EP0605611B1 - Packaging made from a thin folded sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

A wrapper is formed of a semi-rigid section is fixed to a pleated section made of a thin flexible sheet. The semi-rigid unpleated section is folded to form a cavity for containing loose products. The pleated section is deployed around the cavity to form a self-closing wrapper. After opening the wrapper the products may be consumed from either section. The wrapper is particularly suited for french fries or pizza pies.

Description

The present invention relates to a packaging for bulk products, for example potato fries, but not exclusively, comprising a thin pleated sheet associated with a semi-rigid unpleated sheet delimiting a space intended to contain the products and serving to support the deployment of the pleated sheet.

Patent FR-A-2595666 (corresponding to the preamble of claim 1) describes a packaging for a sandwich of the "hamburger" type, consisting of a thin sheet pleated parallel to its width, the folds of which are welded together in the vicinity of their lateral ends in two narrow zones. Such packaging is not suitable for bulk products.

US-A-3446416 describes a package consisting of a semi-rigid sheet capable of being shaped to reserve a cavity serving as a receptacle for a sandwich. This package is not intended to contain bulk products because it does not have a closure.

To overcome these drawbacks, it is possible to produce a packaging, as described in patent FR-A-2676037 (published on 06.11.92), comprising a semi-rigid sheet conformable to create a cavity capable of containing a convex object, associated with a pleated sheet which can be deployed on the walls of said cavity to close it. However, this packaging only covers objects that are generally formed from a single piece or from several pieces that are sufficiently coherent with one another to form a relatively compact whole, held in the hand. On the other hand, if it is a question of packaging bulk products which are not coherent with each other, such as fries or dauphine potatoes, or balls, it is no longer possible to use the packaging as it is, because it is practically impossible to lock the pleated part around the unpleated sheet intended to contain products.

The packaging in question and as claimed makes it possible to contain not only solid bulk products, but also one-piece products such as pizzas.

• La Fig.1 représente un emballage selon l'invention avant son déploiement.
• La Fig.2 représente l'emballage selon l'invention avec la zone semi-rigide conformée contenant un produit solide en vrac.
• La Fig.3 représente l'emballage selon l'invention avec la zone plissée déployée pour en assurer la fermeture.
• La Fig.4 représente une variante de l'emballage selon l'invention avant son déploiement dont une partie sert de support au produit à envelopper.
• La Fig.5 représente l'emballage de la Fig.4 en cours de déploiement et contenant à titre d'exemple une pizza.
• La Fig.6 représente l'emballage de la Fig.4 complètement déployé.
• La Fig.7 représente une autre variante de l'invention comprenant une partie semi-rigide découpée et rainée pour pouvoir former un cornet.
• La Fig.8 représente l'emballage précédent dont le cornet est formé mais replié pour le stockage avant mise en oeuvre.
• La Fig.9 représente l'emballage précédent avec le cornet conformé contenant un produit solide en vrac.
• La Fig.10 représente l'emballage précédent avec la zone plissée déployée pour en assurer la fermeture.

The invention is described below with the aid of examples referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Fig.1 shows a package according to the invention before deployment.
• Fig.2 shows the packaging according to the invention with the semi-rigid shaped area containing a solid bulk product.
• Fig.3 shows the packaging according to the invention with the pleated area deployed to ensure the closure.
• Fig.4 shows a variant of the packaging according to the invention before deployment, part of which serves as a support for the product to be wrapped.
• Fig.5 shows the packaging of Fig.4 during deployment and containing for example a pizza.
• Fig.6 shows the packaging of Fig.4 fully deployed.
• Fig.7 shows another variant of the invention comprising a semi-rigid part cut and grooved to be able to form a horn.
• Fig.8 shows the previous package whose horn is formed but folded for storage before implementation.
• Fig. 9 shows the previous packaging with the shaped horn containing a solid bulk product.
• Fig.10 shows the previous packaging with the pleated area deployed to ensure the closure.

