EP1335858B1 - Behälterboden, Behälter und Behälter mit Chips - Google Patents

Behälterboden, Behälter und Behälter mit Chips Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1335858B1
EP1335858B1 EP01274042A EP01274042A EP1335858B1 EP 1335858 B1 EP1335858 B1 EP 1335858B1 EP 01274042 A EP01274042 A EP 01274042A EP 01274042 A EP01274042 A EP 01274042A EP 1335858 B1 EP1335858 B1 EP 1335858B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
container
container bottom
concave
snack
central axis
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP01274042A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1335858A2 (de
Inventor
Gerard Laurent Buisson
James Calvin Mcintyre
Elizabeth Dominique Maczek
Jr. James Wagner Settelmayer
Douglas David Sena
Brian Adrian Miller
Benito Alberto Romanach
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Procter and Gamble Co
Original Assignee
Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Procter and Gamble Co filed Critical Procter and Gamble Co
Priority to EP07105587A priority Critical patent/EP1818259A3/de
Publication of EP1335858A2 publication Critical patent/EP1335858A2/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1335858B1 publication Critical patent/EP1335858B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
    • B65D85/62—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for stacks of articles; for special arrangements of groups of articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
    • B65B5/06—Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
    • B65B5/064—Potato chips
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
    • B65D1/12—Cans, casks, barrels, or drums
    • B65D1/14—Cans, casks, barrels, or drums characterised by shape
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
    • B65D1/22—Boxes or like containers with side walls of substantial depth for enclosing contents
    • B65D1/26—Thin-walled containers, e.g. formed by deep-drawing operations
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D11/00—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material
    • B65D11/10—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material of polygonal cross-section and all parts being permanently connected to each other
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D43/00—Lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
    • B65D43/02—Removable lids or covers
    • B65D43/0202—Removable lids or covers without integral tamper element
    • B65D43/0204—Removable lids or covers without integral tamper element secured by snapping over beads or projections
    • B65D43/0212—Removable lids or covers without integral tamper element secured by snapping over beads or projections only on the outside, or a part turned to the outside, of the mouth
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D51/00—Closures not otherwise provided for
    • B65D51/18—Arrangements of closures with protective outer cap-like covers or of two or more co-operating closures
    • B65D51/20—Caps, lids, or covers co-operating with an inner closure arranged to be opened by piercing, cutting, or tearing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
    • B65D85/30—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for articles particularly sensitive to damage by shock or pressure
    • B65D85/36—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for articles particularly sensitive to damage by shock or pressure for bakery products, e.g. biscuits
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2251/00—Details relating to container closures
    • B65D2251/0003—Two or more closures
    • B65D2251/0006—Upper closure
    • B65D2251/0018—Upper closure of the 43-type
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2251/00—Details relating to container closures
    • B65D2251/0003—Two or more closures
    • B65D2251/0068—Lower closure
    • B65D2251/0093—Membrane
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
    • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
    • B65D2543/00018—Overall construction of the lid
    • B65D2543/00064—Shape of the outer periphery
    • B65D2543/00074—Shape of the outer periphery curved
    • B65D2543/00111—Shape of the outer periphery curved triangular-like, i.e. three curved sides
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
    • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
    • B65D2543/00018—Overall construction of the lid
    • B65D2543/00259—Materials used
    • B65D2543/00296—Plastic
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
    • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
    • B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
    • B65D2543/00592—Snapping means
    • B65D2543/00712—Snapping means on the lid
    • B65D2543/00722—Profiles
    • B65D2543/00731—Groove or hollow bead
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
    • B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
    • B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
    • B65D2543/00592—Snapping means
    • B65D2543/00712—Snapping means on the lid
    • B65D2543/00787—Periphery concerned
    • B65D2543/00805—Segments
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2577/00—Packages formed by enclosing articles or materials in preformed containers, e.g. boxes, cartons, sacks, bags
    • B65D2577/10—Container closures formed after filling
    • B65D2577/20—Container closures formed after filling by applying separate lids or covers
    • B65D2577/2041—Pull tabs
    • B65D2577/205—Pull tabs integral with the closure

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to container bottoms suitable for use in combination with container bodies.
  • Containers comprising a container bottom and body are adapted, for example, for packaging one or more pieces (i.e., one or more articles), such as frangible snack pieces.
  • Preshaped snack pieces are typically frangible and might be fragile and easily broken during packaging, shipping and/or other handling operations.
  • Conventional packaging techniques provide bags and/or boxes that can permit a significant number of the shack pieces to break or crush prior to consumption.
  • the well known Pringles® shaped potato chip snack pieces, a product of The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, are individual snack pieces having a "saddle" shape and are packaged in a manner which overcomes disadvantages of the prior art.
  • the Pringles® snack pieces have conventionally been packaged as a single nested stack in a cylindrical container which provides enhanced protection during packaging, shipping and/or other handling. As a result, the Pringles® snack pieces are typically presented to the consumer without breakage.
  • the "saddle" shape of the Pringles® snack pieces provide oppositely facing concave surfaces that present curved edges to engage a planar portion of the container when loading the chips.
  • Pringles® snack pieces may be loaded by horizontally positioning an elongated circular cylindrical container and thereafter horizontally inserting a stack of snack pieces therein. As the snack pieces are inserted, the leading snack pieces typically tip over out of proper alignment with the remaining stack until the outer edge of the leading snack piece engages a flat planar surface of the bottom wall wherein the curvature of the outer edge of the snack piece facilitates reorientation of the leading snack piece to form a nested stack of snack pieces.
  • the present invention provides container bottoms which can be used in combination with container bodies.
  • Each container bottom according to the present invention can be used in combination with a container body to package one or more pieces, such as substantially triangular pieces.
  • containers may be used to package snack pieces.
  • the containers may be used to package a stack of substantially triangular-shaped snack pieces to provide consumers with a product having minimum breakage prior to consumption.
  • a substantially triangular shaped container bottom comprising a bottom wall having a convex outer surface and a concave inner surface, and a corresponding container are known from US-A-5,062,542.
  • a substantially triangular shaped container bottom according to claim 1 a container according to claim 2 and a combination according to claim 9 are provided.
  • the container bottoms, containers and combinations according to the invention provide improved packaging for pieces such as substantially triangular-shaped snack pieces. Additional advantages and objects will be more fully apparent in view of the following detailed description.
  • Exemplary embodiments of the present invention comprise substantially triangular-shaped container bottoms. Further exemplary embodiments comprise containers including container bottoms and corresponding container bodies.
