ES2206172T3 - PROCESS TO CARRY OUT A COMPRESSIBLE CONTAINER FOR FROZEN OR SOLID FOODS AND RECIPIENT SO OBTAINED. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for making a squeezable container for solid or frozen food comprising a main body (2) having a top opening (3) and a bottom area of said main body (2), means (20,21,22) for removing said bottom area, a closing member (4) of said bottom area fitted inside said container body (2) having an opening (41) for dispensing the product; and sealing means (8) of said top opening (3). <IMAGE>

Description

Process to make a compressible container for frozen or solid foods and container thus obtained.

The present invention relates to a process to make a container for food products, and, more precisely, a process to make a compressible container for frozen and / or solid food, and also a container obtained according to that process.

To date, containers are also known for the content and sale of solid food products such as pralines, sweets and the like, which, after breaking the closure airtight, they are also suitable for dispensing product units individual contained inside. These containers present various shapes and are made of different materials, and are provided with a supply opening, usually closed hermetically or inaccessible at the time of purchase and formed on the container with dimensions that allow the exit of a product. In addition, according to the shapes of said similar containers, the supply opening is formed in an area of the container which is appropriate to allow access to the mouth opening of the user, so that it facilitates a direct supply of your inside. Therefore, product contact can be avoided food with the user's hands, partially improving the Cleaning required for product consumption.

An embodiment of this type of container is described in US Patent 1,961,535 A. However, this type of container is disadvantageous because of the fact that it is exclusively suitable for containing non-stick solid products, because adhesion can make it difficult to supply it to through the container, since an adherent mass could not pass to through the opening unless destruction was carried out partial container.

In addition, another type of dispensing containers, specifically for dispensing units of individual frozen food products or similar and suitable to supply the individual product units through a opening formed on the container, tightly closed from in advance and of adequate dimensions. This type of containers, due to its use, it is usually made of a material, as cardboard, suitable for storage in cold places.

This type of container is disadvantageous because of the fact that the individual product units, being frozen, they tend to stick to each other anyway during consumption, thereby avoiding a filtered supply to through the opening, unless the user intervenes by destroying partially the container. In addition, said type of container is not designed to bring food directly to the mouth of the user.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned inconveniences providing a dispensing container for products frozen and / or unit solids that is suitable for guaranteeing supply of individual units even for food adherent.

Another object of the present invention is provide a dispensing container for individual units of frozen and / or solid food that is apt to be compressed from a non-destructive way to physically separate units from adherent food.

Another object of the present invention is provide a dispensing container for individual units of frozen and / or solid food that has a suitable way to put hygienically and safely supplying the products to The user's mouth.

Therefore, the present invention provides a frozen and / or solid food dispensing container according with claim 2.

In addition, the present invention provides a process to make a dispensing container for products frozen and / or solid foods according to claim one.

In addition, preferred embodiments are described in dependent claims 3 to 9.

A first advantage of the present invention is that a container is provided that is remarkably safe When used by children.

A second advantage of the container of the present invention lies in the fact that the same thus assembled presents a remarkable manual manipulation, which is given by the shapes and the easy opening

A third advantage of the container of the present invention is that the thus assembled is particularly appropriate for solid food, either frozen or at the temperature of the room, in addition to for liquid food.

A fourth advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that the container is formed so that it is appropriate to supply individual food units to the hand or directly to the user's mouth, in any way which guarantees a remarkable consumption of hygienic food.

A fifth advantage of the container of the present invention lies in the fact that it guarantees a unaltered and complete preservation of the product at all times, being possible to distribute the same even in a line of cold manufacturing

A sixth advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that the container is formed of materials and shapes which allow compression / agitation thereof in order to facilitate the exit of the product from inside, concomitantly guaranteeing the integrity of the entire assembly, so that they are avoided Dangerous breaks or accidental spillage of the product.

The present invention will be described from here on forward from a preferred embodiment, given by way of example and not limiting. The reference will be based on the drawings additives, in which:

Figures 1 (a) to 1 (e) show schematically and subsequently the stages of the process according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a container and the closure element according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the element airtight closure of the container of figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the element of closing the container of figure 2; Y

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the container of figure 2 in a partially assembled situation.

Referring to figures 1 (a) a 1 (b), the process for the following will be described make the container of the present invention.

According to the first stage, the process of present invention provides a container 1 having a body main 2 with a substantially conical or cylindrical shape with a top opening 3 in an operating situation.

Next, a closing element in the form of dome 4 suitable to be placed in the base of the container 2 is provides subsequently within the main body 2. The closure element 4 has fastening means 5 suitable for engage by tightening in a complementary zone 6 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the container 2. Next, the closure element 4, once inserted through the opening 3 in the container 1, is placed in the base of the container 2 until coupled the clamping means 5 with the corresponding complementary zone 6 formed on the inner wall of the container 2, closing, of in this way, element 4. In addition, the body 2 of the container has, on a base and on its outer wall, another zone 20 with lines of preferential separation and a tongue 22.

On the other hand, element 4 presents, formed in the central part, a product supply opening 41. The opening 41 is properly sized so that it allows a unit supply of the food product during use (better illustrated from here on).

In this situation, container 2 is sent to the next stage, where it is filled up with a product frozen and / or solid food 7, and subsequently sent to a hermetic closing stage, where the closing element is placed airtight 8 in the area of the opening 3. The airtight seal is carries out heat sealing the element 8 on the peripheral area of the upper opening 3. It must be taken into account that the shape, in addition of the material of the sealing element 8, is selected from beforehand according to the form and material of which the container 2. The seal of element 8 on body 2 is carried out by a process determined by the material in that the sealing element 8 and the body 2 are made. Then container 1 is ready to be sent to the chain of distribution (and consumption) of the food product contained in its inside.

