). Said upright walls (3a, 3b) are each provided with a lower wall portion (4a, 4b) which extends conically towards the outside, a centre wall portion (5a, 5b), forming a nesting means, which extends conically towards the outside, and an upper wall portion (6a, 6b) extending at least substantially in a straight line. A projecting nesting, i.e. a nesting whereby the packages (1a, 1b) can be moved into and out of each other - without much force being required - is realised in that in its nested condition the package (1a) rests with its centre wall portion (5a) on an inwardly bent curled collar edge (see Figure 2) of the upper wall portion (6b) of the package (1b).
Figure 2 very diagrammatically illustrates a longitudinal section of three nested packages (1a, 1b, 1c), whereby parts corresponding with Figure 1 have been given the same reference numerals. The upper wall portions (6a, 6b, 6c) of the packages (1a, 1b, 1c), each have an inwardly bent curled collar edge (7a, 7b, 7c). The thickness (8) of said curled edges (7a, 7b, 7c) preferably corresponds with the extensional width (9) of the centre wall portions (5a, 5b, 5c), so that e.g. the centre wall portion (5c) of the package (1c) in the nested condition is sufficiently supported by the curled edge (7c) of the upper wall portion (6b) of the package (1b).
Figure 3 illustrates a part of the upright wall (3a) of the package (1a) shown in Figure 1. Corresponding parts have been given the same reference numerals.
Figure 4 shows a plan view of the package (1a) of Figure 1. In the Figure the bottom (2a), the lower wall portion (4a), which extends conically towards the outside, and the inwardly bent curled edge (7a) can be distinguished.
It is noted that, besides from transparent plastic material, the packages according to the invention can also be made of other materials, such as cardboard and the like.

Claims

A package at least substantially consisting of a bottom and an upright wall, characterized in that the wall is provided with an outwardly extending nesting means.
A package according to claim 1, characterized in that said nesting means is at least substantially constituted by a wall portion which extends conically towards the outside.
A package according to claim 2, characterized in that the wall is provided with a lower wall portion, a centre wall portion extending conically towards the outside, said centre wall portion at least substantially forming the nesting means, and an upper wall portion, whereby said lower wall portion and said upper wall portion are interconnected via said centre wall portion.
A package according to claim 3, characterized in that the lower wall portion extends conically towards the outside, and that the upper wall portion extends at least substantially in a straight line.
A package according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the upper wall portion has an inwardly bent (collar) edge.
A package according to claim 5, characterized in that the thickness of the edge substantially corresponds with the extensional width of the centre wall portion.
A package according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said package is at least substantially manufactured by means of a moulding technique.
A package according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said package is at least substantially made of plastic material.
A package according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said package has an at least substantially circular cross-section.
A package according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said package has a detachable cover.