EP3700825B1

EP3700825B1 - Packaging

Info

Publication number: EP3700825B1
Application number: EP18797056.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Glenn Mitchell
Original assignee: Smurfit Kappa UK Ltd
Current assignee: Smurfit Kappa UK Ltd
Priority date: 2017-10-26
Filing date: 2018-10-26
Publication date: 2023-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 2038-10-26
Also published as: GB201717655D0; WO2019081943A1; GB2567852A; EP3700825A1; GB2567852B

Description

The present invention relates to packaging, in particular to point-of-sale packaging, more particularly to retail-ready packaging (RRP) and shelf-ready packaging (SRP) in which individual products to be sold in a retail store are displayed on store shelves in the packaging in which the products are shipped to the store, without the products being decanted from the shipping packaging to the shelves by store staff. Such packaging is typically in the form of six-sided carton which is substantially open to the front and to the top to allow easy removal of products from the carton.
Packaging of this type can be manufactured from a range of materials, generically referred to as cardboard, depending principally upon the size, number and/or weight of the products to be packaged. Typically, the packaging will be manufactured from a corrugated fibreboard, often having a high-quality outer sheet suitable for high quality printing. The present invention is equally suitable for all types of packaging material, including corrugated cardboard, solid board and carton board, for example, and including both materials made from paper or pulp and those manufactured from synthetic materials such as sheet polymeric plastics materials. For ease of description, we will refer hereinafter to all these materials generically using the terms board or cardboard.
Conventionally, such packaging comprises a base container, which serves to retain the individual products, and a lid, to provide additional rigidity to the packaging for transit. The lid is removed prior to placing the packaging on the shelf. The lid may be formed integrally with the packaging forming the base, with perforations allowing removal of the lid. However, such an arrangement leaves an untidy edge to the cardboard and, with less than careful removal of the lid can cause damage to the base, potentially affecting both the structural performance and the appearance of the container on the shelf. One such packaging is disclosed in GB 2 439 064 , in which the lid may be removed or rotated to form a header.
An alternative construction, avoiding the problems of a perforated lid, is to provide an entirely separate lid formed, typically, of a sheet of cardboard having a central portion, which overlies the top of the base, with flaps which tuck into the front and rear panels of the base, to retain the lid in place, and optionally also having side flaps to tuck between the side walls of the carton and the products within the carton. Whilst providing an excellent solution, the construction is somewhat costly, in that a product manufacturer must maintain stocks of both the base and of the lid, and it is rather time-consuming to fold the lid to the correct shape and insert it between the walls of the carton and the products. One such arrangement is disclosed in DE 44 12 095 .
FR 2 843 943 describes a cardboard crate of the type used for transporting and displaying produce such as fruit and vegetables. The crate includes horizontal side flaps which provide support for a crate placed above. Produce is removed from the crate from above.
Accordingly, there is a need for packaging which addresses the problems with current packaging designs.
In its broadest sense, the present invention provides packaging formed of a board material and comprising a base, a front panel, a left side panel, a right side panel and a rear panel, wherein the front, left side, right side and rear panels extend upwardly from the base, the front panel at least partially adjoins the left side and right side panels, and wherein the rear panel joins the left side and right side panels; wherein the left side panel, the right side panel and the rear panel are each formed with a respective flap extending upwardly therefrom, wherein each flap is foldably connected to its respective panel and wherein the flaps of the left side, rear and right side panels are joined to form a continuous flap or