EP2636608A1

EP2636608A1 - Container

Info

Publication number: EP2636608A1
Application number: EP13157754.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Steve King
Original assignee: Alexir Packaging Ltd
Current assignee: Alexir Packaging Ltd
Priority date: 2012-03-05
Filing date: 2013-03-05
Publication date: 2013-09-11
Also published as: GB201222876D0; GB2502391A; GB2502391B; GB201203795D0

Abstract

A re-closable container comprising a tray (21, 21') and a lid (23, 23'), wherein the tray (21, 21') comprises at least one stiffening member (9, 9') and the lid (21, 21') comprises a peripheral channel (25, 25') having at least one protrusion (27, 31, 37a, 39) protruding into the channel (25, 25') and configured to hold the rim of the tray (21, 21') within the peripheral channel (25, 25').

Description

The present invention relates to a container, particularly a disposable container to contain food and drink products. The container can be conveniently formed from a flat blank into a three-dimensional container to be sealed with a lid.
Existing disposable containers for food and drink products include cardboard trays which are sealed with a plastic film. The plastic film is heat-sealed or sealed with adhesive to the opening of the cardboard tray and can be peeled away by a user to access the contents of the tray. However, once the film has been removed it is not possible to re-seal the tray with the plastics film. It is inconvenient for a user to have to decant the food contents into a separate container for storage and this often leads to the contents being thrown away.
Some disposable containers, for example used for "take away" food, such as salads and sushi, comprise a cardboard tray covered with a loose fitting plastic lid. The lid rests on the tray and the container is sealed by use of a further adhesive label/seal or cardboard/paper loop which passes around the container and the lid. However, such containers are difficult to pack and fill because of the additional step to add the label/loop necessary to hold the lid in place over the tray. This adds to the complexity, cost and time of packing/filling the container. Furthermore, once the user has removed the adhesive or loop seal it is not possible to re-seal the tray to preserve the contents.
The present invention sets out to provide a re-closable container which alleviates the problems described above by providing a container which can be securely closed with a removable lid.
In one aspect, the invention provides a re-closable container comprising a tray and a lid, wherein the tray comprises at least one stiffening member and the lid comprises a peripheral channel having at least one protrusion protruding into the channel and configured to hold the rim of the tray within the peripheral channel.
By providing one or more stiffening members around the rim of the container, the periphery of the container is better-suited to mate securely with a lid. The protrusion/s within the peripheral channel ensure that the tray is held firmly within the lid and this eliminates the need to provide any further securing means to hold the lid in place. Thus, the container can be easily and securely re-closed.
Preferably, the container comprises at least one stiffening member on at least two opposing sides of the tray.
Preferably, the container comprises two stiffening members, one on each of two opposing sides of the tray.
Preferably, the at least one stiffening member comprises at least one flange folded outwardly against the adjacent wall of the tray.
As a result of forming the stiffening member by folding back a flange against the tray, the time and complexity of manufacture is reduced. The tray of the present invention can be folded into its three-dimensional form, ready to receive a lid, in a single step.
Preferably, the or each stiffening member is secured by adhesive at each of its ends to the adjacent wall of the tray.
Preferably, the or each stiffening member bows away from the adjacent wall of the tray to which it is secured.
By bowing or curving away from the adjacent wall of the tray, the stiffening element is forced against the wall of the peripheral channel of the lid when the tray is inserted into the lid. This ensures a very firm friction-fit between the tray and the lid.
Optionally, the at least one stiffening member is secured at one or more corners of the tray.
Preferably, the container further comprises at least one notch near or adjacent to the opening of the tray.
Notches provided near or adjacent to the opening of the container, allow the container to "clip-fit" with the or each protrusion within the peripheral channel of the lid.
Optionally, each corner of the tray is shaped to protrude above the rim of the tray.
Preferably, each corner of the tray is inwardly sloping towards the base of the tray.
By shaping the corners of the tray to protrude and/or to slope inwardly towards the base of the container, the corners of the container can mate with suitable recesses in the lid to provide a secure fit.
Preferably, the peripheral channel of the lid of the container is sloped inwardly towards the base of the container.
Despite the increased complexity of manufacture, the inward slope at the or each corner of the lid provides for a much improved gripping action and friction fit between the channel of the lid and the tray received therein.
