EP2540638A2 - Nestable packaging containers - Google Patents

Abstract

The container (1) has a lid (2) which is fixed at upper edge portion. A running skirt portion (3) is provided with lower skirt portion (4) in which a handle (10) is fixed. An anti-rotation lock (13) formed in circumferential direction of side wall (12) is provided in the abutment edge with respect to downward direction of contact area. The container is made of plastic material.

Description

The present invention relates to a packaging container comprising a lid and a container to be covered with this for storing preferably hot fillable food, in particular a food packaging made of plastic, preferably with an attached to a side wall extending skirt tamper evident closure comprising at least one tamper-evident, wherein the Container having a limited by the side wall receiving space and designed as a clamping or slip lid cover is secured to the upper edge of the container, and wherein the container has a rotation lock, such that a plurality of containers in the stack before filling in the circumferential position can be fixed.

Known on the market packaging containers have anti-rotation locks, which are in the form of vertically oriented webs or ribs, which form in the container edge down further webs in the circumferential direction stops. The stop prevents rotation of the containers, in particular round buckets, in the stack. A disadvantage with the ribs or webs is that they can be made small to avoid handling interfering and sometimes sharp edges. With increasingly higher cycle times in production increasingly larger forces act on the containers, so that the ribs and webs are often not designed stable enough. This makes an alternative formation of anti-rotation locks necessary.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to develop the subject matter of the preamble of claim 1 to the effect that an exact alignment of the lid and container for filling process is ensured and the filling process is made safer with regard to the handling of the containers.

The object is achieved by an article according to claim 1, the filling itself is formed in an object according to claim 13 beyond safe.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the dependent on these claims dependent claims and the following description.

According to the invention, it is provided that the at least one anti-rotation lock of the container is formed by an offset running in the direction of a footprint in its side wall and having two abutment edges in the circumferential direction. By a concomitant waiver of rib-like anti-rotation locks are in particular designed as a round bucket container, which in a plan view from above have substantially a round shape, better secured than known containers against rotation in the stack.

An offset that may be formed as a bulge or bulge of the sidewall is more stable, and preferably in the upper container area, i. in the upper third of the container, arranged. There, the container in the edge area anyway formed particularly stable, so that even at higher forces in the stack no rotation of the buckets against each other. As a result of inwardly or outwardly formed offsets, a nesting thereof is not impaired in the case of conical or downwardly tapered containers.

Preferably, a container according to the invention comprises a container which comprises two rotational locks, in particular opposite one another on the circumference, and is thus doubly secured.

Preferably, the anti-rotation lock of a packaging container according to the invention is formed by a bulge of the side wall, i. an outer side of the anti-rotation part of the container is further away from a longitudinal central axis of the container than a part surrounding the rotation of the side wall. It is advantageous that at the same time the container interior is increased.

The anti-rotation lock can run upwards in an outwardly flared area of the side wall, so that on the one hand a harmonious transition produced in the upper edge region, on the other hand, additional space is still provided in the upper tank area. At the same time, the upwardly flared edge may serve to stack the container. By such broadening, the stack height can be reduced, which can result in a lower formation of the anti-rotation lock in a direction vertical to the lower footprint. Stacked or nested is preferably supported by supported on an upper sealing rim webs or ribs of the next container.

At the same time is ensured by the leakage of the rotation lock upwards in the issued area that exists on the inside of the side wall extending at a height above the anti-rotation line, which represents the inside investment area of a clamping lid. The tightness of the pot by outwardly Asked areas is thus not affected.

Preferably, the anti-rotation device does not run out at its lower end in a point, but forms a shoulder with an edge extending parallel to a lower contact plane. This may possibly serve as a stack edge. In connection with a further stacking edge or as a substitute for such a placement in a stack is thus simplified before filling.

Advantageously, in an embodiment of the container as in particular round bucket with a handle attached to two handle attachments the rotation lock viewed in the circumferential direction next to a handle approach arranged. This allows during a stacking in stacks by the handle on the container acting forces are directly compensated without it to a force, which are forwarded along the circumference comes. In addition, the rotation lock can thus be partially obscured.

In particular, a packaging container according to the invention has a container with at least two turnstiles on opposite sides.