rim; wherein the rear panel flap includes a fold line extending into the flap in a direction away from each corner adjacent the point at which the rear panel flap contacts the rear panel, a respective side panel and a respective side panel flap; wherein the packaging is assembled such that the left side panel flap and the right side panel flap are folded inwardly by about 90° towards each other and the rear panel flap is reverse or outwardly folded by about 180° and attached to or locked into the rear panel; and wherein at least an upper portion of the front panel is substantially open, defines an opening to the packaging and includes a wall to retain, in use, products within the packaging; and wherein the rear panel flap includes a tab or tongue and wherein the rear panel is provided with a slot adapted to receive the tab or tongue; such that the tab or tongue is received by the slot to attach the rear panel flap to the rear panel.
Preferably, the fold line extends into the rear panel flap at an angle of about 45° to the respective corner.
Preferably, the front panel comprises at least a left side portion and/or a right side portion connected respectively to the left side panel and/or the right side panel.
Preferably, the left side portion and/or right side portion extend upwardly from the base by a height less than the height of the respective left side panel and/or right side panel.
Preferably, the front panel further comprises an intermediate portion joining the left side portion and the right side portion.
Preferably, the intermediate portion has a lower height then the height of the left side portion and/or right side portion.
Preferably, the base is formed as a crash-lock base, more preferably as an automatic, glued crash lock base.
Preferably, a width of the front panel and a width of the rear panel are substantially the same; and wherein a width of the left side panel flap and of the right side panel flap is less than half the width of the front and rear panels.
Preferably, the width of each of the left and right side panel flaps is between about one fifth and about one third of the width of the front and rear panels.
Suitably, the packaging is formed from paperboard, preferably a corrugated paperboard.
The present invention also provides a blank for packaging as defined above. The blank comprises a sheet material which comprises a plurality of fold lines and cut lines arranged so that the blank is foldable into the packaging; wherein the blank comprises: i) a front panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, a rear panel and a glue flap for joining the rear panel to one of the side panels; ii) a closure flap associated with each of the front, side and rear panels, the closure flaps forming a base to the assembled packaging; iii) a side flange member formed integrally with each of the side panels at an upper, as viewed in use, edge thereof and divided therefrom by a respective side flange fold line; iv) a rear flange member formed integrally with the rear panel at an upper, as viewed in use, edge thereof and divided therefrom by a rear flange fold line; v) a rear flange member glue flap for joining the rear flange member to a side flange member; wherein: vi) the front panel includes at least an upper portion which is substantially open and defines, in the assembled packaging, an opening to the packaging and includes a wall to retain, in use, products within the packaging; and vii) the side flange members are formed to be foldable inwardly in assembly of the packaging and the rear flange member is formed to be foldable outwardly in assembly of the packaging box to form a tab; and viii) wherein the rear panel of the blank is formed with a cut line for receipt, in assembly of the packaging packaging, of the tab formed by the rear flange member.
Preferably, the side flange members of the blank have a width which is less than half a width of the front and rear panels.
Preferably, the width of each of the left and right side panel flaps of the blank is between about one fifth and about one third of the width of the front and rear panels.
Preferably, the blank is formed from paperboard, more preferably a corrugated paperboard.
The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of packaging in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the packaging of Figure 1; and
Figure 3 is a plan view of a blank for the packaging of Figures 1 and 2.