  • Container bottoms described throughout this application intend to include the closed end of the container when loading a plurality of chips through the open end.
  • the container bottom could eventually function as either the container bottom or the container top after loading and packaging the snack pieces.
  • the container bottom could comprise the membrane lid that will eventually function as a removable lid after loading the container and sealing the open end of the container with a closure that eventually functions as the bottom of the container.
  • the container bottom could also function as the bottom of the container once the snack pieces are loaded and packaged within the container.
  • Exemplary containers are disclosed in the copending U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/248,340 of Buisson et al. filed November 13, 2000, entitled "An Improved Plastic Package for Snack Pieces.”
  • each of the containers of the present invention may comprise a container bottom that is integrally formed with the container body.
  • both the container bottom and the container body may be formed simultaneously during a blow molding process.
  • each container body and container bottom may be formed separately and thereafter attached to one another.
  • the container bottom can be slid over or within the container body and then attached by adhesive, thermal bonding, or the like.
  • the container bottom may be attached to the container body after abutting one against the other.
  • An intermediate attachment portion such as a substantially triangular band of material, may also be provided to attach the container bottom to the container body.
  • the containers used in accordance with the present invention permit packaging of one or more pieces (i.e., one or more articles), such as substantially triangular-shaped pieces.
  • one or more snack pieces may be packaged, and in particular embodiments, one or more substantially triangular-shaped snack pieces may be packaged to present consumers with an accessible product with minimal breakage.
  • the containers of the present invention may also be useful to store, package and/or ship other piece(s), including, but not limited to, a plurality of frangible or fragile pieces (i.e., a plurality of frangible or fragile articles) in a stacked relationship.
  • the interior surfaces of the containers of the present invention may be structured to assist in loading the pieces, such as the snack pieces, as well as supporting the articles after packaging. For example, as a stack of snack pieces are horizontally inserted into an elongated container, a domino effect might occur as the leading and successive snack pieces tip over out of proper alignment. Snack pieces might tend to tip over out of proper stacked alignment due to various factors, for example, lower loading speeds, insufficient acceleration as the snack pieces are being loaded, orientation of the container or stack of pieces, or the like.
  • a bottom wall of the container may not have a surface adequate to realign exemplary snack pieces and/or may result in snack piece breakage as the leading snack piece contacts the container bottom wall.
  • the leading snack piece may resist rotation to the proper position once it contacts the bottom wall, thereby possibly resulting in crushed snack pieces as the remaining stacked snack pieces are forced into the container.
  • one or more leading snack pieces may rotate further out of proper alignment as the remaining snack pieces bypass the one or more misaligned snack pieces. Accordingly, the bypassed or slipped snack piece(s) remain disposed adjacent the remaining stack of snack pieces, thereby possibly causing an interference problem, or presenting an inconvenience and/or disorganized appearance to the consumer.
  • the failure of the leading snack piece to properly align may result in misalignment of the entire stack of snack pieces.
  • Such misalignment prevents efficient use of the container space and therefore may prevent all of the pieces from sufficiently entering the container. Indeed, the outermost pieces of the stack may fall from the container, thereby contaminating the surrounding environment and/or preventing insertion of a sufficient number of snack pieces in the container.
  • the snack pieces In order to prevent or delay the snack pieces from tipping over and out of proper alignment, the snack pieces might be accelerated and/or loaded at higher velocities. However, excessive snack piece velocity during packaging can result in breakage due to the momentum of the snack pieces and resulting impulse from a sudden collision with the bottom wall.
  • each of the container bottoms includes a bottom wall with a surface that is structured to permit reorientation of a leading snack piece being inserted in the container.
  • the bottom wall is substantially inwardly concave towards an interior chamber to engage with a convex surface or a planar surface or edge of a snack piece.
  • the inwardly concave surface of the bottom wall minimizes snack piece breakage and misalignment when loading the snack pieces for packaging.
  • Convex surfaces of the snack pieces may cooperate with the inwardly concave bottom wall of the container to assist in rotating the leading snack piece, and thereafter the remaining snack pieces, into a properly aligned stacked position.
  • the inwardly concave surfaces of the bottom wall also assist in reducing the impulse force acting on snack pieces engaging the bottom wall.
  • the snack pieces can be loaded at various loading velocities. Increased loading velocity is desired to reduce the loading time for packaging the stack of snack pieces in the container. However, the loading velocity should not be set so high as to cause snack piece breakage.
  • Providing an inwardly concave surface can reduce the magnitude of the impulse acting on the snack piece as it contacts the bottom wall. Accordingly, the maximum loading velocity can be increased by providing the bottom wall with an inwardly concave surface.
  • the interior surfaces of the container may be structured to permit orientation of the snack pieces to minimize the extent of snack piece breakage that might otherwise occur after the snack pieces are loaded in the container.
  • the structure of the interior surfaces may also be arranged to enhance the accessibility of the product to the consumer. For example, providing a container with a flat bottom may not provide an adequate distribution of force over the surface area of a snack piece with a convex lower surface and a concave upper surface. For instance, in a flat bottom container, the leading snack piece loaded in an upwardly concave manner would be required to support the weight of the entire snack piece stack along a contact area comprising the central point or central location of the snack piece in contact with the flat bottom wall.
  • loading the snack pieces in a downwardly concave manner would require the leading snack piece to support the weight of the snack piece stack along a contact area comprising the outer edges of the snack piece in contact with the flat bottom wall. Due to the frangible nature of the snack pieces, they may break or crush due to the excessive stresses at the contact locations.
  • the bottom wall of the containers include an interior surface with a substantially concave shape towards the interior chamber to facilitate loading snack pieces and to permit upwardly concave stacking, thereby minimizing stress concentrations in the snack piece while presenting the snack piece edges closer to the top of the container to facilitate removal by the consumer.
  • the bottom wall may be constructed with a surface that is substantially inwardly convex towards the interior chamber. The convex surface may minimize stress concentrations in the snack piece being supported by the bottom wall such that the convex surface conforms to a concave surface of the snack piece.
  • loading the snack pieces in this manner would require the snack pieces to be oriented such that they are concave towards the bottom wall, thereby positioning the snack piece edges farther away from the top of the container than the central portion of the snack piece. Removal of the snack pieces by grasping the edges is difficult when positioning the snack piece edges farther away from the top of the container. Moreover, loading of the snack pieces may result in snack piece breakage since the inwardly convex bottom wall surface of the container can trap, rather than facilitate reorientation, of the snack pieces contacting the bottom wall.
  • FIG. 1 depicts a substantially triangular-shaped container 30 for stacking a plurality of snack pieces 70 (e.g., see FIG. 6).
