EP0865384A1

EP0865384A1 - Food packaging carton

Info

Publication number: EP0865384A1
Application number: EP96939141A
Authority: EP
Inventors: François Guillin
Original assignee: Groupe Guillin SA
Current assignee: Groupe Guillin SA
Priority date: 1995-11-21
Filing date: 1996-11-19
Publication date: 1998-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 2016-11-19
Also published as: DE69602971D1; DE69602971T2; US5975412A; FR2741324B1; ES2135938T3; WO1997018996A1; AU7629896A; EP0865384B1; FR2741324A1

Abstract

A packaging carton comprising a bottom wall (3) surrounded by a side wall and an openable and closable cover (4) hinged to said side wall (2). The side wall consists of an insert (2), and the cover (4) and the bottom wall (3) include two surfaces, each of which is hinged to a connecting portion (5) to form a three-panel assembly. Said surfaces (3, 4) include abutment members (6, 7) engaging the inner and/or outer rim of the respective edge of said insert (2), and separable closure means are built into said three-panel assembly and/or said insert (2), or inserted after the carton has been closed. Said carton is useful for packaging food.

Description

Food packaging box

The invention relates to a packaging box for products, in particular food products such as pastries.

2 (1

The packaging boxes traditionally used by artisans, in particular bakers, pastry chefs and confectioners, are generally made of cardboard in a blank cut, folded and glued. These traditional boxes

2> allow protection of the product which has been chosen by the buyer on a display or a display case and then placed in the packaging, which can easily be decorated by printing and personalized with the name of the craftsman. Such a box, which enjoys the image of tradition and quality of

Ή> craftsmen, cannot be used in the food industry and distribution due to its implementation and filling costs. She also suffers from the major disadvantage of not allowing the contained food product to be seen.

15

To overcome this last drawback, cardboard boxes have been developed on which a cover or a transparent film is affixed or in the walls of which we house openings then closed with a transparent or translucent film. These openings constitute a point of weakness of the box, in particular as regards its resistance to compression. 5

Also known are packaging boxes made entirely of transparent or translucent material, which allows a global and direct vision of the product contained therein. In this case, boxes usually made of a single piece of thermoformed plastic are usually used. Conventionally, a first part of this part has a hollow compartment or bottom for receiving the product and the second part serves as a cover, this second part being folded over the first to close it by folding the plastic material in between. parts with possibly a snap between cover and bottom. For the presentation of information relating to the enclosed product, these packages are practically limited to labels affixed to the transparent box or printed sheets o obstructing at least partially the view of the content.

If these transparent boxes offer the advantages of allowing a high visibility of the content, of being easily stacked in a minimal volume before use and of allowing a simple and economical filling, they are ill-suited for noble contents, such as for example pastries, because of their relatively poor and not very rewarding appearance.

o In order to overcome these drawbacks, the invention proposes a new type of packaging box comprising two separate elements which, before mounting the box itself, have a small thickness allowing storage of reduced size by nesting, separation easy 5 by disengaging and at least one of the elements of which can serve as an information carrier. 1

To this end, the subject of the invention is a box of the type comprising a bottom surrounded by a peripheral wall and a cover articulated on said peripheral wall and capable of being closed and open, said peripheral wall i comprising a crown, the cover and the base comprising two surfaces each articulated on a connecting piece so as to form a triptych, characterized in that said surfaces comprise abutment members against the internal and / or external periphery of the respective edge of said crown, holding means in the closed position of the box being integral with said triptych and / or with the crown; or being reported after the box is closed.

GB-A-434.530 discloses a box comprising a bottom I-> surrounded by a peripheral wall and a cover hinged to this peripheral wall and capable of being opened and closed, the cover and the bottom comprising two articulated surfaces each on a connecting piece so as to form a triptych. In this known box, a peripheral band 0 surrounds a rim of the folded and recessed bottom, in order to keep the assembly thus folded. This peripheral strip only has the role of retaining the folded periphery of the bottom in a complicated construction box, moreover requiring an assembly by stapling or the like. In fact, in this known box, the lateral strip does not cooperate with stop members of the cover and the bottom, but only with the peripheral wall which it completely covers.

0 The stops against which the internal or external periphery of the respective edge of the crown rests are advantageously formed by continuous and / or discontinuous projections and / or by points directed towards the interior of the crown from the surfaces of the triptych. s

The triptych thus produced has a small thickness and is stored by nesting in a reduced storage volume and can be easily extracted from the stack thus formed. The crown can be fixed on the connecting piece by any means known per se and can be advantageously folded so as not to interfere with stacking.

