EP0517963B1

EP0517963B1 - Packaging with a folded measuring spoon, the measuring spoon and a cover provided with such a measuring spoon

Info

Publication number: EP0517963B1
Application number: EP91201444A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antonius Wilhelmus Daems
Original assignee: Thomassen and Drijver Verblifa NV
Current assignee: Thomassen and Drijver Verblifa NV
Priority date: 1991-06-11
Filing date: 1991-06-11
Publication date: 1996-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 2011-06-11
Also published as: DE69122236T2; EP0517963A1; DK0517963T3; DE69122236D1

Description

The present invention relates to a package according to the preamble of claim 1 which consists of a container with an opening which prior to use of the contents is closed with a removable foil closure and a cover which after removal of the foil closure takes over the function of closing the container opening and further protects the foil closure against damage. The invention also relates to the measuring spoon according to the preamble of claim 16.
Such a package is often used for packaging material in particle form, particularly foodstuffs, such as milk powder, powdered soup and the like.
The package can consist of a metal container, a glass container, a plastic container and the like.
Since the packaged contents are usually used in determined measured amounts, a measuring spoon is often supplied with this package. To ensure as far as possible that a package with a measuring spoon is ultimately supplied to the consumer, the measuring spoon is often arranged in the container. This means that after breaking open the package the measuring spoon is buried under the contents of the package and is only found after the consumer has rummaged through the contents.
Many attempts have been made to incorporate the measuring spoon in the package such that it is directly available to the consumer when the package is broken open. The present invention has for its object to incorporate the measuring spoon in the package in an entirely different manner, and this in the space lying between the cover and the foil closure. When the contents of the package are broken open the measuring spoon is thus directly available to the consumer before the foil closure is removed. The measuring spoon cannot however be readily arranged into this disc-shaped space, because the spoon upstanding wall portion in particular of the measuring spoon has to have a relatively large capacity (about 5-25 ml) so that the spoon upstanding wall portion is of too large dimensions to be arranged in this disc-shaped space.
The invention is based on the insight that, despite the restricted, disc-shaped space that is present between the foil closure and the cover, a measuring spoon of orthodox dimensions can nevertheless be arranged therein, without providing the foil closure or the cover with bulges, by making use of a substantially flat spoon upstanding wall portion which, after being bent round, is coupled to and supported by a spoon bottom which is connected to a spoon handle.
The European patent application EP-0400708 discloses a package with a folded measuring spoon, the measuring spoon and a cover provided with such a measuring spoon. The package comprises a container with an end opening which is closed by a removable foil closure. The package is further closed by a cover and with a measuring spoon. The spoon comprises a handle and a spoon portion which need to be assembled and is located in a space between the cover and the foil closure. The spoon portion comprises a conical scoop portion that can be hooked onto a carrier ring. This is a complex construction and results in a measuring spoon with an unconventional conical holder.
The package according to the invention is therefore characterized in that the spoon comprises a spoon bottom which is moulded on the spoon handle and a spoon upstanding wall portion formed either as a sleeve or as a strip which can be bent into the shape of a sleeve, whereby the spoon bottom is provided with means intended for accomodating the spoon side wall portion.
In order to avoid the measuring spoon damaging or breaking through the foil closure, it is recommended that the spoon handle with the spoon bottom spans the opening and optionally supports on an opening rim via the foil closure. This opening rim can be an edge of a cover ring, or a neck edge of a glass container. Any forces exerted by the flat-folded spoon upstanding wall portion are sustained via the spoon handle and the spoon bottom on the opening rim, so that the foil closure cannot be penetrated.
European patent application EP 0029154 disloses a measuring spoon for powder materials. The spoon portion in this document is conical shaped from flat triangular portions. The spoon with the piramid shaped portion is difficult in use and has onorthodox dimensions.
The French patent FR 897.092 discloses a cardboard or of a similar material manufactured spoon. The basis is a single blank with double handle parts. By bringing the handle parts together a circular blank part with a slit between the two therewith connected handle parts is folded in a substantially curved spoon part.