  • substantially triangular-shaped generally includes a three-side polygonal shape wherein the sides are connected with one another at respective corners which comprise a sharp angle or a more rounded configuration. The corners connect straight or substantially straight sides.
  • straight may include a distance between the corners, rather than requiring any surface or cross-sectional configuration of the sides.
  • the container bottom has a substantially equilateral triangular shape, wherein the sides of the triangular shape are of equal or substantially equal length. In other embodiments, the container bottom has a substantially isosceles triangular shape, wherein two sides of the triangular shape are of equal or substantially equal length.
  • the container 30 can be formed from a variety of materials including one or more of the following: paper products (e.g., cardboard, corrugated cardboard, corrugated paper, kraft paper, extensible paper); plastic; composites of plastic and/or paper; laminates of plastic and/or paper; aluminum foil; metals, or the like.
  • the container 30 may be formed of a thermoplastic material and can be blow molded, although other production methods may be employed.
  • Suitable thermoplastic materials include, but are not limited to, polyolefins, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, vinyl polymers such as ethyl vinyl alcohol (EVOH), or the like. These materials might be monolayered or multilayered, wherein different layer materials may be combined.
  • a multilayer material may include both a polyolefin layer and an EVOH layer.
  • the container 30 is blow molded from a multilayer material comprising a layer of EVOH sandwiched between two layers of high density polyethylene (HDPE).
  • the container can typically have a wall thickness from about 0.013 cm to about 0.140 cm.
  • the containers of FIG. 1 include a container body 34, a container bottom 38 and a lip 32.
  • the containers are a blow-molded, multiple-layer plastic structure including: a virgin polyolefin layer, a tie layer, a layer of EVOH, another tie layer, and another virgin polyolefin layer.
  • container 30 will also have one or more layers of regrind material between at least one of the tie layers and the virgin polyolefin layers.
  • the layer of EVOH might be no less than 0.00005 inches thick and no thicker than 0.006 inches, for example no less than 0.00005 inches and no greater than 0.003 inches and in another more specific example, no less than 0.0001 inches and no greater than 0.0012 inches.
  • An even more particular example of this multilayer plastic structure comprises a six-layer structure including the following layers (from the outside layer to the inside layer): about 9.31 grams (g) or about 19.4% by weight of HDPE; about 18.91 g or about 39.4% by weight of plant regrind and HDPE; about 0.62 g or about 1.3% by weight of a tie layer; about 2.02 g or about 4.2% by weight of EVOH; about 0.62 g or about 1.3% of a tie layer; and about 16.51 g or about 34.4% of plant regrind and HDPE.
  • this six-layer structure can comprise (from the outside layer to the inside layer): about 10.7 grams (g) or about 19.4% by weight of HDPE; about 21.66 g or about 39.4% by weight of plant regrind and HDPE; about 0.69 g or about 1.3% by weight of a tie layer; about 2.33 g or about 4.2% by weight of EVOH; about 0.69 g or about 1.3% of a tie layer; and about 18.94 g or about 34.4% of plant regrind and HDPE.
  • Yet another example of this six-layer structure can comprise (from the outside layer to the inside layer): about 15.0% by weight of HDPE homopolymer and color; about 63.6% by weight of plant regrind (60% by weight) and HDPE homopolymer and color (40% by weight); about 1.4% by weight of a tie layer; about 3.6% by weight of EVOH; about 1.4% of a tie layer; and about 15.0% of plant regrind and HDPE homopolymer and color.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the container 30 including a container body 34 and a container bottom 38, wherein FIGS. 7-12 further illustrate exemplary features of the container bottom 38.
  • the container bottom 38 is enlarged for supporting the container 30 in an upright position and can be dimensioned to facilitate the manufacturing process.
  • the container body 34 has a first maximum cross-sectional width taken along an imaginary plane that is perpendicular to a geometric central axis 64 extending from the container bottom 38
  • the container bottom 38 has a second maximum cross-sectional width taken along another imaginary plane that is perpendicular to the geometric central axis 64.
  • the second maximum cross-sectional width is larger than the first maximum cross-sectional width.
  • At least a portion 51 of the lateral cavity 50 extends a greater distance along a first radial line “d 1 " extending perpendicular from the geometric central axis 64 than a maximum distance between the container body and the geometric central axis 64 along a second radial line “d 2 " parallel to the first radial line "d 1 ".
  • the geometric central axis is the axis that extends perpendicular to a planar projected foot print surface of the container bottom and through a center of gravity of the foot print surface.
  • the geometric center of the container bottom is one or more points of the container bottom in contact with the geometric central axis.
  • the container bottom 38 defines a horizontal planar projected foot print surface 40 that is horizontally oriented with a center of gravity 41.
  • a geometric central axis 64 extends perpendicular to the planar projected foot print surface 40 and through the center of gravity 41 of the surface 40.
  • the geometric center 54 is located at one or more points of the container bottom 38 in contact with the geometric central axis 64.
  • the enlarged container bottom 38 includes an inner wall 56 and an outer wall 58.
  • the inner wall 56 includes a transition portion 60 to connect the inner wall 56 with a bottom wall 42 at an edge 46 of the bottom wall 42.
  • the transitional portion 60 can facilitate production of the container bottom 38 with a blow molding process and can have a length that is sufficiently long to permit blow molding while being sufficiently short to permit loading of snack pieces in the container without trapping the pieces in a lateral cavity 50 defined between inner and outer walls 56, 58 of the container bottom 38.
  • the blow ratio of the lateral cavity 50 should be sufficient to facilitate formation of the container bottom 38 by a blow molding process.
  • the blow ratio of the lateral cavity 50 can be defined as the ratio of "H 1 " to "W 1 " (See FIG. 10), wherein "H 1 " represents the vertical distance between the upper-most portion of the inner wall 56 (e.g., at an upper-most part of the transition portion 60 of the inner wall 56) and the lower-most portion of the container bottom 38 and wherein "W 1 " represents the distance between the outer wall 58 and the upper-most point of the transition portion 60 of inner wall 56.
  • the blow ratio may be from about 0 (e.g., a flat bottom) to about 3.0.
  • the blow ratio is about 0.72 when "H 1 " is about 0.59 cm and "W 1 " is about 0.82. In another embodiment, the blow ratio is about 0.43 when "H 1 " is about 0.59 cm and "W 1 " is about 1.37 cm.
  • One skilled in the art can readily select an appropriate blow ratio for the lateral cavity of the container bottoms of the present invention using standard blow molding techniques.
