EP2540638B1 - Nestable packaging containers - Google Patents

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 lid on the upper container edge is fixed, and wherein the container has a rotation lock, such that a plurality of containers in the stack before filling in the circumferential direction 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.

In the DE 20 2008 007986 U1 is a relatively small trained, two-part twist lock disclosed in the same as in the DE 79 21 524 U1 Webs can intervene in a spaced therefrom arranged grooves of the further packaging container.

In the US 2011/0031152 A1 is shown a non-circular container. A twist lock is not revealed. Also in the WO 2008/095483 A2 , which discloses the features of the preamble of claim 1, twist locks are formed from two different, spaced apart on the container elements.

The US 5,072,850 A also discloses an anti-rotation device, which is formed from two different elements. An anti-rotation is in the WO 2006/085835 A1 not disclosed, but this prior art shows cuboidal objects having indentations of the sidewalls for better gripping.

In the EP 1 254 842 A1 the rotation is again formed from two different, spaced from the container elements.

The WO 2007/084892 A2 describes an alignment aid and a closure mechanism for interconnecting a plurality of lids in a stack.

The FR 2 619 791 revealed similar to the GB 2340824 A Bumps in the mirror surface of a lid, which serve to stiffen the lid and / or to prevent rotation when stacking.

The DE 100 38 386 A1 discloses a rotation lock, which is formed in two parts in the skirt of a container age.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to develop the subject matter of the preamble of claim 1 to the effect that a secure alignment of the lid and container for the labeling and / or filling process is ensured.

The object is achieved by an article according to claim 1.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the dependent on this claim subclaims 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, wherein the abutment edges converge toward one another in the direction of the footprint. By a concomitant waiver of rib-like anti-rotation locks are 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 inventive offset formed as a 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. Outsets formed to the outside do not affect the nesting of conical or downwardly tapered containers.

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.

Preferably, a container according to the invention has a container, which comprises two rotationally opposite, in particular opposite, anti-rotation locks, and is thus doubly secured. 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 abutment 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 direction before 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 is particularly improved in hot fillable food with temperatures above 40 °, preferably up to at least 100 °, improved when the container bottom preferably closed from the longitudinal center axis outwardly at least two viewed in the radial direction by a respect to the lower footprint raised High range has separate riot elements. 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 may in particular be directed outwards or inwards, e.g. towards the geometric center of the container, moving or expanding. 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, and are accordingly additionally protected. 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.

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 edge 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 container 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 anti-rotation locks 13 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.

That according to the Fig. 10 In approximately N-shaped profile in the upper region of the container is formed by the inner leg representing part 29 of the side wall 12, through 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 Profils is stabilized via 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 (17)

1. Packaging container comprising a lid (2) and a receptacle (1) for storing preferably hot fillable foods, in particular food packaging made of plastics material, preferably having a tamper-evident closure which has a tamper-evident tab (6) and is arranged on a skirt (3) which extends from a side wall (12), the receptacle (1) having a receiving chamber which is delimited by the side wall (12), and it being possible for the lid (2), formed as a snap-on or slip-on lid, to be secured on the upper edge of the receptacle, and the receptacle (1) having an anti-twist lock (13) such that a plurality of the receptacles (1) formed as round tubs can be fastened together in the circumferential direction in a stack prior to filling, characterised in that the at least one anti-twist lock (13) of the receptacle (1) is formed by an offset which extends downwards in the side wall (12) thereof towards a contact surface (19) and has two contact edges (35) in the circumferential direction, the anti-twist lock (13) being formed as an outward projection in the side wall (12) and the contact edges (35) extending so as to taper towards one another in the direction of the contact surface (19).
2. Packaging container according to claim 1, characterised in that the anti-twist lock (13) widens upwards into an outwardly flared region (29) of the side wall (12).
3. Packaging container according to either of the preceding claims, characterised in that the anti-twist lock (13), at its lower end, forms a shoulder having an edge (34) which is parallel to a lower contact surface (19).
4. Packaging container according to any of the preceding claims, said container being designed as a tub having a handle (11) which is fastened to two handle connectors (10), characterised in that the anti-twist lock (13), when viewed in the circumferential direction, is arranged next to a handle connector (10).
5. Packaging container according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lid (2) has a lid-side anti-twist lock (43), such that a plurality of lids (2) may be fixed in the circumferential direction in the stack prior to filling.
6. Packaging container according to claim 5, characterised in that the lid-side anti-twist lock (43) is formed by a region which is located in the outer edge (8) of the lid (2), is upwardly offset relative to the rest of the outer edge and has lateral locking edges (44, 46).
7. Packaging container according to claim 6, characterised in that the locking edges (44, 46) are inclined towards one another in a front view, and the lid-side anti-twist lock (43) has upper and lower contact edges (48, 49), the vertical spacing of which corresponds in particular to a stacking height of the lid (2).
8. Packaging container according to any of claims 5 to 7, characterised in that the lid-side anti-twist lock (43) has a gripping tab (41) which, in a closed position of the container, is covered by a tamper-evident tab (6) after filling and before the first opening by a consumer.
9. Packaging container according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lid (2) has a protuberance (42) which is arranged in the lid surface (14) and acts as a positioning aid for a label to be placed on a lid surface (14).
10. Packaging container according to claim 8 and claim 9, characterised in that the protuberance (42), viewed around the circumference, is arranged next to the gripping tab.
11. Packaging container according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a receptacle base (38), which is in particular closed, has in the radial direction at least two contact elements (36) which are separated by an elevated region (37) which is raised relative to the contact surface (19).
12. Packaging container according to claim 11, characterised in that, when viewed in plan view, the contact elements (36) are preferably formed so as to be completely circular.
13. Packaging container according to either claim 11 or claim 12, characterised in that, when viewed in vertical section, the two contact elements (36) and the elevated region (37) together are at least substantially undulating.
14. Packaging container according to claim 13, characterised in that, when viewed in plan view, the contact elements (36) and the elevated region (37) cover less than half of the surface area of the container base (38) and/or the raised elevated region (37) is designed as an (additional) anti-twist lock.
15. Packaging container according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the upper, and in particular sealable, container edge (26) having the adjoining side wall (12) and an outer skirt forms an n-shaped profile, the two legs (29) of the n-shaped profile being connected to one another via support ribs (31, 32).
16. Packaging container according to claim 15, characterised in that a tamper-evident tab (6) is attached to the outside of the n-shaped profile.
17. Packaging container according to either claim 15 or claim 16, characterised in that a tamper-evident tab (6) is laterally delimited by two edge lugs (22), pointing upwards from the remaining outer edge of the receptacle (1), which lugs are located farther out, relative to a longitudinal centre axis (17) of the receptacle, than the adjacent regions of the tamper-evident tab (6).

Images