A particularly favourable measuring spoon, which does not have the problem of components thereof disappearing, results when the spoon handle, the spoon bottom and the spoon upstanding wall portion are preferably manufactured from one piece, for instance by injection moulding.
A very convenient package results if the measuring spoon is fixed in the cover in folded state. It is thus possible for the supplier of the package to arrange the foil closure and the cover, wherein the measuring spoon is already incorporated, onto the bottomless container with existing apparatus. The filler finally carries out the filling and subsequently arranges the bottom. Such a cover with measuring spoon can be manufactured in only a small number of manufacturing operations, for example injection moulding operations, if the cover and the spoon handle with the spoon bottom are manufactured from one piece. Only one manufacturing operation is necessary if, as preferred, the cover and the measuring spoon are manufactured from one piece.
The spoon bottom and the bent round spoon upstanding wall portion can be mutually coupled in favourable manner if in preference the spoon bottom is provided with a standing peripheral edge. This coupling can be further improved if more preferably the interior size of the peripheral edge diverges towards the spoon bottom and the spoon upstanding wall portion is provided with a longitudinal edge of wedge-shaped section. Thus avoided as far as possible is an undesired disconnection of the spoon bottom from the spoon upstanding wall portion.
Although the spoon bottom can possess any non-angular disc shape, it is however recommended for coupling the spoon bottom and the spoon upstanding wall portion that the spoon bottom is circular disc-like.
According to a first embodiment the spoon upstanding wall portion is a material strip for bending round, the end edges of which are preferably coupled with co-acting coupling means arranged on the end edges. It is favourable if a number of coupling means are arranged over the breadth of the strip, i.e. over the height of the bent round spoon upstanding wall portion. Easy to form and reliably operating coupling means comprise a hook with a co-acting opening or eye.
If in preference the end edges are provided on the strip surfaces remote from one another with corresponding rebates, the shape of the bent round spoon upstanding wall portion is disturbed as little as possible by the overlapping end edges because both rebates together have a thickness equal to the thickness of the material strip. To disturb the bent round spoon upstanding wall portion shape to the smallest possible extent it is therefore also recommended that the coupling means are arranged in the rebates.
According to another embodiment the spoon upstanding wall portion consists of a bent round material sleeve which can be brought by material tension or by shaping into its slightly conical, preferably substantially cylindrical form.
In order to ensure that during arranging of the measuring spoon according to the invention in the package the risk of losing measuring spoon components is avoided as far as possible, it is recommended that the spoon bottom and the spoon upstanding wall portion are mutually joined via a material bridge and/or the handle and the spoon upstanding wall portion are mutually connected. It is further possible that the handle is folded with the spoon bottom onto the spoon upstanding wall portion and is handled and optionally even arranged in the cover of the package in this folded state.
The invention not only relates to the package with a folding measuring spoon according to the invention, but also to the measuring spoon itself and to a cover wherein this measuring spoon is fixed, for instance by gluing, or by moulding in a simultaneous manufacturing operation, such as for instance by injection molding.
Mentioned and other characteristics of the package, measuring spoon and cover according to the invention will become apparent and be further elucidated in the light of the description of a number of embodiments, with reference to the annexed drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows an exploded, partially broken away, perspective view of a package according to the invention;
figure 2 shows on a larger scale the measuring spoon according to the invention for assembly;
figure 3 shows on a larger scale a section along the line III-III of figure 2;
figure 4 shows a section along the line IV-IV of figure 2;
figure 5 shows on a different scale a partially broken away perspective view from beneath of the assembled measuring spoon according to the invention;
figure 6 shows a section along the line VI-VI of figure 5;
figures 7 and 8 show perspective, partially broken away views of other spoon upstanding wall portions according to the invention;
figures 9-11 each show a perspective view of other measuring spoons according to the invention which need to be assembled;
figure 12 is a perspective, partially broken away view of an underside of a cover provided with a measuring spoon which need to be assembled from figure 9; and
figure 13 is a perspective view corresponding with figures 7 and 8 of a sleeve-like spoon upstanding wall portion.