  • FIG. 10 also shows a lead angle "a” defined as the angle between the inner wall 56 and the vertical.
  • the lead angle "a” may be large enough to allow the container to be stripped or ejected from a mold without damaging the container bottom 38.
  • the lead angle "a” is less than 90°.
  • the lead angle "a” is from about 20° to about 75°.
  • the lead angle "a” is from about 30° to about 60°. Using standard blow molding techniques, one skilled in the art can easily determine sufficient' lead angles "a” to avoid complications during the blow molding process.
  • Exemplary bottom walls 42 of the present invention can also comprise a central surface area 47, as seen in FIG. 3, including an inwardly concave surface 44.
  • the central surface area 47 is defined radially about the geometric central axis 64.
  • each point of the perimeter of the central surface area 47 can extend a radial distance along a radial line "d 3 " that has a length less than about 100% (for example, less than about 85%; and in another example less than about 50%) of the maximum radial distance between the container body 34 and the geometric central axis 64 along the second radial line "d 2 " parallel to the radial line "d 3 ".
  • Providing the central surface area with portions of the concave surface enhances effectiveness of the surface area to reorient the articles to be loaded.
  • the inwardly concave surface may assist in loading, packaging, and/or supporting the snack pieces.
  • the inwardly concave surface 44 may have a variety of shapes depending on the particular application.
  • the inwardly concave surface 44 may be provided with a curvature similar or substantially identical to a curvature of the snack piece being supported.
  • each of the embodiments of the present invention may include a wide variety of alternative configurations depending on the particular application.
  • the constant "C" of the function represents an offset distance wherein an initial offset distance y 1 can be different from the final offset distance y 3 .
  • the offset distance remains constant as the function is rotated such that y 1 , y 2 and y 3 are constant.
  • the offset distance can change during rotation wherein y 1 , y 2 and/or y 3 are the same or different.
  • the scoop-type inwardly concave surface 644 could comprise a portion of a circular cylindrical surface of a cylinder.
  • the function can be offset from the X-axis (e.g., an initial distance y 1 , intermediate distance y 2 , and final distance y 3 ). The offset distance could remain the same during rotation of the function about the X-axis such that y 1 , y 2 , and y 3 are the same.
  • the offset distance could change during rotation of the function about the X-axis such that y 1 , y 2 , and/or y 3 are the same or different.
  • a substantially U-shaped concave surface could be created by initially increasing the offset distance and then later decreasing the offset distance as the function rotates.
  • a U-shaped concave surface could be created wherein y 1 and y 3 are the same while y 2 is greater than y 1 and y 3 . Such a surface may reduce breakage incidents by assisting in gradual reorientation of the snack pieces during insertion of the snack piece stack in the container.
  • the inwardly concave surface in accordance with each of the embodiments of the present invention may include a wide variety of surface shapes including scoop-type concave surfaces (e.g., V-shaped, W-shaped, sinusoidal, corrugated-shaped or the like).
  • scoop-type concave surfaces e.g., V-shaped, W-shaped, sinusoidal, corrugated-shaped or the like.
  • the snack pieces 70 have a convex surface 74 that conforms to the inwardly concave surface 44 of the bottom wall 42.
  • the snack pieces 70 may further include a concave surface 72 adapted to conform to the convex surface 74 of an adjacent snack piece.
  • exemplary triangular snack pieces 70 including a convex surface 74 with a radius of curvature similar or substantially identical to the radius of curvature R 4 of the concave surface 72 permits the snack pieces 70 to be loaded in a container such that they are positioned in a nested stacked relationship relative to one another.
  • a plurality of snack pieces are loaded in a nested, stacked relationship with at least one snack piece surface being substantially offset from one another so that adjacent snack pieces abut one another (the offset distances between the snack pieces are exaggerated in FIG. 5 for clarity).
  • the container body 34 may also be shaped with an inner surface similar to the outer perimeter of the snack pieces (e.g., with a substantial triangular shape) to assist in maintaining the stacked pieces in proper alignment once the snack pieces are loaded in the container 30.
  • Providing the exterior of the container body with a similar shape (e.g., with a substantial triangular shape) as the inner surface of the container can also reduce material costs while providing consumers with information regarding the snack piece shape packaged therein.
  • the concave surface 44 has a sufficient size to guide the snack pieces 70 as they are loaded in the container 30 while the inner and outer walls 56, 58 defining the lateral cavity 50 have a sufficient blow ratio to permit manufacture of the single piece container bottom 38 by blow molding, as discussed above.
  • the concave surface 44 has a width "W 2 " between adjacent corner areas of about 50% to about 90% of the width "W 3 " between adjacent corner areas of the container bottom 38 (best illustrated in FIG. 7).
  • "W 2 " is about 5.06 cm and "W 3 " is about 7.85 cm such that "W 2 " is about 64% of W 3 ".
  • the container 30 defines an interior chamber 36 and is designed to hermetically seal snack pieces within the interior chamber with a membrane lid 66.
  • the container 30 may optionally include a container membrane lid and container lip as disclosed in U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/248,026, filed November 13, 2000, and also U.S. Patent Application No. __________entitled “Structures For Providing A Removable Closure", attorneys docket number 8330, filed herewith.
  • the container 30 When hermetically sealed, the pressure of the interior chamber 36 will fluctuate depending on external conditions such as the surrounding atmospheric pressure and temperature. Accordingly, changes in altitude, weather and/or temperature, for example, may cause a significant fluctuation of the interior chamber pressure.
  • the container 30 is fabricated with a sufficiently flexible material that permits the bottom wall 42 to bulge or bow outwardly in response to increases in interior chamber pressure.
  • the container bottom 38 can be designed with a sufficient initial center height "H 3 " (i.e., the initial difference in height between the lower-most portion of the bottom wall 42 and the lower-most portion of the container bottom 38, as shown in FIG. 11).
  • H 3 the initial center height
  • the rocker effect may be avoided by providing an initial center height "H 3 " from about 0 cm to about 0.30 cm, and more specifically about 0.15 cm in exemplary embodiments.
  • H 3 may be zero or slightly greater than zero by fabricating the container bottom 38 from a sufficiently rigid material and/or by providing the container bottom 38 with a sufficient wall thickness or reinforcement to prevent undesirable outward bulging or bowing of the bottom wall 42 when subjected to such increases in interior chamber pressure.
  • While certain embodiments may provide a container bottom with an initial height "H 3 ", greater than zero the container bottom should be able to provide a bottom wall, such as a bottom wall with an inwardly concave surface 44, sufficient to perform the desired function.