References to left, right, rear, upper and base are with respect to an assembled packaging carton as it would be placed, in its normal use, on a shelf of a retail store.
Referring initially to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown an embodiment of packaging 10 in accordance with the present invention. The packaging 10 is generally conventional in appearance, formed as a box or carton having a base 11, a front panel 12, a rear panel 13, side panels 14, 15 and a top panel 16. Front panel 12 is substantially open, at least in its upper portion, such that products within the box can be seen by customers when the carton is on a shelf at a retail store whilst also being easily removable from the carton. The front panel 12 includes a front wall 20 to retain the products within the carton.
As shown, preferably, the front wall 20 includes a side portion 21 to each side of a central portion 22, which side portions 21 extend upwardly from the base to a greater degree than does the central portion. This arrangement provides side support to products within the carton whilst minimising the obscuring impact of the front wall 20, allowing product labels to be more visible.
The carton is of a generally conventional construction, as shown in Figure 3, which shows the cardboard blank 21 from which the carton is formed. The lines shown between adjacent portions of the carton are all fold lines. The present invention is particularly concerned with the top panel 16 of the carton. The blank 21 has the front panel 12, side panels 14,15 and rear panel 13 aligned adjacently and a side flap or glue lap 22 is provided to the rear panel 13 to be coupled by gluing to the adjacent side panel 15 in an entirely conventional manner. The base 11 is formed, in the embodiment shown, by four base flaps 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, each formed as a flap with an adjacent front, side or rear panel. The base 11 of the carton can be of any suitable construction such as, in the embodiment shown, as an automatic glued crash lock base, in which the four base flaps automatically come together as the flattened packaging supplied to the product manufacturer is formed into its carton configuration, and lock in place to secure the base.
The top of the carton, with which the present invention is particularly concerned, with now be described in further detail. As will be appreciated from Figure 3, in the assembled carton, the top of the carton is formed with ledge flaps 23a, 23b, 23c extending from, and thereby associated respectively with, upper edges of the left and right side panels 14,15 and rear panel 13 and, following gluing of side flap 22 to side panel 15, form a U-shape about the upper edge of the carton around the sides and rear.
Left and right side panel ledge flaps 23a, 23b are dimensioned to each have a width which is less than half the width of the front and rear panels 12,13 such that, when folded inwardly into a horizontal position, the flaps oppose each other with a space therebetween. In preferred embodiments, the width of each of the left and right side panel ledge flaps 23a, 23b is between about one third and about one fifth of the width of the front and rear panels. Such a ratio has been determined to provide a good balance between providing rigidity to the packaging whilst allowing ready consumer-access to products within the packaging.
Rear ledge flap 23c is formed with a central tongue 24 projecting therefrom, either by extending tongue or tab 24 outwardly from the body of rear ledge flap 23c or, as shown, by recessing adjacent portions of the edge of rear ledge flap 23c.
Rear ledge flap 23c, associated with the rear panel 13 of the carton, is provided with a line of weakness or fold line 25 extending at an angle of 45° into rear ledge flap 23c from each corner defined by the junction between rear ledge flap 23c and rear panel 13. Counterintuitively, fold lines 25 allow the rear ledge flap 23c to be folded outwardly (with respect to the interior of the carton). Rather than inwardly as would be conventionally expected. In assembling the carton from its flattened configuration as supplied by the carton manufacturer to its assembled configuration for use by the product manufacturer, rear ledge flap 23c is folded outwardly and over until tongue 24 engages a corresponding elongate cut or slot 30 formed in the rear panel 13.
Rear ledge flap 23c may have substantially any width sufficient to form a sufficiently rigid flap. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, conveniently, for efficient cutting of the material from which the packaging is made, the width of rear ledge flap 23c is the same as the width of side ledge flaps 23a, 23b.
By this construction and its counterintuitive folding direction, side ledge flaps 23a, 23b form side ledges to the carton which provide additional rigidity to the carton and provide ledges on which a subsequent carton can be placed, both for transit and store display purposes.
In the embodiment shown, the packaging further includes an aperture 31 formed at each of the two corners formed at the junction between rear ledge flap 23c and rear panel 13. The apertures have the effect of making folding of rear ledge flap 23c easier, due to removal of carton material. As shown, slot 30 is generally curved in form with upturns at each end thereof to enhance the ease with which tongue 24 can be quickly pushed into slot 30, especially with thicker grades of board material.
The ledge flaps 23 are typically relatively narrow in width compared with the dimensions of the panels 12,13,14,15 of the carton such that, whilst forming, in use, a ledge to the sides of the upper face of the carton, they do not project so far into the upper face of the carton that they interfere with a consumer removing products from the carton.
Thus the present invention provides packaging suitable both for transit and store display purposes, which is quickly assembly, avoids the need both for a separate lid or a perforated removable lid portion, and therefore results in cost savings and time savings for both the product manufacturer and the store, together with less waste.
The packaging of the present invention will find application with a wide range of products, but particularly with those which have a single face - such as pre-packaged meat or fish, sweets, biscuits, crisps and so on.

