EP1211182A1 - Box covered with non-woven material - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application relates to a box (100) comprising a body obtained by folding a blank (10) precut, said blank comprising a support printed on at least one face and at least one sheet of nonwoven (30), said sheet of nonwoven being arranged on the printed face of the support and having transparency characteristics such that the printing of the support is visible through said sheet (30). <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a box, in particular of cardboard, plastic, or analogous material, as used for the packaging of certain articles such as tubes or jars, in particular of cosmetic products or products of skin care.

Traditionally, the boxes used in the field of cosmetics are formed by folding a pre-cut blank formed from a cardboard or synthetic materials, transparent or not, the support being able to be printed on one or two sides. The printing methods used are for example the screen printing, offset or gravure printing. A varnish or film wrap synthetic is possibly deposited on the printed side. Such boxes are characterized by a relatively smooth "feel".

In this area of cosmetic packaging, we are always looking for new concepts, both in terms of the visual aspect packaging, its functional characteristics, sensory, especially touch. Thus, a request appeared aiming to replace the traditional "touch" of boxes, of the thermoplastic material type or cardboard by warmer, softer touches, such as those imparted by tissues.

Patent application JP 08 050452 describes a printed material, for manufacture in particular a label, comprising a covered printed support a layer of porous material that transmits light. The porous material can be a nonwoven. It is impregnated with transparent ink in some areas corresponding to areas of the media on which are printed patterns to reveal these patterns in sharp contrast to the others areas. It is also suggested to stick such a layer of porous material on food boxes manufactured on the other hand in a conventional manner.

However, the blanks covered with a varnish or a film of synthetic film traditionally used to make boxes are not easy to manipulate. In particular, after cutting the blanks, they are stacked on top of each other before being folded to form a box. Because the surface of the blanks is smooth, these tend to slide against each other others and it's hard to keep them superimposed aligned so keep the battery without having to place it in a bin. In in addition, to form the boxes, the blanks are removed from the stack one after the others before being folded for each to form a box. Because of the state of surface of the blanks, it is common for droop problems to prevent easily remove the blanks from the stack, several remaining blanks stuck together other.

In addition, when you stick a nonwoven on boxes, it generates a step extra in the box manufacturing process which is not easy to realize when the boxes are already assembled. Indeed, the step of sticking the non-woven on three-dimensional objects is relatively delicate, especially when it comes to covering several faces but also the different angles. In addition, the boxes already assembled may deform during the application of the nonwoven, in particular when no object is located inside. Such a box is therefore difficult to produce and thus has a cost relatively high workmanship.

On the other hand, printing on materials such as nonwovens turns out cause problems, especially in terms of print resolution. These problems are linked in particular to the rough characteristics of these materials.

Also, is it an object of the invention to make a box, adapted in particular to the packaging of cosmetic products, and offering a touch and visual different from those of conventional boxes.

It is in particular an object of the invention to provide a box at low cost cost, allowing good printing resolutions, and having a touch of the tissue type.

Another object of the invention is to facilitate the manufacture of a box of packaging, and in particular to facilitate the handling of blanks intended to form the boxes.

According to the invention, these objects are achieved by making a box comprising a body obtained by folding a precut blank, said blank comprising a support printed on at least one side and at least one sheet of nonwoven fabric, said sheet non-woven sheet being arranged on the printed face of the support and having transparency characteristics such that the impression of the support is visible through said sheet.

Thus, we have a box having both the feel of the fabric, and retaining the excellent printability characteristics, especially in terms of resolution, conventional boxes. Besides the feeling it gives, touching, especially in the field of cosmetics, is particularly advantageous in that it improves the grip of the box, in particular when such a box is intended to accommodate a pot or a tube of liquid product or creamy to apply with your fingers.

In addition, the application of the nonwoven directly on the blank before folding is very simple to carry out during the manufacture of the box. Indeed, it can be applied to from a reel which is unwound, directly on the support which scrolls after have been printed.

Furthermore, the use of a non-woven material to cover at least one face of the blank support both prevents the blanks from sliding on each other the others and thus maintain a stack without placing the blanks in a bin, and facilitate the extraction of each blank from the stack before folding to form the box.