  • exemplary embodiments of the radius "R 1 " of the inwardly concave surface 44 can be from about 2 inches to about 6 inches, for example, from about 3 inches (7,6 cm) to about 6 inches (15,2 cm) and more specifically about 3.4 inches (8,6 cm).
  • the radius "R 1 " may vary depending on a variety of factors, for example, the curvature and size of the snack pieces 70 to be packaged.
  • the container bottom 38 may include an optional identification location or mark 52, for example, near the center of an outwardly convex surface 48 of the bottom wall 42.
  • An identification mark can be used to convey recycle codes, identification codes, patent information, or other product-related information.
  • the identification area or mark 52 may also be located at or near the center 54 of the bottom wall 42.
  • the identification area 52 may comprise a small and generally flat area in the outer convex surface 48, if desired, to facilitate seating of a label and/or protection of an applied label.
  • the container bottom 38 can extend beyond the perimeter of the container body 34.
  • the container bottom 38 can be provided with an enlarged cross section when compared to the container body 34, to thereby resist tipping of the container while assisting in maintaining the container 30 in a substantially self-supported vertical orientation. Therefore, enlarging the container bottom will increase the tip angle of the container, namely the angle at which the container may be tilted just before tipping over. Increasing the tip angle reduces the likelihood of container tip overs by enhancing the ability of the container to regain its vertical posture when handling, transporting or otherwise disrupting the container.
  • a plurality of containers When a plurality of containers abut one another or are clustered in close proximity, further instances of tipping might occur.
  • a plurality of identical containers may abut one another when shipping, packing, or transporting the containers on an assembly line.
  • Particular problems may exist, for example, if one portion of a laterally extending container bottom with insufficient vertical height is not mirrored with another extension at a higher elevation along the elongated container.
  • Such non-matching protrusion distances may permit slight tipping between adjacent containers.
  • the cumulative effect of slight tipping between adjacent containers of a plurality of containers may cause one or more of the containers to tip over as they pass their tip angle.
  • exemplary containers 30 may be designed with an upper lip 32 which also extends out beyond the perimeter of the container body 34, perhaps to the extent of the container bottom, in order to at least partially counter the cumulative tipping effect.
  • the container bottom 38 and the lip 32 may extend from the container body 34 from 0 cm to about 0.60 cm.
  • the container bottom 38 and the container lip 32 extend outwardly approximately the same distance.
  • the container bottom 38 extends further than the container lip 32 wherein additional structure may be applied to the container lip, as described below, to at least partially counter the cumulative tipping effect.
  • the container 30 may also include an over-cap 68.
  • the over-cap 68 protects the membrane lid 66 and/or acts as a closure once the membrane lid 66 is removed.
  • An exemplary over-cap for use with the inventive concepts of the present invention is disclosed in U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/248,089, filed November 13, 2000, and also U.S. Patent Application No. _______, titled “Substantially Triangular-Shaped Over-Cap” attorney docket number 8329 filed herewith.
  • the membrane lid 66 and the over-cap 68 will extend outwardly from the lip 32. Accordingly, in exemplary embodiments, the membrane lid 66 and/or the over-cap 68 can extend outwardly from the upper lip 32 to have approximately the same width as the enlarged container bottom 38 to thereby reduce or prevent the cumulative tipping effect between the containers.
  • Providing an enlarged container bottom 38 and an extended container lip 32 may also create a recessed area along the container body 34 between the container bottom 38 and lip 32. This area can also be designed to seat a label or other surface for displaying indicia contained thereon. Seating such a label or surface in the recessed area between the lip 32 and the enlarged container bottom 38 can reduce scuffing, tearing, ripping, puncturing, or damaging of the label.
  • the lip 32 can extend outwardly beyond the perimeter of the container body 34 a distance of from about 0.20 cm in the corner and to about 0.15 cm on the container sides, whereas, the enlarged container bottom 38 extends outwardly beyond the perimeter of the container body 34 a distance of from about 0.15 cm in the corner and to about 0.30 cm on the container sides.
  • the outer edge 46 of the bottom wall 42 may have dimensions substantially equal to the cross-sectional profile of the container body 34 to facilitate loading of chips within the container 30.
  • the width "W 2 " (best illustrated in FIG. 7) can be less than or approximately equal to the corresponding width "W 4 " (best illustrated in FIG. 1) of the container body 34 wherein "W 4 " equals the corresponding distance between the exterior or interior surfaces of the corners, for example.
  • the container bottom 38 may have a sufficient vertical height "H 2 " (See FIG. 9) to help maintain a plurality of containers 30 vertically oriented if they are introduced to abut one another. Indeed, as the vertical height "H 2 " increases, leverage of a disrupting force is decreased, thereby reducing the tendency of the containers to tip relative to one another. Increasing the vertical height "H 2 " can also reduce “shingling” between containers. Shingling occurs when one container bottom of a container ramps or rides up on the container bottom of another adjacent container. A sufficient vertical height "H 2 " will reduce or even substantially prevent shingling by the substantial offset that would be required for one container bottom to ride on another container bottom.
  • the vertical height "H 2 " may be at least about 3 mm. In another embodiment, “H 2 " may be from about 10 mm to about 30 mm. In still another embodiment “H 2 " is about 18 mm.
  • FIGS. 13-15 illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a container bottom 138 in accordance with other embodiments of the present invention.
  • the container bottom 138 is similar to the container bottom 38 described above.
  • the container bottom 138 includes a bottom wall 142 having a convex outer surface 148 and a concave inner surface 144.
  • the container bottom defines a plurality of lateral cavities 150 defined between an inner wall 156 and an outer wall 158 of the container bottom 138.
  • Each lateral cavity 150 extends along a side of the substantially triangular-shaped bottom, between two adjacent corners thereof.
  • the container bottom 138 may further include recessed corner portions 141 which are free of the lateral cavities 150 to reduce material costs and/or facilitate a blow molding process.
  • FIGS. 16-18 illustrate yet another exemplary embodiment of a container bottom 238 in accordance with other embodiments of the present invention.
  • the container bottom 238 is similar to the container bottoms 38 and 138 described above.
  • the container bottom 238 comprises a bottom wall 242 having a convex outer surface 248 and a concave inner surface 244.
  • the container bottom further includes an inner wall 256 and an outer wall 258 defining a plurality of lateral cavities 250.
  • each of the lateral cavities 250 extends along only a portion of the side of the substantially triangular-shaped bottom between two adjacent corners.
  • the container bottom 238 may further include recessed portions 241 at the corners and adjacent side portions which are free of the lateral cavities 250 to facilitate a blow molding process.