The outside of the rotation lock can be formed upwardly parallel to a truncated cone enclosing side wall of the rest of the container.

Advantageously, the lid has a lid-side anti-rotation device, such that a plurality of lids in the stack can be fixed in the circumferential position prior to filling. Thus, alignment of the lid and container are improved.

Preferably, the lid-side anti-rotation device is formed by a located in the outer edge of the container and with respect to the other outer edge upwardly offset region with lateral locking edges. The region is also preferably outwardly displaced, i. and can also be used as a fixing aid or for positioning rods, which are arranged laterally of the stack.

Locking edges of the lid-side anti-rotation device are inclined in a front view in particular to each other and the lid-side anti-rotation device has upper and lower Plant edges whose vertical distance corresponds in particular to a stack height of the lid. Nesting when stacking the lid of the container is thus not hindered. In a stacking position, the latching or contact edges of the lid lock against each other.

The twist lock of the lid, which is designed in particular as a clamping or as slip lid, has in particular a grip tab, which can be covered in a closed position of the container or container after filling and before first opening by a consumer of a tamper-evident originality closure. This against the other lid edge outward tab serves the improved detachment of the lid from the container and at the same time positioning and alignment of the lid stack before filling. The overall orientation of the packaging container comprising container and lid and including any labels to be applied or attached is thus improved. Any labels or labels to be placed on the container can be better positioned.

The tamper-evident flap, which can be connected to its border via at least one break-off approach, is preferably arranged circumferentially centrally between two anti-rotation locks. By such a symmetrical appearance of the packaging container, the coordinated arrangement of labels is simplified.

The lid of a container according to the invention preferably has a bulge arranged in the lid mirror or bulge, which serves as a positioning aid for a label to be arranged on a cover label and thus improves the alignment of the same relative to the container and the lid. Such a bulge can be, for example, a region of the inner lid edge engaging in an asymmetry of an otherwise circular label.

Preferably, the bulge is arranged next to the grip tab viewed along the circumference, so that the alignment of the individual parts of the packaging container is improved, in particular in interaction with a symmetrical, arranged between two anti-rotation tamper evident flap.

The filling of a packaging container according to the invention or of a container according to the preamble of claim 1 is particularly improved in hot-fillable food with temperatures above 40 °, preferably up to at least 100 °, when the container bottom preferably closed in the radial direction viewed from a longitudinal center axis to the outside has at least two by a raised relative to the lower footprint high range separate Aufstandselemente. These need not be completely encircling trained but in the circumferential direction at regular intervals for a secure state of the container. On the one hand, they serve to stably set up the container, on the other hand, however, causes the in a vertical section, for example, wavy training of the soil profile in this increased Elasticity. The container bottom can be moved improved inward or outward, which may result from the filling with hot or cold food and concomitant material changes in the bottling. The floor mirror can in particular move outwards or inwards, for example, toward the geometric center of the container, or expand. Due to the material additionally introduced into the container bottom due to the raised area, movements of the container bottom during hot filling of the container according to the invention do not directly affect the side wall, so that it is exposed to lower fluctuations due to filling with heated material.

Optimum adaptability while maintaining a stable floor is achieved when the two footprints are circular in plan view, i. the outer side wall is parallel rings in the container bottom. These are formed in vertical section together at least substantially undulating and go from lower, rounded contact areas over in a middle, also rounded high area.

The inner riot element preferably goes to the middle in a slightly rising plateau above or in a center toward rising lid level, in which in particular an in-mold label can be introduced.

Based on a large number of experiments, it has been found that it is sufficient for filling with hot foods between 50 ° C and 90 ° C, if only in the outer edge region of a soil uprising elements are arranged and seen in a plan view, the footprint and the high area cover less than half the area of the container bottom. Inwardly, a sufficiently large in-mold label can then be arranged with the arrangement of the waves towards the side edge.

The profiling of the bottom side can also be used to form anti-rotation locks, wherein in the ground then downwardly tapered and circumferentially limited areas are arranged.

