EP1923332A1 - Emballage comprenant des fenêtres - Google Patents

Emballage comprenant des fenêtres Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1923332A1
EP1923332A1 EP06023604A EP06023604A EP1923332A1 EP 1923332 A1 EP1923332 A1 EP 1923332A1 EP 06023604 A EP06023604 A EP 06023604A EP 06023604 A EP06023604 A EP 06023604A EP 1923332 A1 EP1923332 A1 EP 1923332A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cover part
top surface
portions
unit according
unit
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP06023604A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Nick Buckley
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.)
Brodrene Hartmann AS
Original Assignee
Brodrene Hartmann AS
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 Brodrene Hartmann AS filed Critical Brodrene Hartmann AS
Priority to EP06023604A priority Critical patent/EP1923332A1/fr
Publication of EP1923332A1 publication Critical patent/EP1923332A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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
    • B65D85/30—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for articles particularly sensitive to damage by shock or pressure
    • B65D85/32—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for articles particularly sensitive to damage by shock or pressure for eggs
    • B65D85/324—Containers with compartments made of pressed material

Definitions

  • the invention relates generally to packages for fragile products, such as eggs, where the package is made of an opaque material such as moulded pulp and particularly to such packages provided with means allowing visual inspection of the contents of the package and at the same time providing large substantially planar surfaces on the package upon which information may be provided, for instance by means of labels.
  • Packages for fragile products are often made by moulding of an opaque material such as pulp, which yields strong and durable packages well suited to contain and protect such fragile products.
  • packages are formed as an integral unit comprising a bottom part provided with a number of compartments for accommodating the articles and a cover part connected to the bottom part by means of a flexible hinge portion.
  • WO 03/086905 A1 describes a package for eggs comprising portions on the cover part of the package, the shape of which resembles the shape of corresponding portions of the eggs contained in the package. This gives a clear visual indication of the content of the package no matter from which direction the package is being viewed, also in cases where a lot of packages are stacked for instance in a retail shop.
  • said egg-shaped portions on the cover part are still made of the same opaque material as the remainder of the package (and are in fact an integral part of the package) and hence a customer/consumer does not have the possibility of visual inspection of the eggs in the package without having to open the package.
  • the applicant's own prior European patent application EP 1 683 740 A1 describes a package for eggs comprising both said egg shaped portions on the cover part and a centrally located window portion provided in the top surface of the cover part and extending longitudinally throughout substantially the entire length of the package.
  • This window portion Is provided with a number of apertures, through which portions of the outer surface of the eggs in the package can be seen.
  • the centrally located window portion the top surface of the cover part is subdivided into three sub-surfaces: the central window portion and a - substantially planar - side portion on either side of the window portion.
  • two separate labels, one at either side of the window portion must be provided.
  • a packaging unit where a label may be attached to the top surface of the cover part of the unit extending all the way from the front edge portion to the rear edge portion of the unit and, if desired, even over at least portions of the front and rear surfaces of the cover part of the unit.
  • said means for visual inspection comprises one or more windows or apertures provided in chosen window portions of the cover part.
  • window portions could potentially weaken the cover part and it is hence a further object of the present invention to provide window portions of a sufficiently strong structure to prevent or reduce said weakening effect of window portions on the cover part and still be able to keep the window portions as large as possible, in order to be able to see the largest possible portions of the articles contained in the package.
  • said window portions are provided on the package in such a manner that relatively large, unbroken surface areas are left on the package despite the presence of the window portions.
  • Such relatively large areas could as mentioned for instance be used for providing the package with informative text or graphics by means of labels attached to the package, although such text or graphics might also be provided directly on said areas.
  • window portion refers to the whole portion of the package which comprises both at least one opening or aperture through the wall of the package as well as the whole structure used for instance to separate a number of such apertures from another and to provide strength to the window portion.
  • a window portion is generally a three-dimensional structure comprising suitable apertures, although planar, i.e. two dimensional window portions could also in principle be envisaged.
  • a display and distribution packaging unit (which could be used for eggs, although other applications would also be possible), which is made of an opaque material, e.g. moulded pulp and which comprises:
  • window portions only extend over portions of some of the compartments in each of rows (R1, R2, ...) of compartments, although they may extend over portions of all of the compartments according to specific embodiments of the invention.
  • the window portions there is thus provided one or more relatively large, unbroken surface areas on the top surface of the cover part, upon which area for instance a label can be provided, as also exemplified in the detailed description of the invention.
  • the cover part with labelling means that may cover the major part of the top surface of the cover part - and, if desirable, also the front and/or rear surface of the cover part - by placement of a single label on the chosen portions of the cover part, without this single label interfering with the window portions of the cover part.