Advantageously, a nonwoven sheet is provided on both sides of the support. The nonwoven material is less abrasive than the raw cardboard used in classic boxes, objects packaged in the box, in particular objects with hot stamping are not likely to be damaged by friction inside the box.

According to a preferred embodiment, said sheet of nonwoven is rendered secured to the support by gluing using an adhesive or a varnish-glue.

The support may be made of a cardboard-type material having a basis weight between 150 and 500 g / m ² and preferably between 250 and 400 g / m ² . The support must be rigid enough to protect the object it conditions, but must not be too rigid to allow folding of the blank obtained.

Alternatively, the support is made of a material chosen from among high density polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyvinyl chlorides, or polyethylene terephthalates. Its thickness can be between 150 µm and 800 µm, and preferably between 300 µm and 600 µm.

The nonwoven may be a nonwoven of thermoplastic fibers, in particular of polyolefins, such as polypropylenes or polyethylenes, or polyester. Its color is preferably white, or slightly tinted. Touch obtained is variable depending on the nature and thickness of the nonwoven. We can indeed obtain a wide variety of visuals and touches that can range from silky to rough, through a multitude of nuances, depending on the characteristics sought.

Typically, the nonwoven sheet has a thickness of between 50 μm and 800 µm, preferably between 100 µm and 400 µm, and more preferably between 100 µm and 200 µm. This thickness should not be too large so that the sheet has sufficient transparency for the printed decoration be visible. However, it must be sufficient to impart the desired feel.

According to another aspect of the invention, the method of manufacturing the box comprises the following steps: a support is printed on at least one side; the printed side of the support is coated with an adhesive; we apply a sheet of nonwoven on the printed face of the support; we groove and we cut the support so as to obtain a blank which is folded along the grooves to form the box.

Alternatively, before the grooving and cutting step, the second side of the adhesive backing and apply a second sheet of nonwoven on said second face.

• la figure 1 illustre une vue en coupe d'un mode de réalisation d'une boíte selon l'invention;
• la figure 2 représente une vue en coupe d'un second mode de réalisation d'une boíte selon l'invention ;
• la figure 3 représente un flan destiné à former une boíte selon l'invention ; et
• la figure 4 représente un mode de réalisation d'une boíte selon l'invention

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows of nonlimiting exemplary embodiments, described with reference to the appended figures, among which:

• Figure 1 illustrates a sectional view of an embodiment of a box according to the invention;
• Figure 2 shows a sectional view of a second embodiment of a box according to the invention;
• Figure 3 shows a blank intended to form a box according to the invention; and
• Figure 4 shows an embodiment of a box according to the invention

The blank 10 shown in Figure 1 has a transparent or non-printable support 20, in particular cardboard, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, or polyethylene terephthalate. By way of indication only, in the case of a cardboard support, cardboard with a grammage of less than 400 g / m ^{2 is used} . In the case of high density polyethylene or polypropylene, its thickness is of the order of 300 to 400 μm. Still other materials can be used.

One side 21 of the support is printed, and carries relative information including the identification of the product, its brand or name commercial, or any other information for purely decorative purposes. This face 21 is the face that will be outside of the box. Printing is done by any known technique, in particular digitally, by screen printing, heliography, flexography, or offset.

On the printed face 21 of the support, an adhesive layer 40 is deposited, in particular an adhesive or a varnish having good adhesive properties. In in the case where a conventional adhesive is used, drying takes place in an oven traditional. When using a cardboard backing, the adhesive layer will be preferably a UV drying varnish which will avoid drying with air hot that would cause the cardboard to buckle.

A carded nonwoven sheet 30 covers the printed face of the support 20, which it adheres by means of the adhesive layer 40. Such a sheet of nonwoven is formed by a more or less tight entanglement of fibers, in particular synthetic, welded together in a conventional manner, by hot rolling, passing them between two rollers, one of which is heated and has bosses, next to which the points will be formed Welding. By way of example, a polyolefin nonwoven is used, in particular polypropylene or polyethylene. Alternatively, a nonwoven is used polyester. The thickness of the sheet 30 is of the order of 100 μm to 200 μm.