Preferably, the upper and in particular sealable container edge with the adjacent side wall and the outer skirt of an N-shaped profile, wherein the two legs of the N-shaped profile can be connected to each other via support ribs. In particular, with a widening of the receiving space arranged in the upper area of the side wall, such a bucket can be provided both with an upturned and also with a clamping lid, the width being at least 2 mm, preferably 2.5, for a rim which can be hot-sealed with a foil mm to 3.5 mm. The container according to the invention can thus be provided with multifunctional clamping as well as with slip lid, wherein the upper edge region corresponding stiffening ribs in sufficient number, which may be formed shorter in the region of a possibly present tamper-evident flap.

A tamper evident flap is preferably attached to the outside of the n-shaped profile, so that viewed in a vertical section of the container edge in the region of Originality closure comparatively complex but very stable with three walls (tamper evident, two legs of the n-shaped profile) is constructed.

The tamper-evident flap is delimited laterally by two edge tabs facing upwardly from the further outer edge of the container, which are located farther outward than the adjacent regions of the tamper-evident flap with respect to a longitudinal central axis of the container, which are additionally protected accordingly. These two edge tabs can also be used as anti-rotation, stacking aids or centering and thus also serve the alignment of container and lid to each other.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht des erfindungsgemäßen Gegenstands,

Fig. 2

eine teilweise Vorderansicht des Gegenstands nach Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

den Gegenstand entlang A-A nach Fig. 2,

Fig. 4

den Ausschnitt X nach Fig. 3,

Fig. 5

den Gegenstand nach Fig. 2 in einer Stapelansicht,

Fig. 6

den Gegenstand gemäß Fig. 5 entlang D-D,

Fig. 7

einen Deckel eines erfindungsgemäßen Gegenstands in einer Draufsicht,

Fig. 8

den Gegenstand nach Fig. 7 in einer Vorderansicht,

Fig. 9

Gegenstand nach Fig. 8 in einer Stapelansicht,

Fig. 10

einen Vertikalschnitt durch den Gegenstand gemäß Fig. 2, gegenüber der Ansicht nach Fig. 2 verdreht um eine Längsmittelachse.

Further advantages and details of the invention can be taken from the following description of the figures. In the schematic figures of the figures shows:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of the subject invention,

Fig. 2

a partial front view of the object after Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3

move the object along AA Fig. 2 .

Fig. 4

the section X after Fig. 3 .

Fig. 5

the object after Fig. 2 in a stack view,

Fig. 6

the object according to Fig. 5 along DD,

Fig. 7

a lid of an article according to the invention in a plan view,

Fig. 8

the object after Fig. 7 in a front view,

Fig. 9

Subject to Fig. 8 in a stack view,

Fig. 10

a vertical section through the article according to Fig. 2 , versus the view Fig. 2 twisted about a longitudinal central axis.

Equal or similar parts are - if appropriate - provided with identical reference numbers. Individual technical features of the exemplary embodiments described below can also lead to developments of the invention with the features of the above-described embodiments.

The article according to the invention comprises Fig. 1 a container 1 with a lid 2. The container 1 is used for storage of hot fillable foods such as red groats. At an upper edge of the container and running around it, a skirt 3 is arranged, which is formed by a lower skirt portion 4 and a not visible in the figure upper apron area. At the lower apron area 4 a tamper-evident closure with a tamper-evident flap 6 is arranged, which has predetermined breaking projections 7 the bordering area of the skirt 4 is connected. The tamper evident 6 concealed in the Fig. 1 a grip tab of the lid 2.

The lid 2 comprises an outer edge region 8, over which the lid is clamped on the upper apron area of the container 1. Since the container 1 at the same time also has an upper container rim 26 which can be used as a sealing edge, the lid 2 designed as a clamping lid is provided with a correspondingly wide upper edge 9. About a handle 11, the lid can be worn.

The container 1 has a limited by a side wall 12 receiving space, which merges into a not visible bottom. Furthermore, the container in the circumferential direction at the level of Henkelansätze 10 two anti-rotation 13, one of which in the Fig. 1 is visible. These are in each case in the side wall 12 of the container 1 downwards in the direction of a footprint tapered and two abutment edges having offsets of the side wall 12th

Both in a cover mirror 14 and in the side wall 12, an in-mold label can be arranged or on the cover mirror 14 and the side wall 12, a label can be glued.