  • FIGS. 20 and 21 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a container bottom 338 similar to the container bottom 38 described above including a bottom wall 342 having a convex outer surface 348 and concave inner surface 344.
  • the concave inner surface 344 includes a circularly cylindrically concave surface having a radius of curvature "R 2 " and a center line of curvature 362.
  • the center line of curvature 362 intersects or is parallel with a bi-symmetrical plane 365 of the container bottom 338.
  • the bi-symmetrical plane 365 of the container bottom 338 contains the center line of curvature 362, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21.
  • the center line of curvature 362 is perpendicular to the geometric central axis 364. In certain applications, it can be beneficial to provide the center line of curvature 362 adjacent or along the bi-symmetrical plane 365 and/or oriented perpendicular to the geometric central axis in order to facilitate alignment of the snack pieces relative to the container. In addition, as discussed above and with reference to FIG. 19 for example, concave surfaces other than circularly cylindrically concave surfaces may be used in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a container bottom 438 similar to the container bottom 38 and 338 described above including a bottom wall 442 having a convex outer surface 448 and concave inner surface 444.
  • the concave inner surface 444 includes a circularly cylindrically concave surface having a radius of curvature "R 3 " and a center line of curvature 462.
  • the center line of curvature 462 intersects the bi-symmetrical plane 465 of the container bottom 438.
  • the center line of curvature 462 intersects and is perpendicular with respect to the bi-symmetrical plane 465 of the container bottom 438.
  • the center line of curvature 462 is perpendicular to the geometric central axis 464. It can be beneficial to provide the center line of curvature 462 perpendicular to the geometric central axis 464 and/or the bi-symmetrical plane 465 in order to facilitate alignment of the snack pieces relative to the container. Moreover, as discussed above and with reference to FIG. 19 for example, concave surfaces other than circularly cylindrically concave surfaces may be used in accordance with the present invention.
  • the center line of curvature 362 illustrated in FIGS. 20-21 is oriented substantially 90° relative to the centerline of curvature 364 illustrated in FIGS. 22-23 to accommodate a corresponding one of the snack pieces illustrated in FIGS. 24-25 and FIGS. 26-27.
  • the centerline of curvature could be located at other relative angles to accommodate various snack piece shapes.
  • FIGS. 24-25 illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a piece, such as a snack piece 370, that can be packaged in the containers and is adapted to cooperate with container bottoms of the present invention.
  • the snack piece 370 includes a circularly cylindrically shaped inner concave surface 372 and a circularly cylindrically shaped outer convex surface 374. That is, the substantially triangular-shaped snack piece 370 can be formed with a concavity that conforms to the surface of a circular cylinder such that one edge 382 is curved while the other two edges 378, 380 remain substantially straight.
  • the outer convex surface 374 is defined as a radial distance "R 2 " from the center line of curvature 376.
  • the center line of curvature 376 is parallel with or intersects a bi-symmetrical plane 385 of the snack piece 370.
  • the bi-symmetrical plane 385 of the snack piece 370 contains the centers line of curvature 376, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25.
  • the curvature of the snack piece 370 may be designed such that the outer convex surface 374 has a radius "R 2 " similar or identical radius of curvature "R 2 " of the inwardly concave surface 344 of the bottom wall 342 of the container bottom 338 (See Figs. 20-21).
  • FIGS. 26-27 illustrate yet another exemplary embodiment of a piece, such as a snack piece 470, that can be packaged in the containers and is adapted to cooperate with container bottoms of the present invention.
  • the snack piece 470 may have a circularly cylindrically shaped inner concave surface 472 and a circularly cylindrically shaped outer convex surface 474. That is, the substantially triangular-shaped snack piece 470 can be formed with a concavity that conforms to the surface of a circular cylinder such that two edges 478, 480 are curved while the third edge 482 remains substantially straight.
  • the outer convex surface 474 is defined at a radial distance "R 3 " from the center line of curvature 476.
  • the center line of curvature 476 intersects a bi-symmetrical plane 484 of the snack piece 470. In still further embodiments, the center line of curvature 476 is perpendicular to the bi-symmetrical plane 484 of the snack piece 470.
  • the curvature of the snack piece 470 may be designed such that the outer convex surface 474 has a radius "R 3 " similar or identical radius of curvature as the radius of curvature "R 3 " of the inwardly concave surface 444 of the bottom wall 442 of the container bottom 438 (See FIGS. 22-23).
  • the method includes the steps of providing a container 30 defining an interior chamber 36 and comprising a bottom wall 42 including an inner surface 44.
  • the inner surface 44 is substantially planar while other embodiments provide a surface that is concave towards the interior chamber.
  • a stack of articles is also provided (e.g., see 70 generally in FIG. 3).
  • each of the articles have a substantially flat surface.
  • each of the articles of the stack of articles includes a convex surface 74 for engagement with the concave surface 44 of the bottom wall 42.
  • the articles 70 each comprise a thin piece with a convex surface 74 on one side and a concave surface 72 on the other side.
  • the method of loading further includes the step of inserting the stack of articles at least partially into the interior chamber until the leading article 71 of the stack of articles initially contacts the concave surface 44 of the bottom wall 42 at an initial contact point 43.
  • a leading surface portion of the convex surface 74 rather than an edge of the article, contacts the concave surface 44 of the bottom wall 42 at the contact point 43.
  • the curvature of the snack piece surface, especially the leading surface portion of a convex surface of the snack piece, and the surface of the bottom wall should be structured to facilitate reorienting the leading snack piece, and remaining snack pieces, in proper stacked alignment.
  • Snack pieces having planar surfaces may be reoriented when the bottom wall has a concave surface with a sufficiently small radius of curvature while a planar bottom wall may be effective to reorient a snack piece having a convex surface with a sufficiently small radius of curvature.
  • ABT Angle Between Tangent
  • the ABT is the angle between a tangent line of a curved surface of a snack piece at the initial contact point and the tangent line of the concave bottom surface at the initial contact point.
  • the ABT is the angle between the substantially planar surface of a substantially planar snack piece and the tangent line of the concave bottom surface at the initial contact point.
  • the ABT is the angle between a tangent line of a curved surface of a snack piece at the initial contact point and the substantially planar surface of a substantially planar bottom wall.
  • the ABT is the angle between the tangent line 73 of the convex surface 74 of the leading snack piece 71 at the contact point 43 and the tangent line 45 of the concave surface 44 at the contact point 43.