^ When using such a box, the product is loaded on one of the surfaces of the triptych constituting the bottom, then the crown is placed on said surface and the other faces of the triptych are folded in position, it is that is, the connecting piece extends transversely to the

10 crown and the second surface of the triptych extends parallel to the first surface on which the product rests, the abutment members of said second surface being housed against the periphery of the upper edge of the crown, said crown thus ensuring resistance

\ 5 sufficient for compression.

Advantageously, the crown has a tubular shape, its lower end resting against the first surface of the triptych constituting the bottom of the box and its end.

20 upper accommodating the second surface constituting the cover. Depending on the shape which it is desired to give to the box, said crown may be cylindrical, in particular cylindrical of revolution, frustoconical, in truncated pyramid or of any shape. The edges of the crown can

2 ^ then be in parallel planes or not. Said crown may also have at least one edge of any shape such as crenellated or wavy for decoration and / or ventilation purposes.

î () As a variant of the tubular shape, the crown can be continuous but open, possibly with partial overlapping.

In a particularly simple form, the crown can be discontinuous i "i opposite at least part of the connecting piece. Advantageously, said crown is made of cardboard or plastic and it can serve as a medium for information and / or any decorative patterns.

Said crown can, in addition, comprise at least one recess which can then be partially or completely obstructed by a transparent or translucent film. According to an alternative embodiment, the obturation of the recess of the crown can be achieved by the connecting piece resting against said crown and which includes an embossing cooperating with said recess.

According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one of the surfaces constituting the triptych may comprise at least one end extension and / or at least one lateral flap. Said end extension or the lateral flap may then include an embossing which cooperates with a corresponding recess in the crown.

The cooperation of the embossings with the respective opening can be carried out from the outside or from the inside of the corresponding face of the triptych.

Advantageously, the two surfaces and the connecting piece forming the triptych and, optionally, the end extensions and / or the side flaps, are made in one piece, preferably made of transparent plastic. The part is thus produced by thermoforming and is easily stored in a reduced size by nesting thanks to the fact that thermoforming involves spoils for the raised parts.

The closing means of said box can be attached and of any type known per se, such as adhesive tapes, elastic bands, tapes or staples.

It is also possible to provide integrated closing means of a type known per se, such as pins cooperating with holes, tabs adapted to corresponding slots, etc. In the case of integrated closure means, these can be carried by the two faces and / or on end flaps and / or on tabs.

Another way of closing can consist of points, lines or surfaces pre-glued on the triptych and / or the crown.

We will now describe in more detail embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a box according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

Figures 2 to 5 schematically show in partial section various forms of cooperation of the crown with the stops of the two surfaces of the triptych;

FIG. 6 represents a schematic plan view of a triptych according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 shows a schematic perspective view of a crown usable with the triptych of Figure 6;

FIG. 8 schematically represents a variant of a discontinuous projection of the triptych; and

Figures 9 to 15 schematically show, in exploded perspective, various embodiments of a box according to the invention.

According to the embodiment of the box shown in Figure 1, it consists of a triptych 1 and a crown 2. The triptych 1 consists of a piece substantially rectangular in plastic and which consists of two surfaces 3 and 4 articulated on a connecting piece 5. The surface 3 constitutes the bottom of the box while the surface 4 forms the cover.

On the outer face of each of the surfaces 3 and 4 of the triptych are formed ribs or projections 6 and 7 respectively which, projecting on the opposite face of said surfaces 3 and 4, constitute abutment members against the periphery of the respective edges of the crown 2.

In the example of Figures 1, 6 and 9 to 15, the ribs 6 and 7 are made continuous so as to abut against the periphery of the ring 2 continuously. It is also possible to provide occasional or discontinuous projections (Figure 8). Any combination of the projections which have just been described is conceivable.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the ring 2 is discontinuous, its face opposite the connecting piece 5 does not exist. Such a deletion may be only partial, with one or two end returns from the crown 2 opposite the edge or corresponding edges of the connecting piece.

The crown 2 can be open, for example at a corner or even include an overlap zone.

Preferably, the crown is tubular, that is to say continuous and closed, as is the case for example of the crown shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 to 15.

In all cases, at least one of the lateral faces of the box, apart from the face including the connecting piece 5, consists exclusively of a portion of the crown 2. The connecting piece 5 and the edges 5 ′ formed by said piece 5 make it possible to increase the compressive strength of the box thus obtained. The ribs 6 and 7 form reinforcement beams of the box which, due to their abutment against the edges of the crown 2, constitute a self-locking system of high rigidity in compression as well vertical as transverse.

In the case of the embodiments shown schematically in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 9 to 15, the rib 6 or 7 is in abutment against the internal periphery of the crown

2. In addition, in the case of FIG. 3, a return 6a from the bottom

3 and a return 7a of the cover 4 form external stops for the crown 2. In the case of FIG. 4, the returns 6b and 7b are extended substantially at the height of the respective rib 6, 7. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the stops are formed by returns 6c and

7c of the bottom 3 and of the cover 4 respectively and act on the outer periphery only of the crown 2. Any combination of these stop means can also be adopted.