The anti-rotation locks 13 are (recognizable in FIG Fig. 2 ) offset from an outer edge contour 16 of the remaining container side wall 12 away from a lying in the sectional plane AA longitudinal central axis 17 to the outside. The twist locks 13 are formed by bulges. In the bottom area of the in Fig. 2 shown container is a part of a footprint forming, circular riot element 18 can be seen. Not visible in the figure and offset inwards towards the longitudinal center axis 17, a further circular riot element is present.

The underside of the riot element 18 is located in a perpendicular from the plane of the figure Fig. 2 outstanding footprint 19.

The lower skirt portion 4 has a lower, running at a height edge 21, with which the container 1 can be supported in a filling plant on a corresponding insert. In addition, the lower skirt portion 4 is provided with two edge tabs 22 which are outwardly away from the longitudinal center axis 17 and thus protect the hatched further inwardly hatched edge portions of the tamper-evident tab 6. However, a skirt area is not necessarily designed to be hanging down, it may also extend upwards from its connection to the further container.

An upper apron area 23 is provided with a clamping profile 24 for holding a clamping cover and merges on the upper side into a sealing edge 26 (cf. Fig. 3 ).

The sectional view according to Fig. 3 shows inter alia an interior view of the side wall 12. This is exhibited in a region 27 to the outside, so that the anti-rotation 13 in the separated by the line 28 top 29 of the inner side wall 12out expires. In this area runs a line not shown, on which a terminal cover can be supported.

12 in the upper region of the container is formed by the inner leg representing part 29 of the side wall 12, by the two apron areas 4 and 23 as outer leg and the sealing edge 26. The upper part 29 of the side wall 12 and the outer leg of the profile is stabilized by webs 31 and 32. The webs 32 in the region of the tamper-evident flap are slightly smaller than the webs 31. Nevertheless, the upper edge of the seal, about 3 mm wide, is provided with a wall thickness of about 0.6 mm.

A shoulder 33 parallel to a lower contact surface 19 serves for the attachment of the tamper-evident tab 6, which thus displaces further outwards relative to the outer limb of the profile ( Fig. 3 ).

The rotation lock 13 forms at its lower end a paragraph or kink with a parallel to the lower support level 19 edge 34. In the circumferential direction, the rotation lock 13 comprises two abutment edges 35, in the direction of the lower footprint 19, ie downwards and in the projection of the figure Fig. 3 converge.

An article according to the preamble of claim 1 may according to Fig. 4 have two riot elements 36 which are separated by a high area 37 from each other. The areas 36 and 37 taken together are approximately undulating formed, but this is not, for example, exactly cosine or sinusoidal waves. Rather, the lower rounded portions 36 and the upper also rounded portion 37 are separated by cross-sectionally straight portions. By so in the outer edge region of the bottom 38 additional material, the soil can be extended without affecting the wall 12 upwards or downwards.

The stacking of two containers takes place according to the view Fig. 5 via the ribs or webs 31 running between the two limbs of the n-shaped edge region. Here, the sealing edge 26 is used as a contact surface for ribs 31. Of the Fig. 5 It can also be seen that the anti-rotation locks 13 are formed by protrusions that are turned outwards and that merge into the uppermost side edge 29.

According to the Fig. 6 form the abutment edges 35 fuses against twisting in the stack, since the anti-rotation locks in the stack partially intermesh.

The lid after Fig. 7 has a gripping tab 41 which is associated in the circumferential direction with a bulge arranged in the cover mirror or protuberance 42 on the inwardly directed side of the edge 9 of the lid. Viewed in the circumferential direction, the protuberance is thus arranged next to the grip tab. As a result, a label provided with a recess 42 corresponding to the recess 42 can be arranged in the cover mirror 14. This is then aligned with the bulge 42 and corresponding to the handle 41. Together with one Such a design of a container according to the invention leads to a symmetrical arrangement of lid and container including the associated label or labels in the circumferential direction directly between the two attachment points 10 arranged originality tab.

The grip tab 41 is covered in the closed position of the container after filling and before the first opening of the tamper evident 6. For this purpose, the tamper-evident flap 6 is exposed to the outside.