  • the window portion comprises one or more apertures through the top surface of the cover part.
  • the window portion can either be planar and substantially flush with the top surface or could comprise a more complex 3-dimensional structure, for instance extending from the top surface and a certain distance into the interior of the unit.
  • suitable design of the structure of the window portion it is possible to add additional strength and rigidity to the unit compared with a unit comprising a planar top surface or to provide increased strength and rigidity to the window portion itself.
  • the window portions comprise a number of apertures through which portions of the outer surfaces of at least two adjacent eggs are visible from outside. These apertures are separated from each other by intermediate support structures to be described in more detail in the detailed description of the invention.
  • the support structures increase the rigidity and stability of the portions of the package, in which window portions are provided, thus keeping the rigidity and stability of these portions sufficiently high despite the provision of the apertures through the wall of the package. It is desirable that the apertures of each given window portion be made as large as possible in order to allow for visual inspection of the largest possible portion of the outer surfaces of the eggs and hence that the dimensions of the support structures be made as limited as possible.
  • the dual objective is attained that portions of a relatively large number of the eggs contained in the package is in fact visible despite the fact that large unbroken surfaces, for instance for application of labels on the cover part of the unit, are still provided.
  • the package comprises large unbroken surfaces upon which informative or decorative graphic material can be placed.
  • An example of means of providing such material on the package would be by means of labels, although other means would also be possible.
  • labels can be provided across the top surface of the cover part, from its front surface to its rear surface without interfering with window portions provided in the top surface of the cover part.
  • the interaction between the support structures provided between the apertures in the window portions and the pillar posts provided internally of the package in the bottom part increases the vertical rigidity of the top surface of the cover part substantially, resulting in a better protection of the contents of the package and also tends to prevent sideways slip of the cover part relative to the bottom part, when the package is in the closed condition.
  • FIG 1 there is shown a display and distribution packaging unit according to a specific embodiment of the invention generally referred to by reference numeral 1.
  • This embodiment comprises three longitudinally extending rows, designated by R1, R2 and R3, respectively, each containing five compartments 4 in the bottom part 2 to accommodate eggs. It is, however, understood that other embodiments of the invention could comprise different numbers of rows and compartments without deviating from the display and distribution package according to the present invention.
  • the specific embodiment of the invention shown in figure 1 comprises a bottom part 2 and a cover part 3 connected to each other by means of a hinge portion 21.
  • the bottom part 2 comprises a number of compartments 4 shaped in accordance with the intended contents of the package, in the shown embodiment eggs.
  • the bottom part is furthermore provided with a number of upstanding pillar posts 18 with top surfaces 18', as It appears most clearly from figure 6.
  • the cover part 3 comprises egg-shaped portions 8 formed on substantially planar end faces 9 of the cover part 3.
  • the cover part 3 furthermore comprises a top surface 7, which is preferably substantively planar, and front and rear surfaces 5 and 6, respectively.
  • the cover part 3 is furthermore provided with window portions generally designated by 13, said window portions comprising a number of apertures 14 for visual inspection of the contents of the packaging unit. More details of the shapes and functions of the apertures 14 will be given below.
  • the window portions 13 could be flush with the top surface 7 of the cover part 3 but according to a preferred embodiment, the window portion 13 is surrounded by a vertical rim portion 22 connecting the top surface 7 with support structures 15, 16, 17 of the window portion, which support structures thus in this embodiment will be located below the level of the top surface 7.
  • the window portions 13 according to the embodiment of the invention shown in figures 1, 2 and 3 comprise a number of suitably shaped apertures 14 for visual inspection of the contents of the packaging unit. These apertures 14 are located on either side of said support structures 15, 16, 17, where a central portion 17 of the support structure is in alignment with and resting against the top surfaces 18' of the pillar posts 18 provided in the bottom part 2 (as shown in more detail in figure 6, where the packaging unit is shown in a open condition), when the packaging unit is in a closed condition.
  • the bottom parts 17' of the central portions 17 can be provided with studs for engagement with similarly shaped holes 20 or indentations formed in the top surface 18' of the pillar posts 18.
  • the inverse, i.e. studs on the top surfaces 18' and holes/indentations in the bottom part of the central portions 17, is of course also possible.
  • Each of said support structures 15, 16, 17 comprises brace members 16 preferably in the form of arched members extending from the centre portions 17 to the top surface 7 of the cover part 3.
  • These brace members 16 serve the important function of increasing the rigidity and overall strength of the window portion as such and thereby also of the cover part as a whole. Due to the engagement between the lower surface 17' of the recesses 17 and the corresponding recesses 20 in the upper face 18' of the pillar posts 18, the dimensions of the support structures 15, 16, 17 can be kept limited, hence making relatively large apertures 14 for inspection of the contents of the packaging unit possible.
  • bracing members 16 form 3-dimensional beam structures connecting the support structures 15, 17 and the vertical rim portion 22 of the window portions 13 and comprise arched upper surfaces extending entirely up to the level of the top surface 7 of the cover part 3.