The invention resides in the assembly of a non-pleated area 1 Fig.1 consisting of a semi-rigid sheet, capable of being shaped, and a thin and flexible pleated film 2 as described in the patents and applications cited patents; the non-pleated zone 1 FIG. 2 is shaped to, on the one hand, serve as a receptacle for the solid bulk product 3 to be conditioned, on the other hand, to constitute the object of convex shape, as described in the cited patents, which may then be covered, totally or partially, by the deployment of the pleated zone 14 Fig.3 of the packaging; the zone made up of a semi-rigid sheet 1 Fig. 2 is used to collect the solid bulk product 3, in order to give the whole a sufficiently coherent shape, without being closed, which then allows the zone to be deployed thin pleated film 14 Fig.3 for closing and locking the assembly; in this configuration it is no longer the object to be packaged which serves as a support for the deployment of the pleated zone, but the semi-rigid zone 1 FIG. 3 of the packaging itself. To illustrate the invention, an example of application will be described which is only one case among many other possibilities. The packaging consists of a semi-rigid zone 1 Fig.1 formed for example of a cardboard box having in its center an elongated rectangular zone 4 bordered, on either side of the two of the parallel sides 5, by a zone in the form of a semicircle 6 having said side 5 as a diameter, thus forming an arc of 180 °; each of the two parallel sides 5, common to rectangle 4 and to the semi-circular zones 6, has a creasing allowing the folding; the pleated paper zone 1 is fixed in the vicinity of its edge 34 according to a fixing zone 33 which runs along it, using for example one of the fixing methods described in patent FR-A-2 676 037 (published on 06.011.1992 ), parallel to one of the other sides 7 of the rectangle 4 so that the folds 8 located in the vicinity of the side 7 are parallel to it; this fixing zone 33 is situated substantially in the middle of the edge 34 of the pleated part 2 and occupies substantially the length of the side 7 of the rectangular zone 4; the shape of the folds 8 of the pleated area 2, their number and the distance 9 FIG. 2 between the areas for fixing the folds 10 to each other is calculated by applying either the formulas of patent FR-A-2,595,666 or the formulas of the patent FR-A-2 668 457 the formulas relating to the cylinder are applied for example, considering that the product to be packaged has the shape of a half-cylinder having for diameter 5 that of the semicircles 6 and as height the length of the sides 11 perpendicular to the sides 5 common with the semi-circular zones 6. To put the packaging into service, it is enough to straighten the two semi-circular zones 6 Fig. 2 to form with the rectangular zone 4 a sort of receptacle 12 in the form of gutter, to deposit inside this receptacle 12 the products 3 to be packaged and then to unfold the pleated part 2 to close the opening delimited by the two arcs of circles 13 bordering the semi-rigid zone 1. The number of folds 8 is obviously determined p to cover a half cylinder and not an entire cylinder, and it can be determined empirically. When the packaging is unfolded Fig.3 it forms a self-locked closed enclosure insofar as the length of the previously folded and deployed zone 14 is greater than the length of the semicircle 13 Fig.2 forming the edge of the semi-circular zone rigid 1; indeed the distance 16 between the end 15 Fig. 3 of the pleated deployed zone 14 and the fixing zone 33 Fig. 1 is then less than the length of the common side 5, between the rectangular zone 4 and the semi-circular zone 6, at the end of which is the most distant from the attachment zone 33 from the pleated zone. The two semi-circular zones 6 Fig.1 taken by way of example can be replaced by zones limited by arcs of circles passing through the ends 17 of each of the two sides 5 of the rectangle common with the lateral zones 6; there are obviously endless possibilities; in particular for all the arcs of circles of less than 180 ° delimiting lateral zones 6 smaller than those made up of semi-circles previously described, the deployment of a pleated part 1 calculated according to the cylindrical shape obtained is not automatically self-locking; in return for all the arcs of circles of more than 180 ° delimiting zones larger than the semi-circular zone 6 Fig.3 previously described, the deployment of the pleated part 14 is self-locking because the pleated zone 14 passes during its deployment by a zone diametrically opposite to its fixing point 7 before returning to cover the opposite side 11 Fig.2 of the rectangular zone 4 whose distance from the point of attachment 7 is less than the diameter of the arc of a circle; more simply it forms, when the pleated area 14 Fig.3 is deployed, a cavity comprising an undercut which prevents it from opening by simple tilting; which is not the case when the arc of a circle is less than 180 ° because there is no formation of undercut; this locking can nevertheless be achieved by applying in this case a pleated zone calculated for an arc of a circle greater than 180 ° and long enough so that its end 15 Fig.3, when it is deployed is at a distance 16, from the zone 33 Fig. 1, less than the length of the common side 5 between the rectangle 4 and the lateral zones 6; it is also possible to obtain locking by modifying for example the shape of the pleats in order to increase the curvature of the pleated part deployed at its end, by reducing for example in this zone the distance 9 between the zones for fixing the folds. It is obvious that the field of the invention covers all intermediate cases where the lateral zones have different shapes from one another and even different shapes from the arc of a circle, such as for example elliptical or polygonal. Similarly, one can imagine any other form of receptacle, the shape of which can be assimilated to a convex volume in the sense described in patent FR-A-2,668,457.

