EP1294612B1 - Ultra-flat box for insert - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes a box comprising a housing having a height of about 2 millimeters. The housing comprises a bottom portion. The bottom portion defines a bottom surface, an internal lateral flank, and a top bottom surface. The top bottom surface is elevated from the bottom surface, extending from the internal lateral flank. The box also includes a thin film and at least one weld that seals the thin film to the housing.

Description

The invention relates to an ultra-flat case for inserts in newspapers or other magazines of the mainstream or specialized press, such an enclosure containing a sample of pasty type product cast, volatile or not, cosmetic or food.

In order to make envelopes containing products to be inserted as inserts into the press, sachets formed from two peripherally welded sheets are usually used. These sheets, made of a multilayer composite material - aluminum, polyethylene, polyester - can not contain cast pasty products, but only a thin film of liquid or fluid.

Indeed, the containers must meet certain criteria to be accepted as an insert, in particular they must be able to withstand a significant pressure caused by the weight of the stacks (made on pallets) in the storage areas or during transport. Distribution companies generally require a load resistance of 15,000 N, applied for 6 seconds on the upper face, this load not causing any leakage or bursting of the containers, so as not to risk contaminating the goods.

There are micro-encapsulation coatings containing a few drops of perfume whose diffuse odor after tearing of the coating. However, microencapsulations do not allow to contain pasty products cast in sufficient quantity.

In addition, there are also deposits of very thin layers in screen printing of a cosmetic product such as foundation or lipstick, covered with a protective film. This solution does not allow again to present a pasty product cast in sufficient quantity or a product having a high volatility.

It is also known, for example, from JP-A-91/73137, the use of a perforated plastic plate and stamped, optionally provided with a spacer, closed by two flexible plastic films. Such solutions are of high economic cost, and the plurality of bonded or welded surfaces increases the risk of leakage or bursting.

US 5879769 and US 5782060 also disclose flat packs for cosmetic samples.

The invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, and in particular, to achieve an ultra-flat case for press insert, to withstand the mechanical pressure of at least 15,000 N and having a thickness of less than about 2 mm, while allowing to accommodate a pasty product cast in sufficient quantity to allow to appreciate the texture or use it in test form, with a reasonable economic cost.

To do this, the invention proposes to combine a thermoplastic housing having a peripheral rim on which a closure film is welded.

More specifically, the invention relates to an ultra-flat inset housing comprising a housing adapted to accommodate a pasty product cast with an overall height of the housing to about 2 mm, wherein the housing is limited by a bottom and a sidewall lateral side of a peripheral edge raised above the bottom which has an upper face and a plane and parallel support face; the border has an upper surface substantially parallel to the bottom to weld a seal formed by a thin film which covers the housing of the housing and is welded to the upper surface of the edge, and wherein the relative radial dimensions of the border the housing of thermoplastic material are proportioned to withstand a mechanical pressure at least equal to about 15 000 N distributed over its surface.

In addition to its decorative appearance, the housing according to the present invention has a rigidity allowing the packaging of fragile products, such as pasta or emulsions and it increases the visibility of an advertising page when inserted into a review. Indeed, the rigidity of the box produces a "bookmark" effect that encourages the reader to open the magazine directly to the location of the advertising insert. Traditional pouches, consisting of flexible envelopes, are much less effective for this purpose.

• le matériau thermoplastique est injecté pour obtenir par moulage la forme souhaitée, ce matériau pouvant être du PP (polypropylène), du PE (polyéthylène), du PET (polyéthylène téréphtalate) ou de l'ABS (acrylo-butadiène-styrène) ;
• l'opercule de fermeture est en matériau composite multicouche, comportant au moins une couche de matériau thermoplastique, tel que par exemple du PE ou du PP, pour permettre la soudure, et une couche "barrière" qui peut être constituée d'aluminium, pour s'opposer à la perméabilité du matériau thermoplastique ;
• la bordure présente en coupe transversale une forme de pont, avec une couronne reposant sur un pilier de liaison intégré au fond du boîtier, et un pilier externe formant rebord, ce rebord présentant une face supérieure surélevée par rapport à la face supérieure de soudure de la couronne, de sorte que, après soudure, la face supérieure du rebord et celle de l'opercule affleurent ;
• la face supérieure de soudure de l'opercule est munie de cordons circulaires pour faciliter cette soudure, et des orifices transversaux sont répartis le long de la bordure afin de permettre une aspiration pour maintenir l'opercule avant sa soudure ;
• la soudure de l'opercule peut être obtenue par voie thermique, par ultrasons ou par induction, la couche de PE ou de PP étant alors mise en fusion pour coller au matériau thermoplastique du boîtier ;
• le fond du boîtier a une épaisseur comprise entre 0,3 et 1 mm et le flanc interne peut être incliné d'un angle d'environ 10 degrés en s'évasant en direction du fond dans le but de retenir le produit pâteux dans le cas où son adhérence sur le plastique ne serait pas suffisante pour le maintenir en place ;
• la hauteur hors tout de la bordure est comprise entre environ 1,5 et 2 mm;
• le fond du boîtier peut également présenter un relief, par exemple des stries capillaires, destiné à forcer le produit à se répartir sur toute la surface du fond du boîtier lors du coulage ;
• il est possible d'augmenter la mouillabilité de la matière plastique par l'ajout d'un additif (agent mouillant) dans la matière, par un traitement de surface destiné à changer la tension superficielle (agent tensioactif) ou un traitement électrique (corona, plasma) ou une oxydation superficielle par exemple par flammage; ces opérations, destinées à améliorer le remplissage, ont une incidence sur la qualité du produit et aussi sur son coût de revient car elles permettent d'accélérer l'opération de coulage sur la machine, tout en assurant un bon étalement du produit pâteux même dans le cas d'une couche de pâte très mince ;