  • the ABT not greater than about 45°. In more particular embodiments, the ABT is not greater than about 35°. In still more particular embodiments, the ABT is not greater than about 25°. In further particular embodiments the ABT is not greater than about 15°.
  • the snack piece 70 can have a length "L 1 " of about 65 mm with a convex surface 74 having a radius of curvature of about 54 mm (i.e., the radius of curvature R 4 of the concave surface 72 plus the thickness of the snack piece 70).
  • the concave surface 44 of the bottom wall 42 can be designed with a radius of curvature R 1 of about 86 mm.
  • another exemplary snack piece 470 can have a length "L 2 " of about 55 mm with a convex surface having a radius R 3 of about 33 mm.
  • a snack piece having this radius of curvature could be loaded against a substantially flat bottom wall while maintaining the ABT between 24° and 28°.
  • the ABT is about 28°.
  • the bottom wall may have limited flexibility.
  • a bottom wall can comprise a membrane that will later act as a removable membrane lid of the container.
  • the membrane When the leading snack piece engages the membrane, the membrane may flex such that the membrane displays a curvature that substantially conforms to a sphere with a radius of about 200 mm at the point of contact. With this flexing of the membrane at the contact point, the resulting ABT can be reduced to about 24°.
  • the leading surface of a snack piece could also be designed with a sufficient radius, that might be different or the same as the radius of the other chip surfaces to provide a sufficient ABT for loading.
  • the maximum ABT angle permissible may change due to frictional forces between the chip and bottom wall. For example, the maximum ABT may need to be reduced when the coefficient of friction of the materials increases.
  • Loading of chips can be achieved with a variety of structures and/or processes.
  • a plunger, trough, or loading mechanism may be used to load articles.
  • the method of loading a plurality of pieces further comprises the step of reorienting the leading article 71 by forcing the leading article against the surface of the bottom wall (e.g. the concave surface 44 of the bottom wall 42).
  • a wide variety of methods could be used to force the leading article 71 against the bottom wall surface.
  • an actuator such as a plunger could be used to force the articles into the container.
  • a plurality of articles could be stacked on a trough wherein the trough and/or the container 30 are pivoted such that the force of gravity forces the stack including the leading article 71 such that the leading article 71 is forced against the surface of the bottom wall.
  • a trough could be lined up with the opening of the container with a plurality of articles located on the trough. The trough and container can be rotated together such that the articles slide into the container until they form the stack similar to the stack of articles in a container shown in FIG. 5.
  • the loading angle of the rotated container and trough should be sufficiently large to cause a sufficient article velocity but should be small enough to avoid excessive velocities that might otherwise crush or break one or more of the articles due to the impulse generated by colliding with the bottom wall.
  • the stack of articles could be inserted in the interior chamber and then the container 30 could be rotated with respect to the vertical direction to allow the force of gravity to move the stack of chips toward the bottom and force the leading chip 71 against the concave surface 44.
  • the leading article 71 may be forced against the concave surface by directly moving the stack or simply rotating the container to permit the force of gravity to move the stack.
  • the stack of articles could be inserted into the interior chamber 36 of the container such that the stack of articles is inserted in a substantially horizontal direction during at least a period of time when loading. This may likely occur if the container 30 is oriented in the horizontal position when receiving the articles.
  • the stack of articles could be inserted in a substantially non-horizontal direction during a period of time.
  • the container could be tipped to a loading angle when inserting the articles in a substantially non-horizontal direction. The loading angle would permit the chips to be loaded by sliding down into the container under the influence of gravity.
  • the load angle could be enlarged to increase the velocity of the chips as they are entering the container, thereby reducing the article loading time for each container.
  • the loading angle of the container could be decreased to reduce the velocity of the articles to an appropriate level to reduce article breakage that might otherwise occur as the leading chip impacts the bottom wall.
  • the loading angle of the container could be modified throughout or at least once while inserting the stack of articles in the container. For example, the container could be tipped at a large initial load angle to provide the chips with a larger initial velocity and then reduced to a final load angle before the leading chip experiences the impulse from contacting the bottom wall. Therefore, the loading time can be reduced while minimizing the impulse of the articles contacting the bottom wall.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Containers Having Bodies Formed In One Piece (AREA)
  • Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
  • Packaging Frangible Articles (AREA)
  • Container Filling Or Packaging Operations (AREA)
  • Thermally Insulated Containers For Foods (AREA)
  • Table Devices Or Equipment (AREA)

Claims (9)

  1. Im Wesentlichen dreieckig geformter Behälterboden (38) für einen Behälter (30) zur Verpackung von Knabbergebäckstücken, wobei der Behälterboden eine untere (42) Wand mit einer konvexen Außenfläche (48) und einer konkaven Innenfläche (44) aufweist, wobei die konkave Fläche durch eine Funktion y=f(x), rotiert um eine X-Achse, definiert ist, wobei die X-Achse parallel zu einer planar projizierten Grundfläche des Behälterbodens ist.
  2. Behälter (30) zur Verpackung von Knabbergebäckstücken, der Folgendes umfasst:
    a) einen Behälterkörper (34), der eine Innenkammer definiert; und
    b) einen im Wesentlichen dreieckig geformten Behälterboden (38), der am Behälterkörper befestigt ist, wobei der Behälterboden eine untere Wand (42) mit einer konvexen Außenfläche (48) und einer konkaven Innenfläche (44) einschließt, wobei die konkave Fläche durch eine Funktion y=f(x), rotiert um eine X-Achse, definiert ist, wobei die X-Achse parallel zu einer planar projizierten Grundfläche des Behälterbodens ist.
  3. Behälter nach Anspruch 2, wobei der Behälterboden (38) eine innere Wand (56), eine äußere Wand (58) und eine untere Wand (42) einschließt, die einen zentralen Oberflächenbereich (47) einschließt, wobei die innere Wand an der unteren Wand befestigt ist und wobei die äußere Wand am Behälterkörper (34) befestigt ist und wobei die innere Wand und die äußere Wand einen lateralen Hohlraum definieren, der mit der Innenkammer in Fluidverbindung steht.
  4. Behälter nach Anspruch 3, wobei der Behälterboden (38) eine geometrische Mittelachse (64) einschließt, die senkrecht zu einer planar projizierten Grundfläche des Behälterbodens und durch einen Schwerpunkt der Grundfläche verläuft, und wobei mindestens ein Teil (51) des lateralen Hohlraums (50) in einem größeren radialen Abstand von einer geometrischen Mittelachse entlang einer ersten radialen Linie, die senkrecht von der geometrischen Mittelachse ausgeht, zu einer geometrischen Mittelachse verläuft, der größer ist als ein maximaler radialer Abstand zwischen dem Behälterkörper (34) und der Mittelachse entlang einer zweiten radialen Linie parallel zur ersten radialen Linie.