Optionally, the or each protrusion protruding into the peripheral channel of the lid is hemispherical.
Preferably, the or each protrusion protruding into the peripheral channel is rectangular.
Protrusions into the peripheral channel of the lid reduce the width of the channel and increase the friction-fit between the channel and the rim of a tray received therein.
Preferably, the lid further comprises at least one locking tab protruding into the peripheral channel.
More preferably, each corner of the lid comprises at least one locking tab.
Locking tabs/recesses at the corners and spaced around the peripheral channel of the lid are configured to mate with corresponding recesses/notches around the rim of the container which are received into the lid. The mating tabs and notches provide a "clip-fit" between the container and the lid. The "clip-fit" allows for the container to be conveniently and securely sealed and re-sealed. The "clip-fit" also provides a user with a tactile indication that the lid is secured in position.
Preferably, the peripheral channel of the lid narrows towards the centre of each of its walls.
More preferably, the inner wall of the peripheral channel of the lid is curved.
By narrowing towards the centre of each of its walls, the peripheral channel of the lid firmly grips the tray which is received therein.
For the purposes of clarity and a concise description, features are described herein as part of the same or separate embodiments; however it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention may include embodiments having combinations of all or some of the features described.
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a the blank from which the tray of the container is constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tray of Figure 1 folded into three-dimensional form;
Figure 3 is a plan view from above of a lid of the container constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the corner of the lid, marked A and shown in Figure 3;
Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner of the lid shown in Figure 3;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a tray of a container constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 7 is a view from below of a lid of the container of Figure 6 constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 8 is a view from above of a lid of the container of Figure 6 constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the blank 1 of the pre-formed tray comprises a rectangular base 3; two opposing longer side walls 5 and two opposing shorter side walls 7. It is envisaged that in alternative embodiments the tray has a square base, but this rectangular embodiment is shown by way of example only. The base 3 shown in Figure 1 has length 195mm and width 105mm and the blank is made of cardboard. Each of the side walls 5, 7 is substantially trapezoidal in shape. The longer side walls 5 further comprise a stiffening strip 9 and a flange 11 used to glue the tray in its three-dimensional form. Each stiffening strip 9 has a glue spot 13 proximal to each of its ends, where an adhesive is applied prior to forming the tray into its three-dimensional form. Each stiffening strip 9 also has a notch 15 at each of its ends and a central notch 15 half way along its length. The shorter trapezoidal side walls 7 comprise areas 17 at each of their ends to which adhesive is applied prior to forming the tray into its three-dimensional form.
To manufacture the tray 21, the blank shown in Figure 1 is fed through a gluing machine where adhesive is applied to the adhesive areas 17 on the outer face of the shorter side walls 5 and to the glue spots 13 on the stiffening strips 9. The tray 21 is then folded by a nesting machine into its three-dimensional form, as shown in Figure 2. The flanges 11 at each end of the longer side walls 5 wrap around the corners of the tray 21 and are held by adhesive 17 to the outer face of each shorter side wall 7.
Referring to Figure 2, the container has four side walls, 5, 7, sloping outwardly from the base 3. A stiffening strip 9 is folded outwardly and held against each of the longer side walls 5. The outward folding of the stiffening strips 9 along the length of and parallel to the longer side walls 5 is achieved by the folding of the tray 21 in a nesting machine in a single operation. The stiffening strip 9 effectively doubles the thickness of the upper part of the longer side walls 5 around the rim of the tray 21 to reinforce and stiffen the tray 21 along the length of the walls 5, such that the tray 21 is ready to receive a lid. Each stiffening strip 9 extends around the corners of the tray 21 to create two opposing "protruding horns" 19 at the rim of the tray 21 on either side of the shorter side walls 7. The horns 19 are triangular and protrude to a height of around 7mm above the rim of the shorter side walls 7. The notches 15 at each corner and half way along each stiffening strip 9 are exposed on the outer face of the folded tray 21.