un effet décoratif peut être obtenu à la surface du produit car, du fait de la faible épaisseur du produit pâteux, une gravure sur le fond, éventuellement informative, tel qu'un logo ou un texte, est transmise à la surface du produit, soit par transparence si le produit pâteux n'est pas totalement opaque, soit par "ombrage" de la surface si le produit est totalement opaque.According to particular embodiments:

• the thermoplastic material is injected to obtain the desired shape by molding, this material possibly being PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or ABS (acrylo-butadiene-styrene);
• the closing cap is made of a multilayer composite material, comprising at least one layer of thermoplastic material, such as, for example, PE or PP, to allow the welding, and a "barrier" layer which may be made of aluminum, to oppose the permeability of the thermoplastic material;
• the border has a cross-sectional shape of a bridge, with a crown resting on a connecting pillar integrated in the bottom of the housing, and an outer pillar forming a flange, this flange having an upper face raised relative to the upper face of the weld of the crown, so that, after welding, the upper face of the rim and that of the operculum are flush;
• the upper sealing face of the lid is provided with circular beads to facilitate this welding, and transverse holes are distributed along the edge to allow suction to hold the lid before welding;
• the sealing of the lid can be obtained thermally, ultrasonically or by induction, the layer of PE or PP then being melted to bond to the thermoplastic material of the housing;
• the bottom of the case has a thickness between 0.3 and 1 mm and the inner side can be inclined at an angle of about 10 degrees by flaring towards the bottom in order to retain the pasty product in the case where its adhesion to the plastic would not be enough to hold it in place;
• the overall height of the border is between about 1.5 and 2 mm;
• the bottom of the housing may also have a relief, for example capillary ridges, intended to force the product to be distributed over the entire surface of the bottom of the housing during casting;
• it is possible to increase the wettability of the plastic material by adding an additive (wetting agent) in the material, by a surface treatment intended to change the surface tension (surfactant) or an electrical treatment (corona, plasma) or superficial oxidation, for example by flaming; these operations, intended to improve the filling, have an impact on the quality of the product and also on its cost because they allow to accelerate the casting operation on the machine, while ensuring a good spread of the pasty product even in the case of a very thin paste layer;

a decorative effect can be obtained on the surface of the product because, due to the small thickness of the pasty product, etching on the bottom, possibly informative, such as a logo or text, is transmitted to the surface of the product, either by transparency if the pasty product is not completely opaque, or by "shading" of the surface if the product is completely opaque.

The housing can contain any type of volatile or non-volatile products, such as cosmetics, for example lipstick or foundation, or food products in a pasty and cast form.

The present invention also has the advantage of allowing the packaging of fragile products, such as pastes or emulsions, because of the rigidity obtained. It also promotes direct access to the page corresponding to the location of the present case in the journal, because its rigidity produces a "bookmark" effect greater than that caused by traditional bags, consisting of flexible envelopes.