  • the vertical rim portion 22 tends to increase the rigidity of the top surface of the cover part and hence to reduce depression of the top surface 7 when this surface is subjected to a downward force.
  • FIGS 2 through 5 Different specific embodiments of the invention are shown in figures 2 through 5, these figures showing the top surface 7 of the cover part 3 provided with various numbers, sizes and placements of window portions 13 according to the overall concept of the invention.
  • FIG 2 there is thus shown a plane view from above of the embodiment of the invention shown in figure 1.
  • This embodiment comprises two window portions 13, one substantially at either longitudinal end of the top surface 7 of the cover part 3.
  • Each of the window portions 13 according to this embodiment extends laterally over the top surface 7, i.e. substantially in parallel with the end faces 9 of the cover part 3, and makes at least portions of the outer surfaces of twelve of the eggs out of the total of fifteen eggs in the packaging unit visible.
  • a relatively large central region 7' of the top surface 7 of the cover part 3 is still left unbroken, for the possible provision of a label, as shown in the following in figures 8 through 14.
  • the three rows of compartments 4 (these compartments not being visible in figures 2 through 5) are indicated by reference characters R1, R2 and R3, respectively, and the longitudinal extension of the packaging unit is indicated by L.
  • FIG. 3 there is shown a plane view from above of a second embodiment of the invention.
  • two window portions 13 are provided in the top surface 7 of the cover part 3, each window portion 13 extending longitudinally over approximately half of the entire longitudinal extension of the top surface of the cover part.
  • One window portion extends transversally over portions of the compartments of the first row R1 and the adjacent second row R2, respectively, whereas the other window portion extends transversally over portions of the compartments of the second row R2 and the third row, R3, respectively.
  • One single label an example being schematically indicated by the broken line 22 in figure 3, can still be provided from the front surface 5 to the rear surface 6 of the cover part 3, according to the example shown by the broken line 22 covering at least the two areas 7" and 7"' of the top surface 7 of the cover part.
  • One single label may even be extended to cover substantially the whole top surface 7 except for the two window portions 13, i.e. also the areas 7 IV and 7 V in figure 3.
  • FIG 4 there is shown a plane view from above of a third embodiment of the invention.
  • This embodiment comprises a total of four relatively small window portions 13, each showing portions of the outer surfaces of four eggs, two of which are placed in a given one of the rows of compartments R1, R2, R3 and the other two placed in an adjacent row.
  • Two of the four window portions are according to this specific embodiment provided adjacent to one of the end faces 9 and the other two window portions are provided adjacent to the other end face 9 of the cover part.
  • the series of two apertures 14 of each of the window portions 13 extend longitudinally with a single support structure 15, 16, 17 interposed between the two apertures. Out of a total of fifteen eggs contained in the packaging unit, portions of the outer surface of twelve of these are visible through the window portions.
  • FIG 5 there is shown a plane view from above of a fourth embodiment of the invention.
  • This embodiment is substantially similar to the one shown in figure 4,except for the series of apertures 14 of the window portions 13 extending laterally at either longitudinal end of the top surface 7 of the cover part.
  • twelve of the fifteen eggs in the packaging unit are partially visible through the apertures 14 of the window portions 13 in this embodiment.
  • FIG 6 there is shown a perspective view of the embodiment of the invention shown in figure 1 shown in an open state and showing internal support structures and details of the window portions.
  • the bottom surface of the support structures i.e. the internal surface of the support structures, when the packaging unit is in a closed condition, comprises as mentioned above stud members or protrusions 17' for engagement with similarly shaped holes 20 or indentations formed in the top surface 18' of the pillar posts 18.
  • the inverse, i.e. studs or protrusions on the top surfaces 18' and holes/indentations in the bottom part of the central portions 17, is of course also possible.
  • FIGS 8(a), (b) and (c) there are shown plane views from above of embodiments of the invention comprising three rows, each of six, five and three compartments, respectively. Also the above mentioned central region 7' extending throughout the top surface of the cover part from the front surface 5 to the rear surface 6 appears from the figure.
  • the embodiment shown in figure 8(c) comprises only one window portion, whereas the embodiments shown in figures 8(a) and (b) comprise two window portions at either longitudinal end of the top surface 7 of the cover part.
  • the three embodiments shown in figures 8(a), (b) and (c) comprise substantially rectangular window portions, but it is understood that also other shapes of the window portions, as for instance those shown in figures 9 and 11, could be used.
  • figures 9, 10 and 11 show plane views of three alternative embodiments of the invention comprising alternatively shaped window portion 13.
  • figure 9 shows window portions provided with rounded corner portions 22 corresponding to the embodiment shown in figure 1, where the rounded edge portions 22 face inwardly towards the central region of the top surface 7.
  • Figure 10 shows substantially rectangular window portions 13 and figure 11 shows window portions with substantially semi-circular end portions 23 of the window portions 13. It is understood that other shapes of the window portions than those shown in figures 9, 10 and 11 could also be envisaged, at that also such shapes would fall within the scope of the present invention.
EP06023604A 2006-11-14 2006-11-14 Emballage comprenant des fenêtres Withdrawn EP1923332A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP06023604A EP1923332A1 (fr) 2006-11-14 2006-11-14 Emballage comprenant des fenêtres