Figure 1 shows a package 1 according to the invention having a cylindrical, metal container 2 with an end opening 3 which is closed off with an aluminium foil closure 4 that is a conventional foil closure. This foil closure rests on a container rim 5 bent round towards the inside. The foil closure 4 is removable by pulling on a pull-tab 6. The end opening 3 can be closed with a plastic cover 7, which can be arranged closing over the container 2, wherein an internal peripheral edge 8 snaps over an external rim 9 of the container 2. Up to this point, a conventional package.
Arranged in the disc-shaped space between the cover 7 and the foil closure 4 is a blank 10. This blank 10 is a measuring spoon 11 according to the invention for assembly (see figure 5). The blank 10 has an external size such that it spans the end opening 3 and rests on the container rim 5. Damage to the foil closure 4 is thus avoided, even when the measuring spoon 11 which needs to be assembled displays shaping bias.
Figures 2-6 show in more detail the measuring spoon 11 according to the invention. The measuring spoon 11 comprises a rigid handle 12 and a spoon bottom 13 moulded thereon and further a spoon upstanding wall portion 14, in this case a material strip formed by bending round is connected via a flexible material bridge 15 to the spoon bottom 13. The handle 12 and the spoon upstanding wall portion 14 are mutually connected at the other side via a thin material bridge 16 which can be broken by being bent a number of times out of the blank of the blank.
The spoon bottom 13 is provided with a standing peripheral edge 17 whereof an internal dimension A diverges toward the spoon bottom 13. In other words: the wall thickness of the peripheral edge 17 decreases in the direction towards the spoon bottom 13.
The spoon upstanding wall portion 14 is provided with a wedge-shaped lengthwise edge 18 which can co-act with the wedge-shaped peripheral edge 17 of the spoon bottom 13.
The end edges 19 and 20 are further each provided with corresponding rebates 21 and 22 on which are arranged coupling means 23 for coupling the end edges 19 and 20.
For the measuring spoon 11 according to the invention the coupling means consist of a pin 24 arranged in the rebate 21 on the later inner surface of the spoon upstanding wall portion 14 and a hole 26 arranged in the rebate 22 located in the later outer surface 27 of the spoon upstanding wall portion 14.
The measuring spoon 11, which is shown in assembled state in figure 5, can be assembled as follows. The material bridge 15 is broken, whereafter both end edges 19 and 20 are carried towards one another as the spoon upstanding wall portion 14 is bent round. The rebates are laid one over the other, wherein the pin 24 is inserted into the hole 26. The thus resulting, cylindrical spoon upstanding wall portion 14 is pressed with the longitudinal edge 18 into the peripheral edge 17 of the spoon bottom 13, wherein the bridge 15 bends and for this movement is fixed to the spoon upstanding wall portion 14 at a position lying outside the longitudinal edge 18. The assembled measuring spoon 11 according to the invention maintains this form during scooping of material which can be easily discharged if the spoon bottom 13 is also provided with a small air hole 28.
Figure 7 shows a variant of a spoon upstanding wall portion 29 according to the invention wherein the rebate 31 is provided with a hooking member 30 that is formed out of a part of rebate 31 and an opening 33 that is formed in the rebate 32.
If necessary, a number of coupling means 23 as shown in figures 2-6 and figure 7 can be arranged over the breadth of the strip from which the spoon upstanding wall portion 14 or 29 is assembled, in other words over the height of the assembled spoon upstanding wall portion 14, 29.
Figure 8 shows yet another variant of a spoon upstanding wall portion 34 according to the invention wherein a rebate 35 is provided with a spine 36 which can be received in snap-in manner in a groove 37 arranged in a rebate 38.
Figure 9 shows a measuring spoon 40 according to the invention wherein the handle 12 with the spoon bottom 13 is folded onto the spoon upstanding wall portion 39 while the material bridge 15 is bent, wherein the folded state is locked by a hook 41 which is formed on the handle 12 and hooks behind an end edge 42 of the spoon upstanding wall portion 39. This folded measuring spoon 40 is easy to handle, transport and arrange in the space between cover 7 and foil closure 4.
Figure 10 shows yet another measuring spoon 43 according to the invention wherein a spoon upstanding wall portion 44 is connected to the handle 45 via a material strip 46 which can be broken off at the break points 47 and 48 by moving the handle 45 and the spoon upstanding wall portion 44 relative to the bridge 46.
In the measuring spoon 49 according to the invention of figure 11 the spoon bottom 50 is joined via a rigid material bridge 51 to the edge 52 of spoon upstanding wall portion 63. The coupling means 23 moreover comprise in the rebate 53 hooking members 54 formed therein and therefrom which co-act with holes 56 arranged in the rebate 55.
Figure 12 shows an assembly of a cover 57 having fixed therein via material strips 58 a measuring spoon 40 as shown in figure 9. These material strips can consist of the same material as the measuring spoon 40 and the cover 57 or of weld or glue points of a welding material or gluing material. By breaking the material strips 58 the measuring spoon 40 is released and can be brought into the finished measuring spoon 40 form by being folded out and assembled.
Figure 13 shows a spoon upstanding wall portion 59 with a sleeve form whereof also the peripheral edge 60 is wedge-shaped and intended for receiving in the peripheral edge 17 of the spoon bottom. By deforming this sleeve-form spoon upstanding wall portion 59 it can also be received in the slit-like space between the cover 57 and the foil closure 4.
In preference the measuring spoons according to the invention and the diverse components thereof are manufactured by injection moulding and, if desired, optionally in a single injection moulding operation with the forming of the cover.
It is further self-evident that the measuring spoons according to the invention can also be used in packages in which no foil closure is incorporated, but wherein the advantage is nevertheless provided of the measuring spoon being available when the package is opened and rummaging in the package can be wholly avoided.