• la figure 1, une vue de dessus d'un exemple de boîtier selon l'invention de forme cylindrique;
• la figure 2, une vue partielle en coupe du boîtier selon le plan I-I de la figure 1, l'opercule ayant été retiré ;
• la figure 3, une vue de dessous en perspective d'un boîtier pourvue de fines nervures radiales ;
• les figures 4a à 4d, des vues supérieures de diverses formes de boîtiers conformes à l'invention ;
• les figures 5 et 6, des vues supérieures de boîtiers à logements compartimentés ;
• la figure 7, une vue de dessous d'un boîtier portant des stries de répartition de produit ; et
• la figure 8, une vue en coupe d'un boîtier présentant un fond apte à produire un effet décoratif à la surface du produit logé.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the description which follows, relating to an exemplary embodiment, with reference to the appended figures which represent respectively:

• Figure 1 is a top view of an exemplary housing according to the invention of cylindrical shape;
• Figure 2, a partial sectional view of the housing according to the plane II of Figure 1, the cap having been removed;
• Figure 3 is a bottom view in perspective of a housing provided with thin radial ribs;
• Figures 4a to 4d, top views of various forms of housings according to the invention;
• Figures 5 and 6, upper views of compartmentalized housing housings;
• Figure 7 is a bottom view of a housing with product distribution ridges; and
• Figure 8 is a sectional view of a housing having a bottom adapted to produce a decorative effect on the surface of the housed product.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, an exemplary case 10 for foundation, according to the invention, is in the overall form of a polypropylene disk, comprising a central bottom part 11, surrounded by a compound border 1 a circular crown 12 limited by a rim Annular 13. The housing 10 is closed by a cover 20, shown in transparency to reveal the housing.

The cover 20 rests on the ring 12 and comes to marry the inner contour of the rim 13 crown limit. The lid 20 is provided with a tongue 21, whose traction makes it possible to take off the lid and thus to access the foundation placed in a housing limited by the bottom 11 and the crown 12.

Six transverse orifices 30 are evenly distributed along a central circle of the crown 12. These orifices make it possible to carry out an air intake using a suitable pump (not shown) to hold the lid in this position just before performing the weld. Circular ribbing cords 31 are also provided on the ring 12 in order to facilitate the heat-sealing of the lid on the ring.

The cover is formed of a film of aluminum composite material comprising a polypropylene layer (PP) facing the housing and melting by heating, under the conditions known to those skilled in the art, to cause the sealing of the operculum on the crown 12.

In the center of the housing 10, a lens 40 corresponds to the polypropylene injection zone made in a mold adapted to the shapes and dimensions of the housing, under known temperature and pressure conditions.

This lens 40 is also visible in Figure 2, which illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the housing according to the sectional plane II indicated in Figure 1. In Figure 2, appear the flat bottom 11, the housing foundation 14 , the ring 12 and the rim 13 of the housing 10. The bottom 11 has upper faces 11 s and support 11 a plane and parallel. The housing 14 is formed by the space limited by the upper surface 11 s of the bottom 11, the lateral flank 12f of the ring 12 and the cover 20.

The ring 12 forms, in connection with the rim 13 and a connecting leg 15 with the bottom 11, a bridge around an annular recess 16 on which the transverse orifices 30 open. The rim 13 has a bearing surface 13a of diameter equal to 25 mm, located in the same plane as the bearing surface 11a of the bottom 11, and an upper surface 13s, raised 0.2 mm from the upper surface 12s of the crown 12. The overall height the flange 13 is about 1.9 mm, the thickness of the ring 12 about 1 mm, and that of the bottom 11 about 0.6 mm.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the orifice 30 has a frustoconical shape at an opening angle A of about 30 degrees, the ribs 31 a height close to 0.2 mm, and the lateral flank 12f is inclined at an angle B approximately equal to 10 degrees, so that the diameter of the housing 14 increases from the upper surface of the ring 12s towards the upper surface of the bottom 11s.

The recess made in the crown 12 makes it possible to use a minimum of material in order to reduce costs to the maximum.

In order to further reduce this thickness of material without losing the desired resistance, it is possible to add, as illustrated in FIG. 3, thin radial ribs 32 regularly spaced in this recess 16.

The shape of the case and the decor on its cover can be used for decorative purposes, to strengthen the advertising hook.

For this purpose, various shapes can be created, in connection with the contained product, possibly with a different shaped seal: for example, as illustrated in FIG. 4a, in the form of a flower 42, with a cover 41 and the housing filled with product different shapes of the outer contour of the housing 10. Any other form, technologically feasible can be considered: teardrop 3 (Figure 4b), oval 4 (Figure 4c) or polygonal 5 (Figure 4d).

According to other exemplary embodiments, and as illustrated by FIGS. 5 and 6, it is possible to provide a plurality of compartmentalized housings 50 in housings 6 and 7, in order to house several different types of products, or to include a dedicated applicator to the product: for example, a small sponge 60 for a foundation 61 or a small brush for a lipstick.