The container in turn has a lid-side anti-rotation lock 43, the lateral locking edges 44 includes, which cooperate with inner edges 46 of another lid in the stack. The lid-side anti-rotation lock can be formed both over a downwardly and upwardly offset edge region of an outer edge 47 of the lid. In the present case, this is an upwardly offset region 43. Just as the lateral abutment edges 35 of the container-side anti-rotation device, the edges 46 and 44 of the lid-side anti-rotation device 43 are inclined to each other.

The nesting of two covers 2 with their respective rotation locks 43 is the Fig. 9 once more illustrated. The distances of the upper and lower edges 48 and 49 correspond to the distance then thus also the stack height of the lid.

Claims (18)

Packaging container comprising a lid (2) and a container (1) for storing preferably hot-fillable foodstuffs, in particular food packaging made of plastic, preferably having a tamper-evident flap (6) arranged on a skirt (3) running on a side wall (12). The tamper-evident closure, wherein the container (1) has a receiving space bounded by the side wall (12) and the lid (2) designed as a clamping or slip lid can be fixed to the upper container edge, and wherein the container (1) has a rotation lock (13) in that a plurality of the containers (1) in the stack can be fixed in the circumferential position before filling, characterized in that the at least one anti-rotation lock (13) of the container (1) by a in its side wall (12) downwards in the direction of Contact surface (19) tapering and circumferentially two abutment edges (35) having offset is formed. Packaging container according to claim 1, characterized in that the anti-rotation lock (13) is formed by a bulge of the side wall (12) to the outside. Packaging container according to claim 2, characterized in that the anti-rotation lock (13) terminates at the top in an outwardly issued region (29) of the side wall (12). Packaging container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the anti-rotation lock (13) at its lower end a shoulder with a parallel to a lower support level (19) edge (34) is formed. Packaging container according to one of the preceding claims in a design as a bucket with a handle (11) attached to two handle extensions (10), characterized in that the anti-rotation lock (13) is arranged next to a handle extension (10) viewed in the circumferential direction. Packaging container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover (2) has a lid-side anti-rotation lock (43), such that a plurality of lids (2) in the stack can be fixed in the circumferential position before filling. Packaging container according to claim 6, characterized in that the lid-side anti-rotation lock (43) by a in the outer edge (8) of the lid (2) located and opposite the other outer edge upwardly offset area with lateral locking edges (44,46) is formed. Packaging container according to claim 7, characterized in that the latching edges (44,46) are inclined in a front view to each other and the lid-side anti-rotation lock (43) upper and lower abutment edges (48,49) whose vertical distance in particular a stack height of the lid (2 ) corresponds. Packaging container according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the lid-side anti-rotation device (43) has a gripping tab (41) which is covered in a closed position of the container after filling and before first opening by a consumer of the tamper-evident flap (6). Packaging container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (2) has a protuberance (42) arranged in the lid mirror (14) as a positioning aid for a label to be arranged on a lid mirror (14). Packaging container according to claim 9 and claim 10, characterized in that the protuberance (42) viewed along the circumference is arranged next to the gripping tab. Packaging container according to the preamble of claim 1 and in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a particular closed container bottom (38) in the radial direction at least two by a relative to the footprint (19) raised high range (37) separate riot elements (36) , Packaging container according to claim 12, characterized in that the uprising elements (36) are preferably formed in a circular plan view in a plan view. Packaging container according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that viewed in vertical section, the two rearing elements (36) and the high region (37) are formed at least substantially together wave-shaped. Packaging container according to claim 14, characterized in that viewed in a plan view, the rearing elements (36) and the high area (37) cover less than half the area of the container bottom (38) and / or the raised high area (37) as (further) anti-rotation device is trained. Packaging container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper and in particular sealable container edge (26) with the adjacent side wall (12) and the outer skirt forms an N-shaped profile, wherein the two legs (29) of the N-shaped profile via support ribs (31,32) are interconnected. Packaging container according to claim 16, characterized in that the tamper-evident flap (6) is attached to the outside of the n-shaped profile. Packaging container according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the tamper-evident flap (6) is delimited laterally by two edge tabs (22) facing upwards from the further outer edge of the container (1), which are located further outward with respect to a longitudinal central axis (17) of the container are as the adjacent regions of the tamper-evident flap (6).

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