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP06023604A EP1923332A1 (fr) 2006-11-14 2006-11-14 Emballage comprenant des fenêtres

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1923332A1 true EP1923332A1 (fr) 2008-05-21

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EP06023604A Withdrawn EP1923332A1 (fr) 2006-11-14 2006-11-14 Emballage comprenant des fenêtres

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Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2013038337A3 (fr) * 2011-09-13 2013-06-20 Brødrene Hartmann A/S Emballage de présentation et de distribution pour oeufs
WO2013164664A1 (fr) * 2012-05-03 2013-11-07 Brødrene Hartmann A/S Emballage d'œufs
US9682811B2 (en) 2012-08-21 2017-06-20 Brødrene Hartmann A/S Package for eggs and method for manufacturing said package

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3489270A (en) * 1967-09-15 1970-01-13 Diamond Int Corp Plastic container
US3865299A (en) * 1974-02-12 1975-02-11 Keyes Fibre Co Egg carton with flexible window well
GB2131399A (en) * 1981-09-29 1984-06-20 Diamond Int Corp Moulded egg cartons
DE9013925U1 (fr) * 1989-10-06 1990-12-06 Thermopac S.A., Freiburg/Fribourg, Ch

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3489270A (en) * 1967-09-15 1970-01-13 Diamond Int Corp Plastic container
US3865299A (en) * 1974-02-12 1975-02-11 Keyes Fibre Co Egg carton with flexible window well
GB2131399A (en) * 1981-09-29 1984-06-20 Diamond Int Corp Moulded egg cartons
DE9013925U1 (fr) * 1989-10-06 1990-12-06 Thermopac S.A., Freiburg/Fribourg, Ch

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2013038337A3 (fr) * 2011-09-13 2013-06-20 Brødrene Hartmann A/S Emballage de présentation et de distribution pour oeufs
EP2755901B1 (fr) 2011-09-13 2018-02-21 Brødrene Hartmann A/S Emballage de présentation et de distribution pour oeufs
US10000332B2 (en) 2011-09-13 2018-06-19 Brødrene Hartmann A/S Display and distribution package for eggs
WO2013164664A1 (fr) * 2012-05-03 2013-11-07 Brødrene Hartmann A/S Emballage d'œufs
US9650204B2 (en) 2012-05-03 2017-05-16 Brødrene Hartmann A/S Egg package
EP3251973A2 (fr) 2012-05-03 2017-12-06 Brødrene Hartmann A/S Emballage pour oeufs
EP3251973B1 (fr) * 2012-05-03 2020-07-08 Brødrene Hartmann A/S Procédé de fabrication d'un emballage pour oeufs
US9682811B2 (en) 2012-08-21 2017-06-20 Brødrene Hartmann A/S Package for eggs and method for manufacturing said package

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