Furthermore, with reference to FIG. 7, the bottom 71 of the casing 8 has, on its external contact surface 71, radial and curved capillary ridges 70 intended to force the product to be distributed over the entire surface of the cavity when casting. The hot-cast product tends to congeal in contact with the plastic, and not to cover the entire surface of the cavity, "holes" at the periphery or in the corners may form for non-circular shapes, and this defect filling can be marked because of the small thickness of pasty product.

In addition, as shown in Figure 8, a decorative effect can be obtained on the surface of the product due to the small thickness of the pasty product. Engravings 80, made on the bottom 81 of the housing 9, are transmitted to the surface of the product where the decorative elements 82 appear with a corresponding relief.

The height of the etching causes a relatively large variation in product thickness and the slight shrinkage of the dough during its cooling then reproduces the pattern on its surface, in an attenuated manner. It follows a shaded effect more or less visible depending on the coloring pigments used in the dough.

In addition, pigments having a flattened shape, such as flakes or nacres, tend to orient themselves in areas of thickness variation, thus increasing the optical effect of the product. These elements, possibly informative, such as a logo or a text, appear either by transparency, if the pasty product is not completely opaque, or by "shading" of the surface if the product is completely opaque.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown.

The ultra-flat housing according to the invention may be presented stuck by its bottom on a magazine page or magazine, possibly integrated with a graphic advertising design. The housing according to the invention can also be inserted un-glued into a publication, maintained for example by a strip of paper or plastic or by an envelope.

Several boxes according to the invention can be glued on the same page, thus allowing to present several products of the same range.

The operculum may also be made of transparent material to show the texture and color of the product.

It is also conceivable to use the ultra-flat housing according to the invention alone or in a grouping for advertisements for which its properties of resistance to a high load, as well as its small thickness will be appreciated.

Free distribution (samples) or expensive (mini doses) of the housing according to the invention at a point of sale can also be provided.

This box can also be inserted in advertisements or greeting cards, for professional or recreational purposes.

Claims (10)

1. Ultra-flat box for insert, comprising a recess adapted to accommodate a poured paste product, with an overall box height of less than 2 mm, the recess (14) being bounded by a base (11) and an inner lateral flank (12f) of a peripheral edge (1) which is raised in relation to the base (11) which has an upper surface (11s) and a support surface (11a) which are planar and parallel, the edge (1) having an upper surface (12s) substantially parallel to the base (11) to accommodate, by welding, a cover (20) formed by a thin film which covers the recess (14) in the box and is welded to the upper surface (12s) of the edge, characterised in that the relative radial dimensions of the edge (1) of the box (6 to 10) made of thermoplastic material are proportioned so as to withstand a load equal to at least approximately 15,000 N, the thermoplastic material being injected so as to obtain the desired shape by moulding and being selectable from among polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate and acrylo-butadiene-styrene.
2. Ultra-flat box according to the preceding claim, wherein the sealing cover (20) is made of a multi-layer composite material comprising at least one layer adapted to be welded to the edge (1).
3. Ultra-flat box according to claim 2, wherein the multi-layer composite material comprises at least one layer of polyethylene terephthalate, aluminium and polyethylene.
4. Ultra-flat box according to claim 2, wherein the cover (20) is welded thermally, by ultrasound or by induction, the welding layer thereby being melted so as to adhere to the thermoplastic material of the box.
5. Ultra-flat box according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the edge (1) is bridge-shaped in cross-section, with a crown (12) resting on a connecting post (2) attached to the base of the box, and an outer post forming a rim (13), this rim having an upper surface (13s) which is raised relative to the upper welding surface (12s) of the crown, so that, after welding, the upper surface of the rim (13s) and that of the cover (20) are flush.
6. Ultra-flat box according to claim 5, wherein the upper welding surface (13s) of the cover (20) is provided with longitudinal beads (31) to facilitate the welding, and wherein transverse openings (30) are distributed along the edge (1) to allow suction in order to hold the cover (20) in place before it is welded on.
7. Ultra-flat box according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base (71a) of the box (7) has capillary striations (70) to force the product to spread over the entire surface of the base when poured.
8. Ultra-flat box according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an engraved design (80) on the base (81) is transmitted to the surface of the product (82), either by transparency or by "shading" the surface.
9. Ultra-flat box according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base (11) of the box has a thickness of between 0.3 and 1 mm and the inner flank (12f) of the recess (14) is inclined at an angle of about 10 degrees, flaring towards the base (11).
10. Ultra-flat box according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the overall height of the edge (1) is between about 1.5 and 2 mm.

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