The methods of fixing the pleated part 2 to the non-pleated part 1 are the same as those described in patent FR-A-2 676 037; the pleated part is fixed over all or part of its length depending on what is most practical for use for the proper functioning of the packaging. In the case described in Fig.1 the packaging is fixed over a length equivalent to that of the side 7, but nothing prevents it from being fixed over a greater length by overflowing onto the lateral parts; the choice is made during the development of the packaging.

In a variant of the invention, the packaging for pizza Fig. 4 comprises a semi-rigid non-pleated zone 25 comprising a lateral zone 18 limited by an arc of a circle 26 much greater than 180 °, substantially of the diameter of the pizza 23 Fig.5 to be wrapped and which constitutes the support carton 22 Fig.5 of the pizza 23; the rectangular zone 24 Fig.4 has a width 27 slightly greater than the height of the pizza to be packaged; its common side 28 with the area 18 for supporting the pizza is small enough not to significantly interfere with the positioning thereof; the rectangular area has its other side 29 common with the lateral zone 19 which can have a variable shape since its role consists mainly in plugging the central round portion 20 Fig.6 left uncovered by the pleated part 21 when it is deployed around the assembly formed by the pizza and its cardboard support 22. The edge 31 of the pleated part 30 Fig.4, which is parallel to the folds 32, is fixed in a fixing zone 35 perpendicular to the side 28 of the rectangular zone 24; the rectangular area 24 passes substantially in the middle of the side 31 of the pleated area and is determined using the formulas contained in the cited patents, considering that there is a cylindrical volume whose diameter is that of the area 18 and the height that of the rectangle 24. The implementation of the packaging Fig.4 is done as follows: the packaging Fig.4 is laid flat and the pizza 23 Fig.5 is placed on the support area 22; the area 19 is folded over the pizza by forming the folds along the sides 28 and 29 of the rectangular area 24; a plastic piece can be interposed between the area 19 and the pizza 23 to avoid their contact; then it remains to deploy the pleated part 21 Fig.6 which naturally locks when its end comes to cover in particular the rectangular part 36 of the non-pleated area.

In another variant of the invention, the lateral zones 37 FIG. 9 are connected by a wall 38 which reduces the opening 39 for loading the parts 40 and makes it possible to facilitate their accumulation before the deployment of the pleated zone 41. For example in in the case of a packaging intended for fried potatoes, a cornet can be produced, the fourth side 38 of which consists of a flat face, for example rectangular, two sides 42 of which are common with the lateral zones 37 and one side 43 adjacent to one of the sides 44 Fig. 7 of the rectangular area 45, which is perpendicular to the sides 46 common with the areas lateral 37; the means for producing the various forms of horn from semi-rigid sheets are perfectly known, as is their folding allowing them to be stored flat before use; by way of example, the connecting wall 38 Fig. 9 is formed by the covering 47 Fig. 8 and the fixing of two protrusions 48 Fig. 7 of the lateral zones 37 comprising grooves 49 allowing the non-pleated part to be folded back 50 Fig .8 to position and fix the protrusions 48 therebetween according to the overlap zone 47; then by straightening the lateral zones by folding the edges 46 Fig. 9, corresponding to the common side of the rectangular zone 45, the horn is opened by simultaneously folding the grooves 42 Fig. 7 bordering the protrusions 48 and straightening the fold 49 Fig. 9 to form the side wall 37; a horn is thus formed which it is easy to fill; the pleated area is, when it is sized, positioned, fixed using the same methods as those described above and illustrated in Fig.1, Fig.2, Fig.3; when the pleated part 51 Fig.10 is deployed around the horn formed by the semi-rigid shaped area 50 a closed container is obtained; it is quite obvious that the side walls can be connected by several walls 38 which connect the side walls and which either are put in place automatically during the shaping of the semi-rigid part 50, or are put in place at the time of this deployment.