Claims

Packaging (10) formed of a board material and comprising a base (11), a front panel, (12), a left side panel (14), a right side panel (15) and a rear panel (13), wherein the front, left side, right side and rear panels extend upwardly from the base, the front panel (12) at least partially adjoins the left side (14) and right side (15) panels, and wherein the rear panel (13) joins the left side (14) and right side (15) panels;
wherein the left side panel, the right side panel and the rear panel are each formed with a respective flap (23a, 23b, 23c) extending upwardly therefrom, wherein each flap is foldably connected to its respective panel and wherein the flaps of the left side, rear and right side panels are joined to form a continuous flap or rim (23);

wherein the rear panel flap (23c) includes a fold line extending into the flap (23c) in a direction away from each corner adjacent the point at which the rear panel flap (23c) contacts the rear panel (13), a respective side panel (14, 15) and a respective side panel flap (23a, 23b);

wherein the packaging is assembled such that the left side panel flap (23a) and the right side panel flap (23b) are folded inwardly by about 90° towards each other and the rear panel flap (23c) is reverse or outwardly folded by about 180° and attached to or locked into the rear panel (13);

wherein at least an upper portion of the front panel (12) is substantially open, defines an opening to the packaging and includes a wall (20) to retain, in use, products within the packaging; and.

wherein the rear panel flap (23c) includes a tab or tongue (24) and wherein the rear panel (13) is provided with a slot (30) adapted to receive the tab or tongue (24); such that the tab or tongue (24) is received by the slot (30) to attach the rear panel flap (23c) to the rear panel (13).
Packaging as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fold line extends into the rear panel flap (23c) at an angle of about 45° to the respective corner.
Packaging as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the front panel comprises at least a left side portion and/or a right side portion connected respectively to the left side panel and/or the right side panel.
Packaging as claimed in claim 3 wherein the left side portion and/or right side portion extend upwardly from the base by a height less than the height of the respective left side panel and/or right side panel.
Packaging as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the front panel further comprises an intermediate portion joining the left side portion and the right side portion.
Packaging as claimed in claim 5 wherein the intermediate portion has a lower height then the height of the left side portion and/or right side portion.
Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the base (11) is formed as a crash-lock base, preferably as an automatic, glued crash lock base.
Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a width of the front panel (12) and a width of the rear panel (13) are substantially the same; and wherein a width of the left side panel flap and of the right side panel flap (23a, 23b) is less than half the width of the front and rear panels.
Packaging as claimed in claim 5 wherein the width of each of the left and right side panel flaps is between about one fifth and about one third of the width of the front and rear panels.
Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim formed from paperboard.
Packaging as claimed in claim 10 wherein the paperboard is a corrugated paperboard.
A blank for packaging (10) as claimed in any preceding claim; wherein the blank comprises a sheet material which comprises a plurality of fold lines and cut lines arranged so that the blank is foldable into the packaging (10); wherein the blank comprises:
i) a front panel (12) , a first side panel (14) , a second side panel (15), a rear panel (13) and a glue flap (22) for joining the rear panel (13) to one of the side panels (14, 15);

ii) a closure flap (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) associated with each of the front, side and rear panels, the closure flaps forming a base to the assembled packaging;

iii) a side flange member (23a, 23b) formed integrally with each of the side panels (14, 15) at an upper, as viewed in use, edge thereof and divided therefrom by a respective side flange fold line;

iv) a rear flange member (23c) formed integrally with the rear panel (13) at an upper, as viewed in use, edge thereof and divided therefrom by a rear flange fold line;

v) a rear flange member glue flap for joining the rear flange member to a side flange member;
wherein:
vi) the front panel (12) includes at least an upper portion which is substantially open and defines, in the assembled packaging, an opening to the packaging, and includes a wall to retain, in use, products within the assembled packaging; and

vii) the side flange members (23a, 23b) are formed to be foldable inwardly in assembly of the packagingand the rear flange member (23c) is formed to be foldable outwardly in assembly of the packaging packagingto form a tab; and

viii) wherein the rear panel of the blank is formed with a cut line (30) for receipt, in assembly of the packaging, of the tab formed by the rear flange member (23c).
A blank as claimed in claim 12 wherein the side flange members (23a, 23b) have a width which is less than half a width of the front (12) and rear (13) panels.
A blank as claimed in claim 13 wherein the width of each of the left (14) and right (15) side panel flaps is between about one fifth and about one third of the width of the front and rear panels (12, 13).
A blank as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14 formed from paperboard; optionally wherein the paperboard is a corrugated paperboard.