Claims

Package (1) comprising a container (2) with an end opening (3) which is closed by a removable foil closure (4) and whereby the package (1) is further closed by a cover (7,57), and with a measuring spoon (11,40,43,49) comprising a handle (12,45) and a spoon portion (14,29,34,44,59,63) which spoon (11,40,43,49) needs to be assembled and is located in a space between the cover (7) and the foil closure (4),
characterized in that
the spoon (11,40,43,49) comprises a spoon bottom (13,50) which is moulded on the spoon handle (12,45) and a spoon upstanding wall portion (14,29,34,39,44,59,63) formed either as a sleeve (59) or as a strip which can be bent into the shape of a sleeve, whereby the spoon bottom (13,50) is provided with means (17) intended for accomodating the spoon side wall portion (14,29,34,39,44,59,63).
Package (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spoon bottom (13,50) is provided with a standing peripheral edge 17.
Package (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the internal size of the peripheral edge 17 diverges towards the spoon bottom (13,50).
Package (1) as claimed in claims 1-3, wherein the spoon bottom (13,50) is disc-shaped.
Package (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the spoon bottom (13,50) is circular disc-like.
Package (1) as claimed in claims 1-5, wherein the spoon portion (14,29,34,39,44,63) is a material strip formed by bending.
Package (1) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the edges (17,18,60) of the disc (13,50) or of the strip (14,29,34,39,44,63) are provided with co-acting coupling means.
Package (1) as claimed in claim 7, wherein along the peripheral edge 17 of the disc or over the breadth (18,60) of the strip (14,29,34,39,44,63) is arranged a number of coupling means (23).
Package (1) as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the coupling means (23) comprise at least one hook (30,54) and a co-acting opening (33,56).
Package (1) as claimed in claims 6-9, wherein the edges on the disc surfaces or strip surfaces remote from each other are provided with corresponding rebates (21,22,31,32,35,53,55).
Package (1) as claimed in claims 6-10, wherein the coupling means (23,24,30,33,36,37,54,56) are arranged in the rebates (21,22,31,32,35,53,55).
Package (1) as claimed in claims 1-5, wherein the spoon portion (14,29,34,39,44,59,63) is a material sleeve (59) formed by bending.
Package (1) as claimed in claims 3-12, wherein the spoon portion (14,29,34,39,44,59,63) is provided with a longitudinal edge (18,60) of wedge-shaped section.
Package (1) as claimed in claims 1-3 and 6-13, wherein the spoon bottom (13,50) and the spoon portion (14,29,34,39,44,59,63) are mutually connected via a material bridge (15,16,46,51).
Package (1) as claimed in claims 1-14, wherein the handle (12,45) and the spoon portion (14,29,34,39,44,59,63) are mutually connected.
Measuring spoon (11,40,43,49) of the package (1) of claim 1, comprising a handle (12,45) and a spoon portion (14,29,34,39,44,59,63),
characterized in that
the spoon (11,40,43,49) comprises a spoon bottom (13,50) which is moulded on the spoon handle (12,45) and a spoon upstanding wall portion (14,29,34,39,44,59,63) formed either as a sleeve (59) or as a strip which can be bent into the shape of a sleeve, whereby the spoon bottom (13,50) is provided with means (17) intended for accomodating the spoon side wall portion (14,29,34,39,44,59,63).
Cover (7,57) of the package (1) of claim 1, for further closing of the package (1) of which an end opening (3) is closed off by a removable foil closure (4) which cover is provided with the releasable measuring spoon (11,40,43,99) of claim 16.