Figures 6 and 7 show an embodiment of the box according to the invention in which the crown 2 (Figure 7) has a rectangular recess 21 on each of its side walls and the bottom 3 has an end flap

31 and two lateral flaps 32 and 33 while the cover 4 has an end flap 41. Each of said flaps 31,

32 and 33 includes an embossing suitable for engaging in one of the recesses 21 in the crown 2.

The crown 2 having a rectangular recess 21 on each of its walls is placed on the bottom 3, its periphery of the lower edge being in abutment against the rib 6 of the bottom 3. The connecting piece 5 provided with an embossing corresponding to a recess 21 in the crown 2 is folded back so that said embossment engages in the corresponding recess 21 in the crown 2 while the embossments of the side flaps 32 and 33 and of the end flap 31 engage in the corresponding recesses 21 of the crown 2.

The cover 4 is then lowered on the periphery of the upper edge of the crown 2 and the end flap 41, also provided with an embossing, is lowered on the end flap 31 of the bottom 3, the embossing of the flap 41 being housed in one embossment of the flap 31. The flap 31 has snap-fastening holes 34 in which engage complementary studs 42 provided on the flap 41 so as to close the box thus produced.

As a variant or in addition, the closure means are carried by tongues extending the bottom and / or the cover, or directly on the bottom and the cover.

It can also be provided, in addition to or as a variant of the preceding closing means, for the triptych and / or the crown to include points and / or surfaces and / or pre-glued lines which allow or facilitate the mounting and closing of the box. .

The connecting piece 5 can have any shape and dimensions. It can, for example, be formed by a narrow rectangular, trapezoidal band, with straight or curved lateral edges.

The crown 2 can be of any material such as cardboard or plastic.

The crown 2 can have any shape, for example cylindrical, with a square section in the examples shown, or else cylindrical of revolution, frustoconical, in truncated pyramid, etc.

The edges of the crown 2 intended to cooperate with the projections 6, 7, 6a, 7a, 6b, 7b and / or 6c, 7c may be in planes, parallel or not. At least one of the edges may not be in a plane and have any shape, for example crenellated or wavy.

The bottom 3 and / or the cover 4 are generally stopped in the vicinity of the outside of the crown 2. They can however be extended outside the crown 2, in particular to facilitate gripping of the cover 4. It is possible to also consider that the crown 2 is completely inscribed inside a triptych of different shape, for example with a cylindrical crown of revolution and a parallelepiped triptych.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9, which constitutes a variant of FIGS. 6 and 7, the flaps 51 and 61 extending respectively the surfaces 3 and 4 do not overlap after closing and include locking means, such as tabs 52 and 62 respectively, cooperating respectively with complementary members, such as slots 52 ′ and 62 ′, formed in the crown 2.

In the example shown in Figure 10, the box is similar to that of Figures 6 and 7, except that the side flaps 32 and 33 have been removed and that the means for interlocking the end flaps 31 and 41 are of the tab and slot type.

There is shown in Figure 11 an embodiment of one invention in which the entire outer surface of the box is formed, as in the case of Figures 6 and 7, by the triptych 3, 4, 5 and flaps. The surface 4 of the triptych, instead of the bottom surface 3, has two lateral flaps 71 and 72 while the bottom surface 3 is extended by an end flap 73 provided with lateral tabs 74. The tabs 74 include a means locking, such as a tongue 75, cooperating with complementary means, such as a slot 76, of the side flap II

71 and 72 adjacent. It will also be noted, in this example, that the lateral flaps 71 and 72 comprise, at a corner, an oblique tongue 100 which, after assembly of the assembly, will be housed under the corresponding corner 101 of a recess 21 in the crown 2, thereby strengthening the locking provided by the embossments.

In the example of Figure 12, similar to that of Figure 11, the side flaps 71 and 72 of the surface 4 are provided with end tabs 77 provided with tongues 78 for locking in slots 79 of the connecting piece s, other end tabs 80 of the side flaps 71 and 72 being provided with tongues 81 cooperating with slots 82 of the end flap 73 of the surface 3 of the bottom.

In Figure 13, end tabs 82 of the end flap 73 of the surface 3 cooperate with lateral extensions 83 of the connecting piece 5, these lateral extensions 83 occupying a side face of the box after assembly. The locking is effected by tongues 84 of the tabs 82 cooperating with slots 85 of the extensions 83.