The packaging may include vents made up of holes 52 Fig.1 and Fig.9 made through the non-pleated area 1 and 50; these holes can lead into an area covered by the deployment of the pleated area if we want to avoid direct contact with the outside, but this is not compulsory; they may be necessary to avoid too high a concentration of humidity in the cavity thus formed, when it contains for example fried potatoes. As we said before we can always assemble a pleated area with a horn whose shape is different from that described by applying to size the pleated part of the calculation methods described in the patents and patent application cited above; the fixing zone 53 of the pleated part and of the non-pleated part follows on a case-by-case basis from the position of the reference axis defined in particular in patent FR-A-2 595 666 around which the pleated part is deployed and which used to determine the curves whose length is used to determine the characteristics of the pleated part.

When the packages described contain bulk products, in particular those illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 10, it is possible to unlock the packaging by passing the end 15 of the folded pleated part 14 over the retention zone previously described; the assembly being rotated so that the folded folded part is located downward so as to collect the bulk product 3, initially contained in the cavity 12, in the pocket thus formed; it is possible to detach the semi-rigid zone 1 from the pleated deployed zone 14 so as to keep only the latter so as to be able to take the bulk product there; this procedure is very practical for consuming fries in a car. It is nevertheless possible to do the opposite, keeping in place the loose product 3 or the pizza 23 in the semi-rigid zone to use it as a plate after having detached the folded pleated part.

Claims (8)

1. Packaging formed of a thin sheet (2) folded parallel to its width and having its folds welded together close to their lateral ends along two narrow zones (10), wherein the folded sheet (2) is fixed via one of its longitudinal edges to an unfolded semi-rigid sheet (1) forming a cavity able to contain solid bulk products, said semi-rigid sheet (1) being used as a support when deploying the folded portion (2) in order to close the cavity, and wherein the unfolded semi-rigid sheet (1) is mainly circular and comprises a central zone (4) limited by two identical lateral zones (6) able to be straightened so as to form a gutter-shaped cavity (12), whereas the folded portion (2) fixed by its end (34) to the end (7) of the central portion (4) is deployed on the cavity (12) by taking support on the edges (13) of the raised lateral zones (6) and being hooked to the free end (11) of the shaped sheet (1).
2. Packaging according to claim 1, wherein the unfolded sheet comprises a limited central zone (24) by firstly a lateral zone (18) used to support a solid product, and secondly by a second lateral zone (19) folded back down onto the upper portion of the product so as to seal off the space (20) left free by the folded sheet (30) when it is deployed by resting on the lateral zone (18).
3. Packaging according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the unfolded sheet, when shaped, comprises at least one additional wall (38) connecting the lateral walls (37) forming, together with the three other walls (45) and (37), a container having the shape of a cornet.
4. Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the folded sheet (2) deployed around the shaped semi-rigid sheet (1) provokes the locking of closing by creating a re-entrant angle obtained by the fact that the end (15) of the deployed folded sheet is closer to the fixing zone (33) than the portion of the lateral zone (6) which is most distant from it.
5. Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the deployed folded sheet (2), after separation of the semi-rigid sheet (1), is used as a container for the solid bulk product.
6. Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the semi-rigid sheet (1), following separation of the deployed folded sheet, is used as a support for the solid bulk product.
7. Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the semi-rigid sheet (1) comprises holes (52) enabling the bulk product contained in the packaging to be aired.
8. Packaging according to claim 7, wherein the holes (52) of the semi-rigid sheet (1) are masked by the folded sheet when it is deployed on the shaped semi-rigid sheet.

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