  5. Behälter nach Anspruch 2, wobei der Behälterkörper (34) eine erste maximale Querschnittsbreite aufweist, die entlang einer imaginären Ebene genommen ist, die senkrecht zu einer geometrischen Mittelachse (64) ist, die senkrecht zu einer planar projizierten Grundfläche des Behälterbodens und durch einen Schwerpunkt der Grundfläche hindurch verläuft, und wobei der Behälterboden (38) eine zweite maximale Querschnittsbreite aufweist, die entlang einer anderen imaginären Ebene genommen ist, die senkrecht zur geometrischen Mittelachse ist, wobei die zweite maximale Querschnittsbreite größer ist als die erste maximale Querschnittsbreite.
  6. Behälter nach Anspruch 2, wobei ein Teil des Behälters im Wesentlichen dreieckig geformt ist.
  7. Behälter nach Anspruch 3, wobei der Behälterkörper (34) eine geometrische Mittelachse (64) einschließt, die senkrecht zu einer planar projizierten Grundfläche des Behälterbodens und durch einen Schwerpunkt der Grundfläche hindurch verläuft, eine maximale radiale Länge zwischen dem Behälterboden (34) und der geometrischen Mittelachse des Behälterkörpers in senkrechter Richtung zur geometrischen Mittelachse definiert ist, und wobei ein nach innen konkaver Abschnitt des zentralen Oberflächenbereichs (47) innerhalb von 85 % der maximalen radialen Länge ab der geometrischen Mittelachse angeordnet ist.
  8. Behälter nach Anspruch 7, wobei der nach innen konkave Abschnitt des zentralen Oberflächenbereichs (47) innerhalb von 25 % der maximalen radialen Länge ab der geometrischen Mittelachse (64) angeordnet ist.
  9. Kombination, die Folgendes umfasst:
    a) einen Behälter (30) zur Verpackung von Knabbergebäckstücken, der einen Behälterkörper (34), der eine Innenkammer definiert, und einen im Wesentlichen dreieckig geformten Behälterboden (38), der an dem Behälterkörper befestigt ist, einschließt, wobei der Behälterboden eine untere Wand (42) mit einer konvexen Außenfläche (48) und einer konkaven Innenfläche (44) einschließt, wobei die konkave Fläche durch eine Funktion y=f(x), rotiert um eine X-Achse, definiert ist, wobei die X-Achse parallel zu einer planar projizierten Grundfläche des Behälterbodens ist;
    b) eine Vielzahl von Knabbergebäckstücken (70), die ineinander geschachtelt in der Innenkammer des Behälters angeordnet sind, wobei die Knabbergebäckstücke angrenzend an den Behälterboden eine konvexe Oberfläche (74) aufweisen, die an der konkaven Oberfläche (72) des Behälterbodens anliegt.
EP01274042A 2000-11-13 2001-11-13 Behälterboden, Behälter und Behälter mit Chips Expired - Lifetime EP1335858B1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP07105587A EP1818259A3 (de) 2000-11-13 2001-11-13 Verfahren zum Befüllen eines Behälters mit Chips

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

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US24834000P 2000-11-13 2000-11-13
US24810300P 2000-11-13 2000-11-13
US248103P 2000-11-13
US248340P 2000-11-13
PCT/US2001/047052 WO2002098744A2 (en) 2000-11-13 2001-11-13 Container bottom, container and methos of loading a plurality of articles in a container

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EP07105587A Division EP1818259A3 (de) 2000-11-13 2001-11-13 Verfahren zum Befüllen eines Behälters mit Chips

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EP1335858A2 EP1335858A2 (de) 2003-08-20
EP1335858B1 true EP1335858B1 (de) 2007-05-02

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JP (1) JP2004520242A (de)
CN (1) CN1474767A (de)
AT (1) ATE361235T1 (de)
AU (1) AU2001297836A1 (de)
BR (1) BR0115251A (de)
CA (1) CA2424756A1 (de)
DE (1) DE60128255T2 (de)
MX (1) MXPA03004201A (de)
WO (1) WO2002098744A2 (de)

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7451870B2 (en) 2006-02-06 2008-11-18 Zimmer Dental, Inc. Medical implant package with a cap having a cavity
AU2009355809B2 (en) * 2009-11-25 2013-05-09 Pringles S.A.R.L. Packaged food product
JP5240313B2 (ja) * 2011-03-30 2013-07-17 サーモス株式会社 飲料用容器の栓体
RU2673621C1 (ru) * 2015-02-03 2018-11-28 Компани Жервэ Данон Пластмассовый стакан с тонкой внешней оболочкой и упаковка для пищевых продуктов, содержащая такие стаканы
US9700397B2 (en) 2015-11-30 2017-07-11 Metal Industries Research & Development Centre Implant carrier, mixing pot, and implant carrier assembly

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US1887162A (en) * 1932-01-25 1932-11-08 Lorber Charles Method and means for packaging biscuit dough
DE1181121B (de) * 1959-12-22 1964-11-05 Alfred Boenecke Kunststoffbehaelter mit aufsetzbarem Deckel
US3240331A (en) * 1965-02-01 1966-03-15 Maryland Baking Co Inc Package for fragile articles
US3272383A (en) * 1965-07-08 1966-09-13 Harvey Aluminum Inc One-piece extruded container for canning
US4036926A (en) * 1975-06-16 1977-07-19 Owens-Illinois, Inc. Method for blow molding a container having a concave bottom
US4525401A (en) * 1979-11-30 1985-06-25 The Continental Group, Inc. Plastic container with internal rib reinforced bottom
US5128157A (en) * 1987-12-09 1992-07-07 Ruiz Mark R Fragile food product package
US5062542A (en) * 1989-12-13 1991-11-05 City Of Hope Easy-open and reclosable container

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CN1474767A (zh) 2004-02-11
JP2004520242A (ja) 2004-07-08
AU2001297836A1 (en) 2002-12-16
DE60128255D1 (de) 2007-06-14
ATE361235T1 (de) 2007-05-15
BR0115251A (pt) 2004-01-06
WO2002098744A2 (en) 2002-12-12
WO2002098744A3 (en) 2003-05-30
DE60128255T2 (de) 2008-01-03
EP1335858A2 (de) 2003-08-20
MXPA03004201A (es) 2003-09-22
CA2424756A1 (en) 2002-12-12

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