With such an embodiment, due to the contact transparency of the sheet of nonwoven, the information printed on the face 21 of the support 20 is visible through the nonwoven sheet.

In this embodiment, it is obvious that it can be foreseen that the second side 22 of the support 20 is printed. We can indeed provide indications additional inside the box.

If we refer to FIG. 2, we see a second embodiment of the blank 10. In this embodiment, the second face 22 of the support 20, intended to constitute the inside of the box, is covered with an adhesive composition 50, in particular an adhesive or a varnish having good adhesive properties.

A nonwoven sheet 60 as described above, carded, covers the face 22 of the support 20, to which it adheres by means of the adhesive layer 50. This nonwoven sheet 60 can be identical to the sheet 30 provided for. the outside of the box or may be different.

Again, it can be provided that the face 22, before being coated with adhesive, is printed.

FIG. 3 represents an embodiment of a blank before folding and FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a box 100 comprising a body obtained from the blank as described in Figure 3. Such a box has a front panel and a rear panel connected by two side panels and two openings at each end of the body.

To manufacture the box 100 according to the invention, the support 20 is unwound from of a reel and it is preferably printed by digital printing on its face 21. The printed face 21 is then coated with a UV-drying varnish 40, either in a second pass, or preferably online. A no sheet woven of polyolefin 30 is applied to face 21. The assembly is then dried by UV system. We groove and then cut the support 20 so as to get a blank. Due to its intrinsic stretching qualities, the sheet of non woven polyolefin deforms upon grooving without risk of tearing or bad grooving. The blank is then folded along the grooves and glued or simply assembled according to conventional techniques to form the box 100.

According to a variant of this process, before the grooving and cutting step, the second face 22 of the support 20 is printed.

According to a third variant, before the grooving and cutting step, we coated the second face 22 of the support, printed or not, with a varnish 50 to UV drying. A second nonwoven sheet 60 is then applied to it.

In the foregoing detailed description, reference has been made to modes of preferred embodiments of the invention. It is obvious that variants may exist there. be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed below.

Claims (12)

Box (100) comprising a body obtained by folding a blank (10) precut, said blank comprising a support (20) printed on at least one face (21) and at least one nonwoven sheet (30), said nonwoven sheet being arranged on the printed face (21) of the support (20) and having transparency characteristics such as printing of the support (20) either visible through said sheet (30). Box (100) according to claim 1 wherein a sheet of nonwoven is provided on the two faces (21) and (22) of the support (20). Box (100) according to any one of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that said nonwoven sheet (30) is made integral with the support (20) by bonding by means of an adhesive or a varnish-adhesive ( 40). Box (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the support (20) consists of a cardboard type material having a grammage between 150 and 500 g / m ² , preferably between 250 and 400 g / m ² . Box (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the support (20) consists of a thermoplastic material chosen in particular from high density polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyvinyl chlorides, polyethylene terephthalates. Box (100) according to claim 5 characterized in that the support (20) has a thickness between 150 µm and 800 µm, and preferably between 300 µm and 600 µm. Box according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that the nonwoven (30) is a nonwoven of thermoplastic fibers, in particular of polyolefins such as polypropylenes or polyethylenes, or of polyester. Box according to any one of claims 1 to 7 characterized in that the nonwoven sheet (30) has a thickness between 50 µm and 800 µm, and preferably between 100 µm and 400 µm. Box according to claim 8 characterized in that the nonwoven sheet (30) has a thickness between 100 µm and 200 µm. Method of manufacturing a box according to any one of claims 1 to 9 which comprises the steps of: printing a support (20) on at least one side (21); coating the printed face of the support (20) with an adhesive (40); applying a sheet of nonwoven (30) on the printed face of the support (20); grooving and cutting the support so as to obtain a blank; fold said blank along the grooves to form the box. The manufacturing method according to claim 10 wherein, before the grooving and cutting, the second face (22) is coated with the support (20) of an adhesive and a second sheet of nonwoven is applied to said second face (22). The manufacturing method according to claim 10 or 11, in which prints the support (20) on its two faces (21) and (22).

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