FIG. 14 represents a variant of FIG. 11 in which the tabs 74, the tongues 75 and the slots 76 have been eliminated, the locking being ensured by oblique tongues 102, similar to the oblique tongues 100 of FIG. 11, also present in that case. The oblique tongues 102 cooperate with a corner 103 of 1 ^: window recess 21 in the crown 2. It will also be noted that the end flap 73 is extended by a tab 104 sliding under the front edge of the surface 4 and allowing folding the flap 73 before unlocking.

In the embodiment of Figure 15, similar to that of Figures 6 and 7, the end flap 41 of the surface 4, which has a height corresponding to that of the crown 2, is provided at its two free corners tabs obliques 105, similar to the tongues 100 of FIG. 11 and 102 of FIG. 14, which cooperate respectively with the lower corners 106 of the corresponding recess 21 in the crown 2. The lateral extensions 32 and 33 of the surface 3 of the bottom, which can be omitted, each have a tab 107 similar to tab 104 in FIG. 14.

These embodiments of Figures 14 and 15 offer the advantage that, when the box is assembled, the holding means are completely invisible.

Claims

11 CLAIMS

1. Box of the type comprising a bottom (3) surrounded by a peripheral wall and a cover (4) articulated on said wall

5 peripheral (2) and capable of being closed and open, said peripheral wall comprising a crown (2), the cover (4) and the bottom (3) comprising two surfaces each articulated on a connecting piece (5) so to form a triptych, io characterized in that said surfaces (3, 4) comprise abutment members (6, 7; 6α, 7a; 6b, 7b; 6c, 7c; against the internal and / or external periphery of the respective edge of said crown (2), separable closing means being integrated into said triptych and / or to said crown (2) or being

M reported after closing the box.

2. Box according to claim 1, characterized in that the stops are formed by continuous projections (6), discontinuous (7) and / or by points, 0 directed towards the inside of the crown (2).

3. Box according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the crown (2) comprises at least one recess (21). 5

4. Box according to claim 3, characterized in that said recess (21) is partially or completely obstructed by a transparent or translucent film. 0

5. Box according to claim 3, characterized in that the connecting piece (5) comprises an embossing cooperating with a recess (21) corresponding to the crown (2).

6. Box according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one of the surfaces (3, 4) comprises at least one end extension (31, 41) and / or at least one lateral flap ( 32, 33).

7. Box according to claim 6, characterized in that said extension (31, 41) and / or said lateral flap (32, 33) are provided with an embossing cooperating with a recess (21) corresponding to the crown (2) .

8. Box according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the crown (2) is made of cardboard.

9. Box according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the crown (2) is made of plastic.

10. Box according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the crown (2) is of tubular, cylindrical, in particular cylindrical of revolution, frustoconical, in truncated or arbitrary pyramid.

not. Box according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the crown (2) is interrupted at least partially opposite the connecting piece (5) of the triptych (3, 4, 5).

12. Box according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the crown (2) is open.

13. Box according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the edges of the crown (2) are in parallel planes.

14. Box according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the edges of the crown (2) are not in parallel planes.

15. Box according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that at least one edge of the crown (2) has any shape such as crenellated, wavy.

16. Box according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the two surfaces (3, 4) and the connecting piece (5) and, optionally, the extensions and the flaps (41, 31, 32, 33 ), are in one piece.

17. Box according to claim 16, characterized in that said part is made of transparent plastic.

18. Box according to claim 17, characterized in that said part is manufactured by thermoforming.

19. Box according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the product is loaded on the second surface (3), then the crown (2) is put in place and the other faces (5, 4) of the triptych and possibly the flaps (41, 31, 32, 33) are folded back in position.

20. Box according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the crown (2) is fixed on the inner face of the connecting piece (5) by any fixing means known per se and folded so as not to interfere interlocking stacking.

21. Box according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the attached closure means are of any type known per se such as adhesive tape (s), elastic (s), tape (s), clip (s).

22. Box according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the integrated closure means are complementary means known per se such as pins (42) and holes (34), tongues (52, 62, 75, 78 , 81, 84) and slots (52 ', 62', 76, 79, 82, 85).

23. Box according to claim 22, characterized in that said integrated closing means are carried on the surfaces (3, 4) of the triptych (3, 4, 5) and / or on flaps extending them.

24. Box according to claim 22, characterized in that said integrated closure means are carried on end flaps (41, 31).

25. Box according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the triptych (3, 4, 5) and / or the crown (2) have dots and / or surfaces and / or pre-glued lines.

26. Box according to one of claims 3 to 25, characterized in that the integrated closure means comprise oblique tabs (100, 102, 105) at a free corner of a flap (71, 72, 41) extending a surface (3, 4) of the triptych, said tabs being arranged to come, during closing, to slide under a corner (101, 103, 106) of a recess (21) corresponding to the crown (2).