Referring to Figure 3, a plastic moulded lid 23 is configured to friction-fit or "clip-fit" to the tray of Figure 2. The rectangular lid 23 is vacuum-formed and moulded and comprises an upstanding channel 25 running around its periphery. Hemispherical indentations 27 protrude into the channel 25 causing a narrowing of the channel 25. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, a hemispherical protrusion 27 is positioned half-way along each side of the lid 23. It is envisaged that the number, positioning and spacing of the protrusions can be varied according to the shape of the container and how securely the lid is to be held in place. Referring to Figure 4, each corner 29 of the lid 23 is squared off to form a diagonal at each corner 29. Each corner 29 comprises a shaped protrusion whereby the peripheral channel 25 is deeper at each corner 29. The corners 29 are also shaped/"cut back" to slope inwardly towards the base of the lid 23. As shown in Figure 5, each corner 29 has a locking tab 31, which protrudes into the channel 25. A further protruding locking tab 31 is positioned half-way along each of the longer sides of the lid 21. The locking tabs 31 protrude inwardly into the channel 25.
When the tray 21 has been filled, for example, with food such as salad or sushi, the lid 23 is placed over the rim of the tray. The rim of the tray 21, including the double thickness of the longer walls 5 formed by the stiffening strips 9, is received within the peripheral channel 25. The protruding horns 19 at each corner of the tray 21 are received within the deeper shaped protrusions at each corner of the lid 29. The narrowing of the peripheral channel caused by the hemispherical protrusions holds the tray 21 firmly within the lid 23. The locking tabs 31 mate with correspondingly positioned notches 15 at each corner and half way along each stiffening strip 9 of the tray 21. The locking tabs 31 create a "clip-fit" between the lid 23 and the tray 21 ensuring a secure connection and also provide a tactile indication to a user that the lid is held in place. By flexing the lid 23 to release the tabs 31 from the notches 15, the lid 23 can be easily removed from the tray 21. When required, the lid 23 can then be replaced onto the tray 21 to "clip-fit" the notches 15 and locking tabs 31 back together to re-seal the container.
Referring to Figure 6, in a second embodiment of the invention, a cardboard blank is folded into its three-dimensional form as previously described. The three-dimensional container 21' comprises four trapezoidal side walls 5', 7', sloping outwardly from a base 3'. A stiffening strip 9' is folded outwardly towards each of the longer side walls 5'. The stiffening strip 9' is held against the respective side wall 5' by adhesive applied at glue spots 13' at the ends of each of the stiffening strip 9'. The positioning of the glue spots 13' causes each stiffening strip 9' to bow away from the respective side wall 5' to which it is attached. The stiffening strip 9' reinforces the rim of the tray 21' and provides a secure fit to a lid, as described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. The end of each stiffening strip 9' is trapezoidal with each edge running along the adjacent corner of the tray 21. Each stiffening strip 9' has a central trapezoidal notch 15', cut away from the strip 9', which is exposed after the stiffening strip 9' is folded towards the respective side wall 5'.
Referring to Figures 7 and 8, in a second embodiment of the invention a plastic moulded lid 23' is configured to friction-fit or "clip-fit" to the tray 21' shown in Figure 6. As previously described, the substantially rectangular lid 23' is vacuum-formed and moulded and comprises an upstanding peripheral channel 25'. As shown in Figure 7, the lid 23' has two longer straight walls 33 and two shorter, curved walls 35. The peripheral channel 25' running around the lid 23' is wider at the corners 37 of the lid 23'. Each inner wall 33a, 35a of the peripheral channel 25' is curved such that the peripheral channel narrows towards the centre of each wall 33, 35.
Referring to Figure 7, mid-way along the peripheral channel 25' of each of the longer side walls 33' are two locking tabs 39, which protrude inwardly into the channel 25'.
Referring to Figure 8, each corner 37 of the lid 23' is squared off to form a diagonal across the corner 37. The corner 37 is also sloped inwardly or "stepped in" towards the base of the lid 23'. The inward slope of each corner 37 forms a protrusion 37a protruding inwardly into the peripheral channel 25' so that the channel 25' narrows at each corner 37 of the lid.
When the tray 21' of the second embodiment has been filled, the lid 23' is placed over the rim of the tray 21'. The rim of the tray 21', which includes the double thickness of the bowed stiffening strips 9', is received within the peripheral channel 25' of the lid 23'. The bowing/curve of each of the stiffening strips 9' ensures that the tray 21' is securely held within the lid 23' by forcing the stiffening strips 9' against the outer wall of the peripheral channel 25'. The narrow central portion of the peripheral channel 25' and the protruding locking tabs 39 grip the side walls and the stiffening strips 5', 9' of the tray 21' to create a secure friction fit between the tray 21' and the lid 23'. The corners of the tray 21' are also firmly held by the "stepped in" protrusions at the corners of the lid 37.
The above described embodiment has been given by way of example only, and the skilled reader will naturally appreciate that many variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims

A re-closable container comprising a tray (21, 21') and a lid (23, 23'), wherein the tray (21, 21') comprises at least one stiffening member (9, 9') and the lid (23, 23') comprises a peripheral channel (25, 25') having at least one protrusion (27, 31, 37a, 39) protruding into the peripheral channel (25, 25') and configured to hold the rim (21, 21') of the tray within the peripheral channel (25, 25').
A re-closable container according to claim 1 comprising at least one stiffening member (9, 9') on at least two opposing sides of the tray (21, 21').
A re-closable container according to claim 2 wherein the tray (21, 21') comprises two stiffening members (9, 9'), one on each of two opposing sides of the tray (21, 21').
A re-closable container according to any preceding claim wherein the at least one stiffening member (9, 9') comprises at least one flange (9, 9') folded outwardly against the adjacent wall (5, 5') of the tray (21, 21').
A re-closable container according to any preceding claim wherein the or each stiffening member (9, 9') is secured by adhesive (13, 13') at each of its ends to the adjacent wall (5, 5') of the tray (21, 21').
A re-closable container according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the or each stiffening member (9, 9') bows away from the adjacent wall (5, 5') of the tray (21, 21') to which it is secured.
A re-closable container according to any preceding claim wherein the at least one stiffening member (9, 9') is secured at one or more corners of the tray (21, 21').
A re-closable container according to any preceding claim comprising at least one notch (15, 15') near or adjacent to the opening of the tray (21, 21').
A re-closable container according to any preceding claim wherein each corner (19) of the tray (21) is shaped to protrude above the rim of the tray (21).
A re-closable container according to any preceding claim wherein each corner (19) of the tray (21) is inwardly sloping towards the base (3) of the tray (21).
A re-closable container according to any preceding claim wherein the peripheral channel (25, 25') of the lid (23, 23') is sloped inwardly towards the base (3, 3') of the container.
A re-closable container according to any preceding claim wherein the or each protrusion (27, 31, 37a, 39) protruding into the peripheral channel (25, 25') of the lid (23, 23') is hemispherical.
A re-closable container according to any of claims 1 to 11 wherein the or each protrusion (27, 31, 37a, 39) protruding into the peripheral channel (25, 25') of the lid (23, 23') is rectangular.
A re-closable container according to any preceding claim wherein the peripheral channel (25') of the lid (23') narrows towards the centre of each of its walls (33, 35).
A re-closable container according to any preceding claim wherein the or each inner wall (33a, 35a) of the peripheral channel (25') of the lid (23') is curved.