In addition, it must be taken into account that the body main 2 is made with a suitable way to guarantee the stacking during the supply stage of the individual body 2 in the production line, and in such a way that it can be provided by an automatic loading and unloading system in the food product filling line 7.

Likewise, also the closing element 4 is made with a shape that allows stacking, and in such a way that can be charged in batteries in an automatic charging and unloading system in the container assembly line 1.

Now, referring to figures 2 to 5, it illustrates a preferred embodiment of the container 1 of the present invention.

In accordance with this embodiment of the invention, the container 1 has a main body 2 that has a shape noticeably inverted truncated conical, with a blind base and a upper opening 3. In the peripheral area of the upper opening 3 a wrapping edge is formed that generates a rib peripheral

In addition, the body 2 of the container has, in the base and on the outer wall, a slit 6. Also, in the part lower part of the peripheral groove forms a zone 20 with lines preferential spacing 21 and a tongue 22 (better illustrated hereinafter).

On the other hand, an element of closure 4 of the base of the container, shaped substantially dome and that has a peripheral edge that extends downward, an upper wall 42 and a side wall 43. In addition, on the section upper of the closure element 4, near the edge area between the upper wall 42 and the side wall 43, is formed a supply opening 41.

In addition, an element in the form of disk 8, to tightly close the upper opening 3 of the container 2 once it has been filled with the product food The sealing element 8 is suitable to fit in the area of the edge of the opening 3, and to be fixed inside by means of a hermetic closing stage such as by heat seal.

With particular reference to Figure 5, shows the arrangement of the closure element 4 at the base of the container body 2 before filling. For assembly, first instead, the closure element 4 is inserted through the opening upper 3 until it reaches the base of body 2, where the edge protruding 5 from the closure element 4 is coupled by tightening in the slit 6.

It must be taken into account that in this situation, the closure element 4 is held by the edge 5 inside the groove 6, in addition to the stop of the side wall 43 of the closure element on the side wall of the container body two.

Therefore, the mounted container 1 is ready for the next stage of food product filling followed by the sealing stage of the upper opening 3 with the sealing element 8.

For the consumption of the food product, first the container is turned up, that is, with the area of larger diameter face down and with face base facing above. Next, the tongue 22 is manually pulled towards outside, and thus allows separation of the base from the container body 2 1. Next the closure element 4 in addition to the opening 41 they are exposed outwards. Advantageously, according to the invention, it should be taken into account that, before separation of the base, the opening 41 is tightly tightened inside container 1, so that it remarkably ensures the hygienic conditions until the consumption of the food.

Therefore, in this situation the product can be supplied by a partial upward rotation of container 1 towards the user's hand or mouth and through the opening 41.

Naturally, the container can present specific dimensions and shapes that differ from those previously described, provided that the closure of the element of closure 4 inside the main body. This means that the container can be made of materials and shapes that allow a agitation and / or compression in order to facilitate the exit of the product when individual product units are grouped or merged, concomitantly ensuring integrity of the structure.

For example, the main body 2 may be usually formed of cardboard together with polyethylene with the presence or not of inserts of other materials.

Likewise, also the closing element 4 can be made of a suitable material, for example plastic, with the in order to allow the closure of the container in addition to the seal of the same with a proper sealing process. For example, preferably to make the body 2 of the container 1, the element Hermetic closure 8 is selected in a material that allows the heat closing in order to make the sealing process more Fast and easy. Also, the sealing element is preferably selected with a material, such as aluminum together with polyethylene in order to allow it to be closed tightly by applying heat to body 2 of the container 1.

In addition, the entire container 1 can be totally made of the same material, depending on the type of product that It can hold back.

Claims (9)

1. Process for making a container (1) for the supply of frozen and / or solid food, which includes stages of:

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place a body container (2) presenting an open upper end (3);

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fill with product frozen and / or solid food (7) said container body (2) to through said open upper end (3); Y

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place an item of removable seal (8) on said open upper end (3),

characterized in that it comprises the step of placing through said upper open end (3) and before the filling stage, a closing element (4) having an opening (41) to supply the food product by the base of the container body (2). 2. Dispensing container (1) for frozen and / or solid products comprising a main body (2) having an upper opening (3) and a base of said main body (2), means (20, 21, 22) for extracting said base, and means (8) for hermetically closing said upper opening (3), characterized in that it further comprises a closing element (4) of said base embedded within said container body (2) and having an opening (41) to supply the product. 3. Dispensing container (1) for frozen and / or solid products according to claim 2, characterized in that said means for extracting said base comprise an annular area (20) formed on the wall of the container body (2), delimited by preferential separation lines (21) and having a tongue (22). 4. Dispensing container (1) for frozen and / or solid products according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said main body (2) has fastening means (6) of said closing element (4) of said base. 5. Dispensing container (1) for frozen and / or solid products according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fastening means of the closure element (4) consist of an annular groove (6) formed on said wall lateral of the main body (2). 6. Dispensing container (1) for frozen and / or solid products according to any of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that said closure element (4) has fastening means (5) of said closure element (4) ) on said main body (2) of the container. 7. Dispensing container (1) for frozen and / or solid products according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fastening means consist of a protruding peripheral edge (5) formed on said closure element (4) and suitable for coupling by tightening in the external groove (6) formed on said main body (2). 8. Dispensing container (1) for frozen and / or solid products according to claims 2 to 7, characterized in that said closure element (4) is substantially dome-shaped and that said opening (41) it is formed in the upper part (42) of said closing element (4). 9. Dispensing container (1) for products
frozen and / or solids according to claims 2 to 8, characterized in that said sealing means consist of a disk-shaped element (8) fitted on said upper opening (3).